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November is host to Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, International Men’s Day, and Movember, an annual event to raise awareness of men’s health issues, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s suicide. To highlight the importance of each, in this Resource Pack, we’ve compiled a range of articles to support the men in your life to guide them through this month and beyond. As they balance being a busy professional, with the challenges they face as men, we hope this month’s collection of articles are empowering and valuable to either yourself or the men around you.
Men's Health
november 2024
Men's Health: A Workplace Matter
Other Stuff
Events and Seminars
Blogs
Research and Whitepapers
JANUARY
Navigating Difficult Conversations
FEBRUARY
Resource Round-Up March Awareness Events
MARCH
International Women's Day
SPECIAL EDITION
APRIL
Celebrating Neurodiversity
MAY
Maternal Mental Health and Wellbeing
JUNE
Carer's Week
Pride Month
JULY
Surviving and Thriving This Summer
AUGUST
Return to School
SEPTEMBER
Alzheimer's Awareness Month
OCTOBER
National Work-Life Week
NOVEMBER
Men's Health and Wellbeing
Navigating the New Year with Insight & Inspiration
Understanding and Supporting Children's Mental Health
Recognising and Supporting Neurodiversity
Stress Awareness Month
Moving More for Mental Health
Resource Roundup Pride & Carers Week
The Summer Parenting Playbook
Navigating the New School Year
Your Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care Companion
National Work Life Week 2024
Women's Health and Wellbeing
2023
2024
About Bright Horizons
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Thankfully, conversations around mental health have become a lot more mainstream in recent years, however, there’s still plenty of room for improvement when it comes to supporting, equipping and empowering more men to join in these conversations.
6 Ways for Men to Break the Stigma of Mental Health in the Workplace
find out more
Coming to terms with your cancer diagnosis yourself can be hard enough, but figuring out how to share the news with your loved ones adds another layer of difficulty. When it comes to explaining the situation to a young child, you may find yourself wondering how to communicate this in an age-appropriate manner that they can understand.
Sharing Your Cancer Diagnosis with Your Child
Dealing with a new cancer diagnosis can be scary and overwhelming. There may be big emotions tied to personally processing this news, sharing it with family and loved ones, and coming to terms with how your life might change. You may also wonder if, how and when to tell your colleagues.
Sharing Your Cancer Diagnosis with Work
Dealing with Difficult Discussions
Fatherhood
How My Employer Helped Me with My Mental Health
Glenn describes how moving jobs removed his comfort zone and threw him into a world of self-doubt. When he finally asked his new employers, Sky , for help, they exceeded all his expectations.
continue reading
7 Strategies for Managers to Support Men’s Mental Health in the Workplace
In the UK, it’s estimated that 1 in 8 men suffer from a common mental disorder, such as depression or anxiety. Yet they are statistically less likely to speak up about this than women. So, it’s important to create a workplace environment where everyone feels comfortable and encouraged to openly discuss their mental health and where they can access the help and support they need.
How to Boost Mental Health and Productivity in a Hybrid Team
While a hybrid working model offers many benefits to those organisations that are best suited to it, managers can face a different set of challenges when it comes to ensuring their teams stay both productive and mentally healthy.
Role models play a crucial role in the lives of both adults and children. For many, having a role model they can identify with can be incredibly motivating. We outline what makes a positive male role model and highlight their importance.
The Importance of Male Role Models for Men and Boys
Mental health issues can affect anyone, regardless of age or sex. However, teens can often be particularly vulnerable, with one in six (between the ages of five and sixteen) identifying as having a probable mental health problem. And despite progress, there is still a stigma surrounding mental health, especially among males, including teenage boys.
Mental Health Issues in Teen Boys: What to Look Out For
Did you hear about the one where a man gets postnatal depression? As a female friend quipped when I mentioned the subject of the article, “Do men have to take one more thing from us?” Unfortunately, it is no joke, nor a laughing matter or a desire for men to take over what has, until recently, been a condition that seems to be suffered solely by mothers.
Advice and Where to Get Help for Paternal Postpartum Depression
Burnout is more than just a buzzword - it’s the result of excessive or chronic stress, and its impact is much greater than simply feeling tired. In this article, we’ll explore how you can spot the early signs of burnout, as well as 5 steps you can take to help manage feelings of stress and/or anxiety when it comes to adjusting to work life with a new baby.
Balancing Work Burnout with a New Baby: 5 Hacks for New Dads
Alongside the challenging duties that often come with caregiving, men may also face gender stereotypes or may not even acknowledge themselves as caregivers. This article outlines some barriers men might encounter and offers guidance on seeking support for male caregivers.
Male Caregivers: Managing Stereotypes While Building a Career
October is a month dedicated to raising awareness about important health issues that affect women globally, including Breast Cancer Awareness, World Menopause Awareness Month, and Baby Loss Awareness Week. Each of these topics brings unique challenges and experiences that can impact your mental, emotional, and physical health. This Resource Pack is created with women in mind, aiming to provide practical advice, emotional support, and valuable insights to help your employees navigate these important health concerns while maintaining their overall wellbeing.
Women's Health & Wellbeing
October 2024
Baby Loss
When a work colleague is diagnosed with cancer, it can be hard to know what to say and how to be supportive, especially because breast cancer diagnosis and treatment affect each person differently. We’ve put together some helpful suggestions of ways that you can support your colleague.
How to Support a Colleague with Breast Cancer
For many, a cancer diagnosis can come as a huge shock. Something you may be contending with following your diagnosis is whether you’ll still be able to/want to work during this time. Should you continue working, we’ve put together some tips for how you can balance work and your wellbeing during treatment.
Tips for Battling Breast Cancer While Working
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with cancer, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Reframe, leaders in cancer support, offer expert advice.
Been Diagnosed with Cancer? What to Do Next
Breast Cancer
+ Family
+ Wellbeing
+ Life
Breaking the Silence: Addressing Baby Loss in the Workplace
In this article, we’ll explore the vital importance of acknowledging baby loss in the workplace, offering top tips and guidance on how managers and colleagues can provide much-needed support to those facing this silent grief.
Why I’ve Only Just Started to Talk About Miscarriage
Telling people you’ve had a miscarriage is hard. When Leanne was asked to talk live on the BBC on behalf of Tommy’s about her miscarriage experiences, her first thought was to say no. Read on to hear her story and, perhaps, find some insight and comfort.
Returning to Work After a Miscarriage
Going back to work following a miscarriage may feel daunting. We share some factors to bear in mind and some practical considerations to support you on your return.
What to Say When Managing Someone Who Has Experienced a Miscarriage
If you’re managing someone who has just suffered a miscarriage, you might be struggling with what to say to them. Although nothing is going to make miscarriage easier, there are some things you can say and do to make things a little more manageable…
Work +
For women, menopause used to mean that the days of childbearing (and rearing) were coming to an end but these days, (for many different reasons) women are having children much later in their lives.
5 Ways to Explain Menopause to Your Child
Our Head of Thought Leadership, Jennifer, gets hot under the collar about menopause and suggests ways we can treat it as a positive life transition.
Menopause as a Leadership Move
Discover what you can do to contribute towards a supportive workplace environment for colleagues experiencing menopause.
Creating a Supportive Workplace Environment for Menopausal Women
If you’re currently entering or going through menopause, it can be a difficult learning curve to discover your new symptoms, how and when they present themselves, and how to manage them – especially during working hours.
Managing Menopause at Work: Strategies for Success
Menopause
In this Resource Pack, we mark the annual occasion of National Work Life Week, which will take place between October 7th and 11th. Organised by working parents and carers charity Working Families, the annual campaign aims to promote discussions surrounding wellbeing at work. To support you and your family, we’ve compiled a wide range of articles to help you consider the best way for you to balance, or integrate, your personal and professional lives for success in both areas. We hope you find this Resource Pack offers new perspectives on work and wellbeing, that benefit you and your family for this month and beyond.
National Work Life Week
7 - 11 October 2024
Work + Wellbeing
Whether you’re caring for an ageing parent or a relative with an illness or disability, the dedication it requires to do your best with the juggle of responsibilities can be overwhelming. But it’s important to remember that your professional growth can continue to flourish alongside caregiving.
Career Success for Working Carers: 10 Strategies for Professional Growth
With the majority of working families highlighting that family and relationships remain their greatest priority, finding the right balance between work and family life has never been more important. Executive Coach, Becky Hall, offers three key strategies to better achieve this.
Three Key Strategies to Find Balance
Work-life integration refers to the blend between your personal and professional life, rather than completely separating the two. In this article, we’ll look at how this approach can help to optimise growth and success both in and out of the workplace.
Work-Life Integration: Blending Personal Growth with Professional Success
Work + Life
Setting Boundaries: How to Protect Your Time and Energy
Setting boundaries at work is about more than simply finishing on time or saying ‘no’ to additional projects at the expense of your current to-do list. While these can be helpful, in this article, we’ll explore some more physical, emotional, time-related, and mental boundaries in more detail.
Work and Wellbeing: Creating a Sustainable Balance
Though many corporate environments have grown in leaps and bounds regarding attitudes and beliefs around better work-life balance, there still lurks an underlying pressure for some to work incessantly and place productivity above all else. But what measure do we have in place to ensure our relentless pursuit hasn’t gone too far?
7 Workflow Hacks to Ease Overwhelm and Enhance Stress-Free Productivity
In the fast-paced world of productivity, finding balance amidst the chaos can feel like an elusive goal. However, armed with the right strategies, it’s possible to streamline your workflow, reduce overwhelm, and cultivate a more stress-free approach to getting things done.
Fuelling Your Wellbeing: Choosing Foods for Mental and Physical Health
Our mental health and physical health are closely connected. In this article, we back to basics and explore some healthy food choices that can positively affect body and mind, contributing towards sustained energy levels, focus, mental clarity and a sense of wellbeing.
We can all appreciate that simply looking after ourselves, going to work and running our home life can be stressful enough as it is. If we add the extra challenges that a partner, children and parents can bring to the mix, sometimes all at once, then we have a fairly strong recipe for stress.
Tips for Achieving a Good Work/Life Balance as a Carer
Let’s face it, mum guilt is a universal experience. We’ve all felt that pang of anxiety, the worry that we’re not doing enough or doing things perfectly. This guilt can be a real burden on our mental wellbeing.
Top Tips and Strategies for Managing Mum Guilt and Finding Balance
Trying to reconcile the demands of work and life can be extremely difficult. Leadership & Parent Transition Coach Rebecca Ford-Johnson explains how you might succeed using your own preferred natural style.
Thinking Work-Life Blend, Not Work-Life Balance
Balancing family life and a career shouldn’t require sacrificing one for the other, yet many working parents still face this challenge. The work-family balance is a constantly shifting dynamic, which makes it difficult to find a simple fix.
Balancing the Work-Family Equation
Work + Family
In honour of World Alzheimer’s Awareness, this September’s guide has been created to support caregivers, as well as their families and loved ones. Inside this pack you’ll find valuable information, practical tips, and compassionate guidance. Though caring for a sick relative can be a challenging journey, it’s important for you to know that you’re not alone and there is support available to you.
september 2024
Practical Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care Advice
We all know it’s important to look after yourself, but it’s even more so when you have others who depend on you for care. Our friends at Helping Hands explain how.
Self-Care Tips Whilst Caring for Your Loved One
Our friends at Chosen with Care present four real life stories of people experiencing dementia with their loved ones, as well as tips for how you can support yourself and your family with dementia.
Caring for Loved Ones with Dementia
When you care for someone who’s living with dementia, there’s no simple set of answers for every situation. These tips don’t promise a ‘one size fits all’ solution, but they may offer helpful guidance to you as you care for your loved ones.
Looking After Someone with Dementia
If you have recently become a carer, you may need to consider tapping into support structures and services - find out how in this article.
How to Get Support if You’re a New Carer
Making Your Home Dementia-Friendly
Our home care partners at Helping Hands share their top tips for making a home dementia friendly.
Activities for Dementia
In this blog, discover activities to help you connect with those suffering from dementia.
Tips for Talking to People with Dementia
Care home and eldercare experts, Helping Hands, share some strategies for communicating with a loved one who has Alzheimer’s or Dementia.
Our friends at Chosen with Care share the questions and answers that most frequently get asked of their elderly care advice line.
Choosing the Right Care Home and Meeting the Costs
Eldercare specialist and life coach, Dr. Lesley Trenner provides her expert advice on how to deal with this common dilemma.
How Do I Cope With Constant Repetitive Questions?
Encouraging your parent to maintain their interests and relationships can not only lead to a better quality of life, but it can even reduce the effects of the disease (particularly memory impairment).
9 Stimulating Activities for a Parent with Alzheimer’s
Learn from experts how to help your loved one with Dementia navigate time.
How to Help Someone with Dementia Tell the Time
When you or a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, it can shatter your world and cause a wide range of complex emotions. In this article, discover support, top tips and signposting.
How to Cope with a New Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
Our partners and leading Dementia Care Specialists for home care in the UK, Helping Hands, give their advice on how to celebrate without overwhelming loved ones.
Celebrating a Birthday for Someone with Dementia
Here are some guidelines for navigating “difficult” conversations with your loved one…
“How Do I Answer a Question Like That?” When Dementia Makes Conversation Difficult
Emotional Support
Social Scene
Healthy Habits
& Children
Back to School Mindset
Time Mastery and Routine
As the new school year approaches, we understand that balancing work, family, and school responsibilities can be challenging for busy parents. To help you and your children get back into the swing of things with a bit more ease and confidence, we’ve curated a comprehensive Resource Pack filled with practical tips, helpful strategies, and insightful articles to support and inspire.
AUGUST 2024
For a child, six weeks can be a long time to be out of their typical routine, so it’s not unusual for it to take some time to fully get back into the swing of things again. Here are some top tips to help make the transition as smooth as possible so that the new school year is a positive experience.
Top Tips for Helping Children Transition Back into a School Routine
Mornings can be a challenge at the best of times, but when you throw a young child who needs to get ready for nursery into the mix, it can up the ante. In this article, we share 10 practical tips for creating a morning routine that works for your family.
Creating a Consistent Morning Routine for Nursery Days
Whether you and your child are eagerly anticipating new beginnings or apprehensive about the transition, most families will agree that the start of term is always a busy time! As you navigate new routines, we’ve compiled some time management hacks for busy parents.
Time Management Hacks for Busy Parents During the School Year
In a busy daily life, it can be frustrating if the little time you have with your children is used for constant discussions about homework. But there are ways to make the evening ritual more enjoyable for everyone.
How to Establish a Good Homework Routine
Your child’s learning doesn’t stop once they leave the classroom. There are so many wonderful opportunities available to not only boost their academic success but to enhance their cognitive and emotional development, supporting them to become well-rounded adults.
Engaging and Educational Activities for After School
Every child learns differently. Some are visual learners, others are auditory learners, and there are those who are tactile/kinaesthetic learners, meaning they prefer a hands-on approach. We explain how you can nurture this attitude to support your child’s love of learning.
Encouraging a Positive Attitude Towards Learning
While some may be excited for the year ahead, coming back to school after summer can be nerve-wracking for many children. In this article, we’ll offer tips on how you can help your child adjust to this period so that they can start at their new school with confidence.
How to Help Your Child Adjust to a New School: 8 Tips
Expert sleep coach, Ellie Hunt, suggests ways to make the most of the precious - yet tricky – childcare to bedtime transition with your child when you’re a working parent.
Navigating the Childcare to Bedtime Transition
Rushed mornings and last-minute thrown-together packed lunches to get everyone out the door might sound all too familiar. But with these meal prep tips for school lunches, your day could be off to a calmer and smoother start.
Meal Prep Tips for School Lunches
Perhaps over the summer holidays, you’ve been a bit more lenient with bedtimes and lie-ins. But as term time quickly approaches again, now can be the perfect opportunity to re-establish a bedtime routine to help everyone settle back into school as smoothly as possible.
The Importance of Sleep: How to Set a Bedtime Routine for School
It’s said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but with busy mornings, it’s one that’s often neglected. But if you’re looking for new ways to fuel the family for the return to school, we’ve put together some of our favourite healthy and quick breakfast ideas.
Healthy and Quick Breakfast Ideas for School Mornings
Extended Learning & Activities
Mixing Your Business with Their Leisure
Settling Into Summer
Summer is in full swing, and with the school holidays just around the corner, now is a busy time for many families. Whether you need boredom busting ideas for you child over the break or are looking for ways to manage your other responsibilities alongside making the most of the sunshine, we’ve put together a collection of articles to help you thrive this season. We hope this month’s pack will support you and your loved ones as you continue to meet your professional and personal goals, while taking some much-needed relaxation time.
july 2024
From the fear of missing out (FOMO) or being left out, to the pressure of comparing their holiday experiences to others on social media, discover 6 top tips on how you can support your child’s mental wellbeing and confidence over the summer holidays.
6 Ways to Support Your Child’s Mental Health Through Summer’s Social Challenges
As your child explores a new sense of freedom, it can be tricky to balance enforcing boundaries with your teen’s desire for independence. In this article, we’ll explore how you can best manage this time and help you to better understand why this happens.
Parenting Perspectives: Understanding Teenage Independence & Boundaries
With around six weeks of no school on the horizon, now might be the perfect opportunity for you to consider how to support your teen to make the most of this time. Here are some things to think about when creating a teen-friendly schedule for the holidays…
Creating a Teen-Friendly Schedule for the Holidays
The process of potty training can be an anxious and difficult time, but it doesn’t have to be too stressful, provided you have realistic expectations at the outset, plenty of time and lots of patience. And if you think your child might be ready, potty training in the summer is so much easier than winter - no tights or long trousers to wrestle with!
Potty Training This Summer
Outdoor Explorations: Nature-Based Learning Activities for Young Children
In this article, we’ll dive into the importance of outdoor play and nature-based learning for children aged 0-5 and provide you with plenty of ideas for engaging your little one in meaningful outdoor explorations this summer.
Summer Splash: 6 Water Play and Sensory Activities for Babies
Water play can be a great way to help keep your baby cool over the summer, as well as providing opportunities for new sensory and learning experiences. In this article, we’ll explore six water play activities for you and your baby to enjoy together while beating the heat.
5 Top Tips for Building Water Confidence with Your Little One
Our friends at Puddle Ducks share their top 5 tips for nurturing water confidence in your little one.
To keep your child’s brain ticking and thinking, we’ve spent time trialling a range of educational apps, from problem-solving and resilience to ones with an emphasis on learning and key skills needed for their lessons.
9 of the Best Learning Apps to Keep Your Tweens and Teens Busy
Just a few hours a week could help your child catch up in the academic areas where they might have fallen behind or get to grips with skills they haven’t yet fully grasped during the school year. In this article, find out how you can extend your child’s learning into the summer...
6 Reasons to Keep Your Child Learning This Summer
From exciting experiments to fascinating investigations, there are countless opportunities to spark young minds and nurture a love of learning right in the comfort of your own home. In this article, we’ll delve into some fun and educational summer science experiments that you and your child can enjoy over the school holidays.
Exploring STEM at Home: Summer Science Experiments for Children
Discover how to keep your child’s mind engaged over the summer holidays with our practical tips for a fun and inspiring reading challenge. Learn how to set clear goals, make reading interactive, explore diverse genres, and more!
Reading Adventures: Creating a Summer Reading Challenge for Your Child
Perhaps you look back on your summer holidays growing up with fond memories; endless days spent outside making the most of sunny days. Now that you have your own child, summertime might look a little different. We’ll cover some top tips for best managing sunshine and screen time...
Screen-Free Summer: Balancing Tech Time with Outdoor Play
Juggling mealtimes with the other demands of daily family life can be thirsty work! But with these family food prep hacks for busy parents, you can be on your way to rustling up nutrient-dense, delicious meals that everyone can enjoy.
8 Family Food Prep Hacks for Busy Parents
Working from home (even if for only a couple days a week) over the school holiday can be a challenge. In this article, discover ways to manage work and family commitments effectively to make the most of summer while staying focused and sticking to commitments.
7 Top Tips for Managing Work and Family Time Over the Summer Break
As a working parent headed for the summer holidays, you may find yourself facing a dilemma: how to balance the demands of your job with the care and needs of your child during the extended break from school. In this article, we’ll explore some of these solutions.
Summer Saviours: How Planning for Care Can Ease Working Parent Stress
Settling in to Summer
Carers Week
Pride
June marks two significant events - Pride and Carers Week. This month, we have collated a Resource Roundup to recognise both occasions and highlight their importance. Within this collection of articles, you’ll find information to help you understand what Pride and Carers Week can mean for you, your family, and your working relationships. We hope that the following can offer support for you or a loved one as well as detailed insight into how you can continue to advocate for an inclusive workplace.
Resource Roundup
June 2024
Celebrate Pride Month as an LGBTQ+ family with these family-friendly activities! In this article, discover the different ways you can help your child understand the values of love, diversity, and equality while having fun together.
LGBTQ+ Families: Celebrating Pride Month Together
Discover how to support your LGBTQ+ teen when grandparents don’t understand. From fostering open communication to advocating for your child and suggesting support groups, this article offers 5 practical strategies to navigate the generation gap and create a supportive environment for your teen’s mental health and wellbeing.
Supporting Your LGBTQ+ Teen When Grandparents Don’t Understand
Learn how to be an effective LGBTQ+ ally in the workplace with these 6 essential strategies. This article provides practical tips to create a supportive work environment where all colleagues feel valued and respected for who they are.
LGBTQ+ Allyship in the Workplace How to Be a Supportive Colleague
Being an ally to LGBTQ+ colleagues, and in the wider community, can be a powerful agent of change. In this article, we’ve put together 3 key factors of “good allyship” below, and some links to further information and resources to learn more.
3 Key Behaviours of Effective Allyship
Carers’ Rights Day: Information and Support for Unpaid Carers
As a carer, there are universal feelings that you’re likely to experience from time to time, and situations that you’re likely to encounter. Let’s take a look at the 10 key challenges that caring might throw your way, as well as how to cope when they do...
Chris Minett, author of Action for Ageing, looks at how work and life can balance when caring for a partner or elderly relative.
5 Top Time Management Tips for Caregivers
Time management can be a struggle for many busy caregivers, which can lead to challenges with balancing work, life and caring. Read on to discover 5 ways you can better manage your time as a caregiver…
It can be an emotionally difficult transition for many, the moment you realise you’ve become a carer for your ageing parent. Let’s explore a few of the most common relationship changes that can occur, as well as some suggestions for how to navigate them in a way that strengthens rather than weakens your bond.
Adjusting to Reversed Roles: Becoming A Carer for Your Elderly Parent
Helping an elderly relative can take its toll on all aspects of your life, says Sam Smethers. But preparing and asking others for support can make a world of difference. Here are our 5 steps to finding the support you need.
5 Steps to Finding the Support You Need as a Carer
If you’ve recently become a carer, you may want to consider tapping into support structures and services. Discover how in the following article…
How to Get Support If You’re a New Carer
We’ve partnered with home care experts Helping Hands explain the benefits of respite care and what factors to consider when looking for the right solution for your situation.
The Importance of Respite Care
Being open about one’s sexual orientation can be scary and challenging, especially if a teenager feels they might be misunderstood or encounter resistance to their feelings from those closest to them. These seven tips will help provide guidance to parents of teens who are navigating this journey.
Ways to Support Your Teen as They Understand Their Sexual Identity
Your Family's Health
Your Health
This month, we're focusing on the profound benefits that physical activity can offer your physical and emotional wellbeing. Whether you work remotely or in-office, are looking for more tools to enhance your personal habits or the habits of your loved ones, there’s something for everyone to gain. We hope these resources will help you to move, thrive, and flourish in the name of holistic wellbeing.
may 2024
Navigating Difficult Conversat
Outdoor play is great for children’s physical health, development, and wellbeing. It’s also a lot of fun! Here are 11 simple ideas to encourage your child to enjoy the great outdoors.
11 Ways to Create Fun Outdoor Play Opportunities
It can be hard to fit time to exercise in between work and family commitments. An easy (and fun) solution could be to include your family in your workout…
10 Ways the Whole Family Can Enjoy Exercising Together
Discover how to create a culture of movement where your whole family enjoys being active! Fun ideas, tips for overcoming challenges, and ways to include grandparents - all in this guide to making movement a family priority.
Creating a Culture of Movement: Making Activity a Family Priority
For some children, being active comes naturally. For others, it can take a little extra encouragement to find something they enjoy. In this article, uncover the importance of movement in Early Years and find out how you can help lay the foundation for your child to embrace their bodies and enjoy being active.
Nurturing a Love for Physical Activity in Children
Mindful Moments: Easy Practices to Find Calm Throughout the Day
Discover 6 Simple Mindful Practices to Cultivate Calm in Your Busy Workday. Explore easy-to-implement techniques like mindful commuting, desk breaks, and tech-free moments to reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance overall wellbeing. Take a moment for yourself amidst the chaos of modern work life.
Explore the vital link between food and wellbeing in this insightful article. Discover expert tips on making conscious food choices to nurture both your mental and physical health, alongside a breakdown of nourishing foods that support sustained energy, focus, and overall wellbeing.
Staying Active in a Sedentary Role: 6 Ways to Prioritise Movement
While most people tend to be relatively active before and after work, as well as at the weekends, the reality is that they are sat in a chair for an estimated 70% of their working day. We explore six ways you can create healthier habits through more movement.
Home care experts Helping Hands, share their advice to help those with limited mobility to live a healthy life.
Living a Healthy Life with Limited Mobility
We take a look at how creating a self-care plan helps to promote mind and body wellness, while reducing feelings of anxiety, stress and overwhelm.
Why Self-Care Planning Benefits Your Wellbeing
Content Manager, Nicole, shares her story about how adopting a regular exercise routine helped her to find balance, as well as discover a love for being active she never knew she had.
Prioritising My Workout Routine Makes Me a Happier Person - Personally and Professionally
Corporate Life Coach Kate Horwood gives a run-down of a morning routine to kick-start your day - and how to crow-bar that into your busy schedule.
Create a Morning Routine to Boost Positivity and Energy
When your child is little, they seem to be a never-ending source of energy - bouncing off the walls, running instead of walking, and always wanting to be on the go.
How to Encourage Your Teen to Move More
In this article, discover some key strategies that might help you to decompress when the workday is done.
The Importance of Unwinding: 6 Strategies for Transitioning from Work to Home
Parenting is an experience like no other. But, for all the amazing times shared with your child, being a mum or dad can be physically and emotionally demanding.
Recognising and Redistributing the Parental Mental Load
As a parent who’s focussed on looking after your little one, it can be easy to forget - or run out of time - to look after your own needs.
6 Mental Health and Wellbeing Tips for Parents
Burnout is more than just a buzzword - it’s the result of excessive or chronic stress, and its impact is much greater than simply feeling tired.
Balancing Work Burnout with a New Baby - 5 Hacks for New Dads
We explore valuable insights and 7 practical tips to help you navigate the challenging demands of effectively caring for a loved - while also avoiding burnout.
7 Top Tips to Manage Stress and Burnout as a Carer
& Home
Discover original and engaging ways that can help you create a calm, soothing space to promote relaxation, and some fun activities to practice core breathing skills to benefit you and your child.
Wellbeing Activities and Relaxation Tips for Nursery Children
By incorporating these 8 practices into your child’s routine, you’ll nurture their resilience, confidence, and overall wellbeing.
Top Techniques to De-stress Children
It’s natural for teenagers (and the rest of us) to feel anxious and stressed - from time to time. If your teenager is feeling stressed out, here are some simple activities you can try at home together to help them feel calmer.
Five Simple Activities to Help Relieve Teen Stress
Exam periods can be stressful for both children and their parents, but with a little help your child can sail through exam time stress-free.
How to Help Your Child Deal with Exam Stress
Preparing for the arrival of a new family member is an exciting journey, but it can also be an emotionally and physically challenging time, especially for expectant parents who are managing a career. The demands of a professional life combined with the upcoming responsibilities of parenthood can significantly contribute to stress.
Stress-Free Pregnancy: 10 Coping Strategies for Expectant Parents
If juggling all your commitments often leaves you feeling stressed and overwhelmed, it may be time to make some changes. Life coach Emilia Francesca shares her advice on both a ‘Daily Recharge’ and a ‘Weekly Reset’ to help boost your energy, performance and wellbeing.
Stressed? Maybe it’s Time to Push the Reset Button
From embracing mindful breaks to mastering the art of delegation, these 7 tips can help you to enhance your efficiency while also nurturing your wellbeing along the way.
Stress is a personal thing, thinks Communications Manager, Michelle Barr, meaning that owning it and discovering your own coping techniques is an important individual process.
3 Tips to Tailor Your Response to Stress
Acclaimed author Royston Guest flags up key signs of workplace burnout and how to avoid it. Estimates from HSE, (conducted in 2022/23) show that 1.8 million workers reported they were suffering from work-related ill health.
Workplace Burnout: Signs to Look out for & How to Overcome It
Stress Awareness
& Work
In light of Stress Awareness Month, this Resource Pack is dedicated to improving mental wellbeing through stress management. The following articles have been prepared to help you recognise and mitigate the impact of stress in the workplace, at home and in children. From stress busting techniques to top tips on balancing burnout across different life stages, we hope you’ll find something within the collection that resonates with them and can offer timely support.
April 2024
Stress Awareness...
What is Dyspraxia and how can you support your child at home and build on their nursery experiences if they are showing signs of Dyspraxia? Dawn, our Area Childhood Director who specialises in SEND, sheds light.
How To Support Your Child If They’re Showing Signs Of Dyspraxia
Unlock your neurodiverse child’s potential at homework time! Learn how to create a supportive space, manage distractions, & implement effective strategies for focus and success.
Practical Strategies for Assisting Your Neurodiverse Child with Homework
Creating a calmer home can help to support your neurodiverse family. Discover how to turn your space into a sensory-friendly haven.
Creating a Calmer Home: Sensory-Friendly Living for Neurodiverse Families
Dawn, Bright Horizons Early Childhood SEND Director shares 5 top tips on how to talk to your little one about neurodiversity...
Top Tips for Talking to Your Child About Neurodiversity
Empowering Neurodiverse Families
Navigating the workplace as a neurodiverse individual comes with its unique set of challenges, especially when striving to maintain a healthy balance between work and the various demands of life outside of your professional role. In this article, we’ll explore 10 effective strategies and supportive measures to help you not only avoid burnout, but also foster a sense of wellbeing and fulfilment in your career.
10 Top Tips for Neurodiverse Employees to Beat Burnout
The majority of people are neurotypical, meaning their brains function and process information according to society’s expectations. However, nearly 15% of the UK population are neurodiverse. That’s an estimated 1 in 7 people, which isn’t a small number.
6 Ways to Support and Empower Neurodivergent Employees
Curious as to what time management and organisation strategies work best for you? Discover how you can stay on track at work with ADHD.
Staying on Track: Strategies for Time Management and Organisation with ADHD
Inclusive leadership is a journey, not a destination and while it’s an ongoing process, there are specific steps that can help set you up for success. Morgan looks at six ways in which leaders can ensure they’re being inclusive.
4 Questions to Ask Your Neurodiverse Colleagues to Enhance Working Relationships
It seems that at last there is more thought being taken around neurodiversity and how to better support those who are neurodivergent, as individuals and companies continue to develop their understanding and knowledge about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Embracing Neurodiversity at Work
Neurodiversity in the Workplace
You
This month, we continue to embrace all our wonderful differences in support of Neurodiversity Celebration Week. March’s Resource Pack is dedicated to neurodiversity and supporting you as you navigate this topic both at home and in the workplace. From challenging stereotypes to beating burnout, we’re here with advice to help you and your family thrive. We hope this month’s pack can better your understanding of the various neurological differences and what this can mean for you and those you’re closest to.
march 2024
Discover how to reframe your mindset as a parent of a neurodiverse child in our insightful article. Shift from concern to optimism and empower your child to thrive in a nurturing environment.
Neurodiversity isn’t a Deficit: Reframing Your Mindset as a Parent
Discover insights into dyslexia and learn effective ways to support your child’s development both at home and in their early educational experiences. Dawn, our Area Childhood Director specialising in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), provides valuable guidance.
How To Support Your Child If They’re Showing Signs Of Dyslexia
Psychologist Rebecca Holt suggests nine ways to help improve your teen's sleep.
How to Help Your Teenager Sleep
We suggest five ways to support teens experiencing this new teen anxiety.
5 Ways to Manage Eco-Anxiety
While COVID may seem a lifetime ago, the impact from the aftermath is still being felt. The isolation that was brought about via social distancing, time off school and self-isolation may not be entirely known yet but for some it has clearly taken its toll on teen mental health. Here are some ways you can support your teenager, and where to go for additional help.
Social Withdrawal in Teenagers: How to Support Your Teen
It's natural for teenagers (and the rest of us) to feel anxious and stressed - from time to time. If your teenager is feeling stressed out, here are some simple activities you can try at home together to help them feel calmer.
5 Simple Activities to Help Relieve Teen Stress
Discover seven tips to help teens manage stress and anxiety.
Managing Teen Anxiety
Teens
Our education partners at Role Models look at five things to consider when responding to your child's 'big feelings'.
5 Tips for Responding to Your Child’s “Big Feelings”
Many of us may be surprised to learn that 50% of mental health problems start before the age of 14 years. For parents and educators seeing these statistics, the question is – what can be done in children's early years to support their mental health in the future?
Mental Health Awareness: How to Support Young Children
Sharing stories with your child is a powerful way to help them manage their feelings, express themselves and make sense of their world.
Stories and Wellbeing
Not only is the great outdoors a wonderful classroom for learning, it's also host to many health benefits that you can introduce to your little one in their early years.
Meditation Mindfulness and Learning in Nature
We change and grow all the time and in many ways. Physical growth is easy to see as we grow from babies to children, teenagers to adults, but we also grow intellectually as we gain new knowledge, skills, and understanding.
How to Encourage Your Child to Look After Body and Mind
Early Years & Toddlers
Primary School Children
February’s Resource Pack is dedicated to working parents navigating the all-important realm of children's mental health. Packed with expert advice and actionable tips for fostering open communication and promoting emotional resilience, this resource is designed to support your parenting journey as you carefully balance career and family. We hope this pack will be a useful guide in championing Children's Mental Health Awareness, ensuring you and your family are happy, healthy and thriving.
Children's Mental Health
Understanding & Supporting
FebruarY 2024
Family solicitor, Rory Laide, shares some areas to focus on to support your child in situations that may cause anxiety.
A United Front to Help Ease Anxiety in Children
It’s hard to imagine that your young child (dependent and with few responsibilities) could have anything to ‘stress’ about. But the truth is, as much as adults experience mental health challenges and anxiety, so do little people. Our experiences are all relative and, unfortunately, mental health doesn’t age discriminate.
Helping Your Child Manage Their Anxiety
Many parents struggle to find a balance between providing their children with every possible opportunity and worrying about harming their children by overscheduling them. There is no one simple answer, but the following ideas can help you to create a routine that works best for your family.
Children's Schedules: Too Much, Not Enough or Just Right?
You’re trying to get your child to eat peas…but after one bite, the plate gets pushed away. You’d love it if everyone could be home every night for dinner…but schedules rarely seem to work out. We’ve all been there. But even with busy lives, it’s still possible to work health and wellness into each day. Here’s how…
Health & Wellness at Home: 7 Activities to Help Children Develop Healthy Habits
Confidence in children is a precious asset that lays the foundation for their future success and wellbeing. In this article, we share ten strategies and practical tips for parents, helping you to foster confidence in your child.
10 Strategies for Raising a Confident Child
Explore how early childhood experiences shape lifelong mental resilience. Discover the crucial role parents can play in nurturing emotional wellbeing and learn how Bright Horizons provides essential building blocks for a child’s bright future.
The Importance of Nurturing Mental Resilience in Early Years
From the internet to our families, there is no shortage of people trying to better themselves. Caroline thinks that change isn’t always the answer, but that being happy with who you are could be the key.
Accepting Who You Are and Being Content with Yourself
April is Stress Awareness Month, so we’ve put together eight key steps to help reduce stress levels and improve your mental wellbeing.
8 Key Steps to Reduce Stress
Together with financial wellbeing experts, Nudge, we consider how to better manage our money by setting goals or budgets and learning to be thrifty.
Healthy Money Mindset
If having goals gives us hope and opportunity, if they energise us and give us direction, why is it that we don’t all set goals? And even if we do, why do they so often get abandoned? Psychologist Carly Sime takes a closer look at where we might be going wrong and considers how we can break the cycle and better set ourselves up to succeed.
The Truth About Goals
YOU
These days, ‘hustle culture’ encourages us to chase our dreams and work hard to achieve our career goals. it can be difficult to know how to pursue your goals without sacrificing your wellbeing and burning out in the process. Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to ensure you’re giving your career your all without compromising your mental, emotional and physical health.
How to Maintain a Strong Relationship with Teachers and Carers
From scheduled call times to flexible working patterns, we share seven tips to help you manage work and caring for your elderly relative.
7 Top Tips for Juggling Work and Eldercare
Following on from tips to help with time management, Carey Ann from Explore Learning shares advice for prioritisation and offers a free downloadable planner to help you move away from unachievable to-do lists and maximise family time.
Your Guide to Prioritising a Busy Home and Work Life
Parenting expert Anita Cleare, author of The Work/Parent Switch, shares five tips to help you win at working parenthood.
5 Ways to Be a Happy Working Parent
HOME
These days, ‘hustle culture’ encourages us to chase our dreams and work hard to achieve our career goals. Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to ensure you’re giving your career your all without compromising your mental, emotional and physical health.
How to Give Your Career Your All – Without Sacrificing Your Wellbeing
Don’t work harder, work smarter. Easy to say, but where do you begin? Business skills trainer Graham Roberts-Phelps provides a pot-pourri of time-management thoughts, tips, tricks and techniques.
Take a Dip Into These Smarter Working Tips
There are many reasons why continued education and adult learning can be valuable. In this article we’ll explore the benefits of continued education and share some top tips on how to juggle your existing workload with the potential addition of more.
Continued learning: Why it’s Important and How to Manage it While Working Full-Time
Six Steps Towards Inclusive Leadership
Many of us are continuing to develop our working patterns, either returning fully to an office-first approach, or blending onsite and remote, with an increasing emphasis on presence in person. Head of Thought Leadership, Jennifer Liston-Smith shares ideas on how we can embrace this next phase.
5 Considerations to Maximize Your Success in the Return to Office World
WORK
Home
Work
Ready to kick off an amazing year? Our January resource pack is here to help you step boldly into 2024 with a blend of insight and inspiration. Think of it as your kickstarter pack for navigating the balance between work, home, personal development and wellbeing with confidence. We've packed it with top tips, expert advice, and a dash of motivation to make this your best year yet. Whether you're aiming for career milestones, better work-life balance, or personal growth, we've got you covered.
Insight & Inspiration
Navigating the New Year with
JANUARY 2024
Fatherhood can be a challenging yet rewarding journey. The fine balancing of priorities that’s frequently required can lead to many dads feeling overwhelmed and neglecting their own health, while they struggle to put the needs of their family first.
Balancing Parenthood and Self-Care: 5 ways Fathers Can Prioritise Their Mental Health
Fertility Network chief executive, Gwenda Burns, looks at male fertility and the importance of getting men to talk about problems.
Male Infertility: Facts, Stats and Where to Go For Help
Our guest blogger, Kieran, shares his mental health story and paints the picture of how the best way to ‘man up’ is to speak up and seek help...
A Man’s Mental Health Story
As it stands, health and wellness are still topics that are largely overlooked by the male population. Statistically, men are 32% less likely than women to visit a GP and are living shorter lives due to lifestyle choices that negatively affect both their physical and mental wellbeing.
The Importance of Prioritising Men’s Health
Personal & Parenting
In the hustle and bustle of our professional lives, we are likely to come across colleagues who may be facing various challenges, from mental health issues and physical health concerns to workplace burnout.
4 Ways to ‘Be There’ for a Male Colleague Who Might Need It
November isn’t just a month for crisp autumn weather and pumpkin spiced beverages; it’s also Movember-a month dedicated to raising awareness about men’s health issues, including prostate cancer.
Movember: Tips for Managing a Cancer Diagnosis… and Work
Acclaimed author Royston Guest flags up key signs of workplace burnout and how to avoid it.
Workplace Burnout: Signs to Look Out For & How to Overcome It
Workplace nutrition specialist, Lily Soutter, shares her tips for healthy snack-hacks to get you through the workday.
Healthy Snack-Hacks for Work
Mental health not only impacts an individual's personal life, it can also affect their productivity and morale at work. In this article, discover 7 strategies that managers and team leaders can use to support their male colleagues’ wellbeing.
Men’s Health & The Workplace
Practical Advice
Men's Health & The Workplace
In the month of Movember, we take a moment to celebrate not just the moustaches that may sprout but, more importantly, the resilient individuals behind them — men who are fathers, sons, partners, carers, friends, and dedicated professionals. This resource pack contains articles filled with top tips, expert advice and personal stories, as well and resources tailored to empower men on their journey to maintain a healthy work life balance, find support, and prioritise health and wellbeing.
Men's Health & Wellbeing
november 2023
Let’s look at what we can do to acknowledge the pressures that working carers face and make practical provision.
Retaining the Talents of Working Carers
One of the reasons many of us choose to work on a salaried basis rather than freelance is because of the range of company benefits employers provide. There's no better time than the present to evaluate your benefits and explore how they can work harder for you.
6 Ways to Get the Most from Your Employee Benefits
To say I’m a “busy working mum of two” seems bit cliché. Do you know any working mums who aren’t busy or come to think of it, any working people or any mums that aren’t either? Here’s Bronwen’s advice on how to figure out the work-life juggle…
Finding Work-Life Balance as a Working Mum
Are you divorced, separated, single, a lone parent? If so, you may be so busy with work and childcare or eldercare that Valentine's Day just passes you by. Or maybe this day for lovers makes you yearn to be in a relationship again.
Top Tips for Juggling Work, Care… and Dating!
Discover some top tips to ensure you are making the most of working from home.
Top Tips to Ensure Working from Home is Working for You
Championing National Work Life Week is one thing, incorporating balance into your daily routine is another. Our expert coach gives her top three strategies to help it happen.
The Key Strategies to Find Balance
Our Work+Family Coaching Team and Head of Thought Leadership, Jennifer, share a useful coaching tool for integrating work and life to fit your values.
The Work-Life Triangle
In this article, we explore how ‘calling in’, an inclusive and empathetic communication model, can help foster a workplace culture of growth and mutual respect for all.
Calling 'In' Vs. Calling 'Out': The Art of Allyship Within Today's Flexible Workplace
Work-Life Balance
With good mental health we are better able to cope with day-to-day life and all it throws at us - and make the most of our potential. These ten top tips will help you look after your mental health and overall wellbeing.
10 Ways to Look After Your Mental Health
We've put together eight key steps to help reduce stress levels and improve your mental wellbeing.
7 Key Steps to Reduce Stress
Self-talk is how you talk to yourself; the inner voice that influences what you do and how you feel. Dr Kate Beaven-Marks explains how to channel it so that it's framed positively.
The Power of ‘Authentic’ Positive Self Talk
Self Care
This year, Bright Horizons is delighted to be the sponsor for National Work Life Week! This annual campaign aims to encourage employers to provide activities for their people, and to showcase their flexible working policies and practices to create a culture that allows everyone to be their best – both at work and at home. In this pack of resources, discover expert advice, top tips and personal stories that support overall wellbeing.
october 2023
Discover some top brain games for your mental upkeep...
Brain Games to Improve Your Memory and Mental Health
Our friends at Helping Hands share expert advice on how to help a loved one with Dementia navigate time.
If you're supporting a relative with dementia, you may worry whether they will be provided with the personalised care and support they might require. Completing a 'This is me' document with, or for, your relative can help ensure health and care workers are aware of the little details that can make a big difference.
How to Help Ensure a Relative with Dementia is Treated with Dignity ('This is Me')
When you care for someone who's living with dementia, there's no simple set of answers for every situation. These tips don't promise a 'one size fits all' solution, but they may offer helpful guidance to you as you care for your loved ones.
Discover some helpful guidelines for navigating "difficult" conversations with loved ones living with Alzheimer’s or Dementia.
"How do I Answer a Question Like That?" When Dementia Makes Conversation Difficult
Care home and eldercare experts, Helping Hands, share some strategies for communicating with a loved one who has Alzheimer's or Dementia.
Communication and Care
Care home and eldercare experts, Helping Hands, discuss how to cope with denial in Dementia patients and how to help a loved one with a new diagnosis come to terms with their condition.
How to Cope with Denial in Dementia
When you or a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, it can shatter your world and cause a wide range of complex emotions. Explore how to manage the news of a diagnosis, as well as next steps…
How to Cope with an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
World Alzheimer's Awareness Month serves to encourage people to take action in improving the lives of people affected by dementia. Discover more about Alzheimer’s and Dementia in this article.
Different Dementia Types and Symptoms
Coping with Alzheimer's and Dementia
September is host to Alzheimer's Awareness Month, an important event which aims to raise awareness and support all those affected by this disorder. In this pack, we’ve included practical and emotional support for those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or Dementia. Caring for someone with a cognitive disorder can be challenging, so we’ve put together some expert advice and resources to help make your journey a little easier.
September 2023
Do you feel overwhelmed at times? Wish you could make life easier and have more time for loved ones and yourself? Carey Ann from Explore Learning shares tips for managing time and family.
Time Management Tips for Busy Parents
After school clubs can be great for children to get involved in a fun activity, as well as giving you extra time in the afternoons if you can’t leave work to do the school pick-up. But knowing how many and which after school activities your child can manage can be difficult. We've got some pointers to help you determine what's right for you and your family.
How to Choose the Right After School Activities for Your Child
Out of ideas for what to put in your child's lunchbox? We've looked online for some new lunchbox ideas to try out this autumn.
How to Pack a Punch with Easy-to-Prep Packed Lunches for Parents on the Run
Practical Support and Ideas
Our partners at Holland Park Education share their top back-to-school tips for different subjects and age groups.
Expert Guidance on Going Back to School
MyTutor, our expert partners in tutoring, discuss 4 effective behaviours for helping your teen ease back into education.
Teen Education: Back to School, Back to Reality
Going back to school is always a busy time for both parents and children, getting started early can alleviate the pressure for everyone.
Back to School Checklist
September means 'Back to School' and new routines. Childcare expert Michelle Barr gives her advice on ways you can adjust that can help you gain a lean, mean, everyday routine.
How to Adjust to a New Routine
Whether your child is going back to school or struggling with a new morning routine, getting ready for school or nursery doesn’t have to be a struggle. Here are some top tips for discovering how to get ready for school in a way that works for your family.
The Morning Routine: Getting Children Ready for School
Getting Back Into
of Things
THE SWING
If your child has preschool jitters, our partners at Role Models have tips to help them return with confidence.
Returning to School with Confidence
Navigating the transition to school can be an unsettling time for both children and parents alike.
Navigating the Transition to School
As you prepare your child for the transition from holiday to school, it’s important to manage any feelings of overwhelm to ensure they’re able to start the school year feeling confident and ready to learn. Discover 7 ways to manage back-to-school anxiety…
7 Ways to Manage Back-to-School Anxiety
Managing the Transition
Getting Back Into the Swing of Things
As you prepare for your child’s return to school after the summer holidays, we know that the transition back to the classroom and the re-establishment of term-time routines can be a bit of a struggle – for everyone involved! That’s why we've created this Resource, filled with advice, top tips and support on how to make the transition back to school smoother, to help you and your children make the most of this exciting new school year.
august 2023
July 2023
Travel
Expert Tips for Flying with Children
Many parents get nervous at the thought of traveling with young children. However, with a little planning and sticking to a routine, you’ll manage to arrive at your destination with your sanity intact.
Are We There Yet? Long Car Journeys with Children
We share tips for making long trips with your little ones easier.
Summer Reading & Extended Learning
Summer Living
How to Instil Teen Street Smarts When Travelling
Learning to be independent is part of growing up. Though it’s not easy to relax the rules and push back the boundaries as your child grows, giving them appropriate levels of independence will help them become confident and well-adjusted adults.
With the summer holidays upon us, we know there's a lot to juggle for working parents, so we've created a range of activities and resources to help you and your family make the most of the sunny season. In this resource pack, we've included fun family activities, tips for travel, support for parents and more. We hope these resources will help you and your family to survive and thrive this summer!
Surviving & Thriving
This Summer
Summer Holiday: 10 Essentials to Pack for Your Toddler
Summer holidays are an exciting time for the whole family, but packing for a trip with young children can be overwhelming. From wardrobe and toiletry items to activities and extras, these tips should help you ensure that your little traveller has all the necessities for a safe and enjoyable vacation.
Top Summer Reads for Teens
Finding the perfect summer read can be difficult, especially for teens. With school out and plenty of free time, it’s important to find a book that’s both entertaining and engaging.
7 Reasons to Keep Your Child Learning This Summer
While our children have made big strides since their return to school, there’s still some work to be done to catch up from the past few years of disruption. Discover 8 reasons to extend your child’s learning into the summer…
Why Summer Reading is Important and How to Make it Fun
Discover a few ways to help your child look back over their summer and be proud of their reading accomplishments.
Reading with Your Children: The Knock-on Benefits and How to Make it Enjoyable
We look at benefits of reading you may not have realised as well as offering ten tips on how to make the most of this precious experience.
Fun Summer Activities
Are the summer holidays a time for your child to just rest and relax? Or should it be a time to present them with new situations, opportunities and challenges? We consider how you might help your children ease a little out of their comfort zone in a safe and appropriate way.
Take Your Children Out of Their Comfort Zone This Summer
11 simple ideas to encourage children to enjoy the outdoors during the summer season.
How to Create Outside Play Opportunities This Summer
Learning to ride a bike is a fun and brilliant skill for children to learn, and having the right equipment can make things a whole lot easier.
Tips for Helping Your Child Learn to Ride a Bike, Whatever Their Age
In this article, we’ve rounded up the best ideas that can be enjoyed by babies, toddlers, and teenagers.
Fun Outdoor Activities for Children of All Ages
Sweet(ish) sixteen year old Daniel expresses how he would like to be treated over the summer, while our coach Iole Matthews gives some top advice on how to make that work within the family.
Teen Vs Adult: What They’d Like (or Not) and How to Manage That
When the school holidays arrive, everything changes. We take a closer look at where the rules might get relaxed and whether it might be a good time to introduce new roles and responsibilities, and encourage new habits.
Summer Rules: 10 Changes You Might Want to Consider in Your Household
While we may love longer summer evenings, when you have young children the later nights can mean more difficult bedtimes. We look at some quick wins that will (hopefully) help your child get a good night’s sleep and leave you able to function the next day.
Solving Summer Night Blues with a Young Child
We’ve got some tips to ensure your children are protected in the sun while making the most of the good weather this summer.
7 Top tips to Stay Sun Safe
Mum, You Do Know I’m Gay, Right?
“I was in the kitchen when he told me. I think it was more of a statement than a question. I suppose he wanted to just get it out of the way and move on.” Martine talks about how her son came out to her and how she and her family are adapting.
Coming Out Conversations – Advice for Parents
What all children want and need from their parents is unconditional love and support, and this is especially the case when they begin to explore their sexual identity.
Children are inherently curious and will ask questions about families that are different to their own. Here are a few tips to help teach them about diversity.
Mum and Mummy: Our Two-Mum Family
Lucy shares her journey and some of the challenges she’s faced being part of a two-mum family.
Beyond Rainbows: 3 Ways to Make Sure Your Culture is LGBTQ+ Inclusive
Jamie, our Growth, Learning and Development Manager in the US, highlights three things to consider to ensure inclusivity goes beyond Pride month.
Talking to Children About Diverse Families
June is host to Pride Month, and every year, we look forward to celebrating, raising awareness and supporting the LGBTQ+ community. We hope you’ll find our collection of articles informative, useful and supportive.
Support for All
LGBTQ+ Support
JUNE 2023
Our partners at Autumna share information about a few of the LGBTQ+ retirement living options in the UK.
LQBTQ+ UK Retirement Living: Discover the Options
Further support and signposting to organisations outside of Bright Horizons who are there for you...
BeLonG To (Ireland)
LGBT Foundation
Mind Out
Outstanding
TENI (Ireland)
Support for Carers
How to Balance Work with an Emotionally Needy Parent
If you have an emotionally dependent parent, it can often start to affect all aspects of your life - not just the evenings and weekends. There are a few things you can try to mitigate those feelings of guilt, reassure your loved one and reclaim your time.
Carers’ Rights Day: Information and Support
Carers Rights Day is an important day to let all carers know that they have rights unique to them and are supported in their caring journey. We’ve collated some support information from the Carers UK’s ‘Looking After Someone’ guide to share with you.
Should I Invite My Elderly Father to Live with Us?
“My dad’s been angling to move in with me ever since my mum died. I know it wouldn’t work out - but am I being mean by not taking him in?” Eldercare specialist and life coach Dr. Lesley Trenner provides her expert advice on this personal dilemma.
Helping Your Ageing Parent with Hearing Loss
According to Age UK, around 40% of people over the age of 50 in the UK have some form of hearing loss. Hearing loss can occur due to ageing, regular exposure to loud noise, a history with middle ear disease or a family history of hearing loss. We explore some top tips for addressing what may be a sensitive topic with your parent.
Unfortunately, strokes are common amongst the elderly, and according to the NHS, “you’re more likely to have a stroke if you’re over 55.” Our Friends at Helping Hands shed more light on strokes and treatment.
What to do When an Elderly Parent Refuses Help
We share some of the unexpected challenges and unforeseen learnings that working women have experienced during this unique journey.
10 Steps to Take When Ageing Parents Need Help
Helping Hands share 10 steps to take when ageing parents need support…
Top Tips and Advice
Main Types of Elderly Stroke Types and Treatments
Every year, we celebrate and honour the complex and heartfelt work that carers do. 2023 is no different! This June, we've collated expert top tips to support you as you care for your elder relatives and loved ones. We hope you find them to be insightful and useful.
5 - 11 June
5 Tips for Sharing Caregiving Responsibilities with Family
Whether taking on the role was through choice or circumstance, it’s natural for it to be accompanied by feelings of resentment between the primary caregiver and the rest of the family from time to time. To minimise frustration and animosity, we’ve compiled some tips to help you and your family share the caring responsibilities so that all the work doesn’t fall to one person.
7 Steps for Carers to Consider When Navigating the Care Maze
To help you navigate this tricky life stage, we share seven bite-sized practical steps to consider when preparing to care.
MAY 2023
Maternal Mental Health & Planning
Maternal Mental Health & Pregnancy
5 Tips for Trying to Conceive While Working Full-Time
Trying to conceive can be stressful for your mind and body. Try these tips to help you relax and look after yourself while working full-time.
Timing Your Maternity Leave
Some mums like the idea of ‘tools down, feet up’ a few weeks before their due date, while others choose to work as close to the big day as possible. We look at what to consider when planning when to leave the office and take your maternity leave.
& Planning
& Pregnancy
& Motherhood
The Tipping Point
Emily describes the moment she tipped from thinking of herself as a pregnant woman into a mum-to-be.
Making the Most of Your Keep in Touch (KiT) Days
Keep in Touch days during leave provide a great opportunity, but you don’t want to end up feeling like a spare part with nothing to do. Here, we share our top tips on how to plan and make the most of them.
Tips for Working from Home While Pregnant
There are pros and cons for being pregnant and working from home. We take a look at a few and share suggestions for how you can enjoy a comfortable and well-connected pregnancy while working from home.
Parental Guilt Wasn’t Enough. I Felt Work Guilt Too
“Many working parents feel guilty about putting their kids in childcare. But there’s another side of the guilt coin too: not being the employee you once were.” Maureen looks back on the double-dose of guilt she felt when she returned to work after maternity leave.
5 Ways to Care For Yourself While Caring For Your Young Child
Here are 5 things that you can start doing for yourself to ensure your wellbeing alongside parenthood. And, by the way, they’re best served without a side of guilt..
You may be a parent, but unfortunately, your superpowers don’t exempt you from sick days. From stomach bugs to seasonal flus and everything in between, there will undoubtedly come times when you’ll be incapacitated and in need of a day (or two) in bed. But, how do you manage to parent these days when parenting is a full-time job?
Challenges and Insights From Being a Mother
Mental Health Support and Tips For New Mums
Helen Bowden, maternity expert at Tinies, highlights some important aspects of maternal mental health and tips on how to take care of yourself after giving birth.
Maternal Mental Health & Motherhood
6 Parenting Hacks For When You’re Sick
May is host to Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, which is dedicated to spreading awareness surrounding mental wellbeing before, during and after pregnancy. We hope you’ll find our collection of articles to be insightful and supportive.
mATERNAL mENTAL hEALTH & wELLBEING
Maternal Mental Health
5 Ways to Manage Work Pressure While Pregnant
When you’re juggling a job as well as a growing bump, the stress levels can shoot up. Pregnancy can change how you approach work in a number of ways, but looking after your (and your baby’s) health should always be the priority. Take a look at five tips to help you manage.
This April, we’re shining a light on neurodiversity and all its nuances. We’ve collated some helpful resources, ranging from expert top tips and advice to inspiring personal stories. We hope these resources will help provide you with insight, learnings and support.
CELEBRATING nEURODIVERSITY
april 2023
Work + You + Neurodiversity
The majority of people are neurotypical, meaning their brains function and process information according to society’s expectations. However, nearly 15% of the UK population are neurodiverse. Discover ways to better suit all your employees’ needs and improve both their wellbeing and productivity.
Creating a Better Work Environment for All by Embracing Neurodiversity
It’s estimated that 1 in 7 people in the UK are neurodiverse, and it’s important that within every organisation everyone does their best to create working environments and cultures that are inclusive and accommodating for all. As the saying goes: a rising tide lifts all ships. In this article, we explore a few ways this can be done…
I Might Look Organised but That’s Because I’m Not
“I keep a very neat and tidy to-do list on my desk and am always updating it. A colleague commented on how organised I was. It just couldn’t be further from the truth.” Chloe explains how she copes with the learning disorder she hides so well.
Parenting + Neurodiversity
Managing Relationships: Growing Up with a Father on the Autistic Spectrum
Louise shares how her father’s autism affected her relationship with him, but how knowledge and a better understanding has helped them both move forward.
How to Support Your Child if They’re Showing Signs of Dyslexia
Our SEND expert, Dawn, shares advice on how you can support your child if they are showing signs of Dyslexia.
Seven Tips for Parents of Children with Autism
Kelly, mother of an autistic six-year-old daughter, offers these tips to any parent who is finding their way along the journey with a child diagnosed as having a condition ‘on the spectrum’.
What to Do If You Think Your Child Has Autism
If you have concerns about your child’s social, emotional and cognitive development then you may want to take action. Here are signs to look out for and what to do next to help your child develop and thrive.
9 Tips for Encouraging a Child with SEN
We share ways you can encourage your child with SEN.
Diagnosing Autism: It Can Be Difficult with Girls
When her teenage daughter was finally diagnosed with autism, everything fell into place for Caroline. Here she shares what she learned at a talk on girls and autism by renowned expert Sarah Hendrickx and relates it to her own experience in the hope it will help other parents also concerned about their child.
Don’t Judge My Child or My Parenting
Mum, Lisa, recounts the journey she’s been on to get a diagnosis and help her autistic son.
Dawn, Bright Horizons Early Childhood SEND Director shares 5 top tips on how to talk to your little one about neurodiversity…
Life with a Side of Autism
“Getting a diagnosis for our daughter took eighteen months. Believe me, that’s quick, so if you feel something’s not right, you have to speak up.” Mother-of-two Kelly shares her journey of discovery and offers advice to other parents wondering if their child may be on the autism spectrum.
Medication & Dedication: How We’re Helping My Daughter Get Through School
“My teenage daughter has both ADHD and dyslexia. She gets extra time for school exams, but it’s so hard for her because she has to focus for far longer than anyone else”. Jill sheds light on the journey so far, and how both she and her daughter have adapted.
SEND Parenting Survival Guide
SEND expert, Natalie, explains and sets out her parenting survival guide. Natalie is a parent of a child with special educational needs. She shares her personal experiences and offers 10 tips for parents based on her learnings…
Sensory Processing Disorder
SEND specialist, Cheryl Bedding, shares information on the extra three senses and how you can support and enable a child who may have undeveloped senses to thrive.
Ways to Spot if Your Child May Have a Learning Difficulty
Our Special Educational Needs Early Childhood Director, Natalie, looks at some of the key struggles that might indicate a child has a learning difficulty, such as Dyslexia, and how to help.
How to Support Your Child if They’re Showing Signs of Dyspraxia
What exactly is Dyspraxia and how can you support your child at home and build on their nursery experiences if they are showing signs of Dyspraxia? Dawn, our Area Childhood Director who specialises in SEND, sheds light.
This March, we celebrate International Women’s Day! In honour of all working women and working mothers, we’ve compiled a collection of resources to help support, inspire and empower. We hope you’ll enjoy these thought-provoking pieces written by experts and thought leaders, and most especially, other women!
Special Edition
march 2023
International Women's Day Past and Present
Motherhood and Work
5 Ways Managers Can Drive Gender Equity in the Workplace
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is #EmbraceEquity. In 2023, equity within the workplace (and beyond) isn’t just a ‘nice to have,’ it’s essential. Discover 5 ways you can better foster gender equity in your team…
Women in the Workplace – Providing a Choice Not a Compromise
Far too often we allow circumstances to force women into making a compromise between their families and their career, when what we need to do is give them a choice.
3 Ways for Employers to Break Gender Bias
Our Head of Thought Leadership, Jennifer Liston-Smith joins the drive to #BreakTheBias. She offers 3 evidence-based tips on where we can make progress on gender roles in the home, workplace and beyond.
International Women's Day Past and Pressent
Personal Stories
How Will You Choose to Challenge
Our head of thought leadership, Jennifer Liston-Smith, reflects on challenging gender stereotypes for International Women’s Day.
Planning for Parental Leave
Our Head of Coaching and Consultancy, Iole Matthews, shares eight ideas to consider as you prepare for a smooth transition in those months before you go on leave.
A Critical ‘Moment That Matters’
The Parent Transition:
Jennifer Liston-Smith reminds us of the need for employers to support parental leave returners, particularly in the hybrid world, and the difference it makes to have a well-supported leave in terms of keeping career on track as well as family wellbeing.
Raising Strong and Confident Girls
International Women’s Day is a wonderful time for parents to celebrate the achievements of girls and women with their children. Reflecting on how we raise girls (children who identify as female) every day can help you encourage confidence and high self-esteem in your child.
How to Continue Breastfeeding When You Return to Work
Going back to work needn’t mean putting an end to breastfeeding. However, the thought of doing both can seem stressful. We asked Joanna Brett, NCT Breastfeeding Counsellor, for her advice for women returning to work who want to still breastfeed.
Upfront and Honest About Parental Leave
Talking to your line manager about parental leave can be daunting, more so if they’re unfamiliar with what’s involved. Leadership and Transition coach, Ben, offers advice on the best way to approach it.
I Sobbed Going Back to Work but Smile About It Now
“After an amazing ten months on maternity leave, I’m now back at work. I dreaded it for months.” Yet despite her fears and first-day tears, Mary has learned to relish both work and the precious time she has with baby Jasper.
My Return to Work After Maternity Leave
Our Field Sales and Marketing Executive, Rose Norton, shares her story and tips on navigating your return to work after maternity leave.
Some new parents worry that becoming a parent may mean they lose their cutting-edge in the workplace. No such issues for Elizabeth who feels there is no end to the transferable skills she’s gained.
The Return to Work: Managing Children’s Expectations
On returning to the workplace after a decade, Emily explains how she tried to manage her children’s expectations and fears through the process.
Return to Work: Facing the Fear
As she returns to an office after a decade of freelancing, our new content manager Emily, shares her best bits and biggest challenges.
#EmbraceEquity
Becoming a Mother Made Me Better at My Job
March is host to many key awareness events, namely the Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal, Ovarian Cancer Awareness, Endometriosis Awareness, and International Women's Day on the 8th. Other important days to note are Self-Injury/Harm Awareness Day, as well as World Sleep Day. We have collated a collection of our articles, advice pieces and personal stories to help support you and your family navigate these topics.
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Endometriosis Awareness Month
March Awareness Days
Care and Support Through Terminal Illness
When Estelle's mum faced her final days, she received palliative care from a Marie Curie nurse, "an angel in our darkest hour." Estelle recalls her surprise that non-cancer patients were offered such support and explains, as a Marie Curie Ambassador, how the charity provides support for anyone suffering a terminal illness.
Dealing with a new cancer diagnosis can be a scary and overwhelming journey. There may be big emotions tied to personally processing this news, sharing it with family and loved ones, and coming to terms with how your life might change. If you work, you’ll likely also be wondering if, how and when to tell your boss and colleagues.
Been Diagnosed with Cancer? What to do Next?
Expert advice from Reframe, leaders in cancer support.
5 Ways to Be an Endometriosis-Friendly Manager
OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
ENDOMETRIOSIS AWARENESS MONTH
AWARENESS dAYS
sELF-INJURY AWARENESS dAY
iNTERNATIONAL wOMEN'S dAY
wORLD sLEEP dAY
In the UK, around 1.5 million women and those assigned female at birth are living with endometriosis. In fact, it's the second most common gynaecological condition in the UK.
Tips to Manage Endometriosis While at Work
Endometriosis is the second most common gynaecological condition in the UK.
08
WED
Self-injury awareness Day
Why People Self-Harm and How to Help
Our team explains why people self-harm and offer 12 guiding principles to help parents support their children.
I Think My Child is Self-Harming: What Can I Do?
Self-harming can affect anyone. A recent national study reported that 7.3% of girls, and 3.6% of boys, aged 11 to 16, had self-harmed or attempted suicide at some point. The figures for 17- to 19-year-olds were 21.5% for girls and 9.7% for boys.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is #EmbraceEquity. In 2023, equity within the workplace (and beyond) isn’t just a ‘nice to have,’ it’s essential. Discover 5 ways you can better foster gender equity in your team...
How to Help Teenagers Sleep
Psychologist Rebecca Holt suggests nine ways to improve your teen's sleep.
Positive Parenting: Help Your Baby to Sleep Independently
Our childcare specialists suggest a range of alternative Positive Parenting strategies to help babies fall asleep on their own.
World Sleep Day
Insomnia for Ageing Adults
Consistent, low-quality sleep can have a detrimental effect on general health and wellbeing. If Insomnia is something that you or a loved one suffer from, keep reading. We’ve put together some self-help measures to put into practice…
Building Resilience: There’s a Nap for That: Sleep!
The importance of sleep is well-documented, so it might seem surprising that only 1 in 3 of us suffer from poor sleep. So, what can we do to get more of the good stuff?
FRI
17
World sleep day
01
sELF-INJURY AWARENESS DAY
“When my mum was diagnosed with dementia, she gave Power of Attorney to me and my siblings... Eldercare specialist and life coach Dr. Lesley Trenner provides expert advice on this pressing family matter.
My Family Can’t Agree on My Mother’s Care
If you’ve noticed your parent or elderly relative is becoming less able to cope in their own home, it might be time to suggest some outside help. Adam Pike from SuperCarers gives some advice on how to successfully broach the subject.
How to Persuade Your Elderly Parents to Accept Outside Help
Here are some guidelines for those “difficult” conversations.
How Do I Answer a Question Like That? When Dementia Makes Conversation Difficult
Conversations with Family and Ageing Parents
It’s not What You Say, But How You Say It That Matters
We all engage in a multitude of different relationships every day, but how well do we communicate? Learning to speak so that the other person listens is a skill that is more than worth its weight in gold.
We’ve Discussed This Already (But Only in My Head)
Is one of your goals to improve your relationships? Jennifer invites you to distinguish between the conversations you’ve actually had out loud and those that have only happened in your head.
Talking to your line manager about parental leave can be daunting, more so if they’re unfamiliar with what’s involved. Leadership and Transition coach Ben offers advice on the best way to approach it.
How to have Good Conversations Around Menopause - At Work and with Your GP
Our friends at Henpicked offer advice for seeking menopause support at work.
Co-Operative Communication
Iole Matthews, Head of Coaching Services, shares how using an “I” Statement at work can allow for better working relationships and increased productivity.
Conversations at Work
“Coming Out” Conversations Advice For Parents
We suggest five ways to support teens experiencing this new type of teen anxiety.
Is My Teenager Ready for Contraception?
Talking openly with your teen about sex and contraception might be something you’ve been dreading, but it’s an essential conversation to have, for both of you.
How to Talk with Your Teen
It’s well known the teen years can prove tricky comms-wise, coach Richard Andrew flags top tips on how to get chatting.
The Birds and The Bees: Rites of Passage
As the father of two girls, Sergio knows that it can be difficult to broach the topic of sex and relationships with your children. But if you discuss it from the ‘respect’ angle, it opens up a window of possibilities.
Conversations with Tweens and Teens
Talking to Children About Current Affairs: Keep It Simple
A bit of news is healthy for children, as long as it comes in child-sized portions with a decent helping of parental explanation to follow.
For women, menopause used to mean that the days of childbearing were coming to an end but these days, women are having children much later in their lives. This means that more women are experiencing perimenopause and menopause while still actively involved in raising young children and teens.
How Do I Talk to My Child About Race?
Young children are inquisitive by nature and your child may be starting to notice differences between themselves and their friends. Has your child started to ask questions about people they see at the shops or at the park? Don’t shy away from what they’re pointing out - dive into it.
How and When to Tell Children You’re Expecting
Announcing a pregnancy is exciting news, but what’s the best way to tell a child you’re expecting another? Here are eight tips to help you plan your announcement for soon-to-be-siblings.
How to Have Difficult Conversations with Your Children
With all the turmoil going on right now around the globe, our children may be asking us some hard questions about the world they live in. We offer some ways to support you in those conversations.
Conversations with Children
Conversations With Family and Ageing parents
Converstions at Work
Conversations With Tweens and Teens
In this edition, we’ve curated a range of resources for your employees (managers, colleagues, parents and carers) to support communication in their everyday relationships - both personal and professional. These articles are designed to help employees improve navigating difficult conversations and effective communications in their work (and family) lives.
January 2023
Coaching & Development Solutions to help businesses retain and develop employees through life’s big transitions, including the parent transition and becoming a carer – supporting your people to thrive at work and at home
Coaching and Development
Workplace Nurseries, providing parents with reassuringly high-quality and convenient care at or near their workplace
Workplace Nurseries
Nursery Partnerships, which can save employees 30% on nursery fees at no cost to their employer
Nusery Partnership
Parental Leave Toolkit, our unique digital coaching solution for new parents and the managers who support them
Parental Leave Toolkit
Work+Family Space, an easily searchable hub of information, resources and advice on a wide range of work and family topics
Work+Family Space
One to one Virtual Tutoring in Maths and English for children (ages 4-16 years) accessible though the Back-Up Care benefit
Virtual Tutoring
Our award-winning Back-Up Care network, which saves our clients over 100,000 days in productivity each year
Back-Up Care
Our family services includes:
We monitor and evaluate our service provision through ongoing employee and client feedback to ensure its quality and positive impact. We provide our clients with access to live usage and engagement analytics.
We have a strong commitment to corporate sustainability and, through our registered charity the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children, we work to transform the lives of children and families in crisis.
We have been consistently recognised as a UK Best Workplace by the Great Place to Work Institute every year since 2006.
We look forward to always delivering the best for our clients, families and our own employees.
A partner, provider and employer of choice
For over 30 years, Bright Horizons has been supporting the evolving needs of working families. Through bespoke family care solutions, we are helping employers to anticipate the challenges facing their employees and equip them with the tools they need to thrive. From workplace nurseries and hybrid worker solutions to back-up care when your employees need it most, our work and family solutions enhance your ability to attract and retain key talent, giving your teams the peace of mind and confidence to do their best work. At Bright Horizons, we are always looking forward, creating and developing solutions to help businesses succeed and create a happier, more efficient and profitable workforce. With operations in the US, UK, India, Australia and the Netherlands, we’ve a wealth of experience in supporting multi-national clients.
Our history
?
We provide holistic solutions to the challenges facing parents and carers in the workplace today. These include comprehensive care services, coaching and development provision, digital resources, family network events, and manager/ organisational guidance. They address the practical, emotional and cultural needs of organisations and individuals. What we offer is good for employers and good for employees. Everybody wins.
How we do it
We help to increase our clients’ employee wellbeing, engagement and productivity, supporting career progression and improving recruitment and retention of talented and diverse workforces.
What we do
Think global services
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