Jamie Douglas joins Clare in this episode to share the benefits of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing. It’s an easy model designed to help people frame how to look after ourselves. It includes ideas about connecting with people, incorporating physical activity, taking notice of the world around you, learning new skills, and giving something back to society. Jamie describes the importance of wellbeing in the teenage years when young people are experiencing huge changes. Through Jamie’s book recommendation, he describes how brain development affects the way young people behave. Acknowledging this can help parents and carers to better understand what their children are going through.     

Jamie is Quality Improvement and Operations Manager in the Children, Young People and Families team at Response which is a mental health and complex needs charity that works across the Thames Valley. He manages a range of projects from supporting young people who have been hospitalised for their mental health, through to preventative community work. Prior to working for Response, Jamie was a secondary school English teacher and pastoral lead in a range of schools.

You can find out more about Jamie’s work via the  ⁠Response⁠ website.

Jamie recommends the book Inventing Ourselves by Sarah-Jayne Blakemore. 

He also shares three tips during the episode: 

1. Use the basis of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing to think of supportive activities to do with your child.

2. Consider the role of brain development and why young people behave the way they do.  

3. Work with your child to develop a wellbeing kit to support them when things are tough. 

The My Family Coach podcasts covers every aspect of children’s behaviour, all in handy 15 minute (ish) bite-sized chunks. Each episode features a new guest chatting about a different aspect of behaviour and leaves you with three handy tips to use at home.