Reach for the Stars

When anxiety looks like behaviour

As the new term approaches, anxiety may show up not in words, but in tummy aches, broken sleep, clinginess or meltdowns over seemingly small things. For some children, it becomes a strong reluctance - or refusal - to attend school.

School refusal is not simply ’bad behaviour‘. It may be a sign that school feels unsafe, overwhelming or unmanageable.

Start with curiosity: What is school feeling like for this child right now? Listen without rushing to fix, notice patterns, and share observations between home and school. If distress persists or grows, seek support early.

When adults work together before anxiety escalates, children are more likely to feel understood, supported and able to reconnect with learning.

Our free mental health and wellbeing courses are back this September. 💛

Whether you're looking for practical tools to manage anxiety and low mood, mindfulness training for the classroom, or support as a parent, we have a range of upcoming programmes available.

All of the courses featured here are FREE, with online and in-person options available.

Places are limited, so early registration is recommended.

🔗 Find out more and register through the AWARE NI website.
aware-ni.org/news/free-mental-health-programmes-september2026

💚 Your Voice Matters 💚

We want to hear from you!

We are carrying out a short online survey to better understand the experiences, needs and challenges surrounding mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people in Omagh surrounding areas and Fermanagh.

Your experiences and opinions are incredibly valuable. By taking a few minutes to complete the survey, you can help us identify gaps in support, understand what our community needs and work towards improving services for children and young people.

👧🏼🧒🏽 Whether you are a parent, carer, young person, professional, volunteer or member of the local community — your voice matters.

🔹 The survey is voluntary
🔹 Responses are confidential and anonymous
🔹 It only takes a few minutes to complete

📣 Please take the time to have your say and share the survey with others who may wish to contribute.

👉 Complete the online survey here:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/rNZb14xAkv

Together, we can help make sure children and young people in our community have access to the right support when they need it. 💚

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆! 🌳

🗓Sunday 26th July
🕐1–4pm

Children and families are invited to enjoy a range of hands-on outdoor activities that help build confidence, spark curiosity and creativity, improve physical health and coordination, develop social and communication skills, and strengthen their connection to nature.

A great opportunity to enjoy fun, learning, and the outdoors together.🍂🌲

No booking required – just come along and join the fun! All children must be accompanied by an adult.

This is an outdoor event, please dress appropriately for all weather conditions.