Friendships

Identity formation in the age of social media is more complex than ever. Adolescents are navigating constant comparison, curated personas, and rapid feedback loops that shape how they see themselves. As this instability becomes public and measurable, supporting young people through this stage has never been more important.

Inclusion isn’t about being present—it’s about belonging. This blog explores the subtle ways children experience exclusion even in “inclusive” settings, and how these moments shape their confidence, relationships, and sense of self. Drawing on recent research, it highlights what true inclusion looks like and how families and educators can create environments where every child feels valued and understood.

Resilience isn’t about leaving children to “get on with it” or shielding them from every hard thing. It grows when they face manageable challenges with our support. By naming emotions, staying connected, encouraging effort and modelling calm coping, we help them learn: “I can do hard things.” That quiet belief builds the kind of grounded confidence that carries them through life.

Anxiety is something we all experience — before a big meeting, an exam result, or a difficult conversation. But when anxiety lingers, shapes how a young person sees themselves, and begins to influence identity, it can become more complex. Research shows that a stable sense of self protects against anxiety, while identity confusion increases vulnerability. Supporting resilience means strengthening both coping skills and identity safety.

Over the past few years, I have completed my MSc in Psychology. My research explored school disruption, stress, and coping in adolescents from parents’ perspectives. What it confirmed was that school disruption is rarely just about education. It unsettles safety, identity, and wellbeing, and families often carry the emotional labour when systems don’t quite fit their child. This understanding continues to shape how I support parents with calm, thoughtful, non-judgmental guida

Friendship shapes our wellbeing across a lifetime, grounding us through sleepless nights, big feelings and life’s transitions. In this week’s blog, I explore how we build friendships, why boys need extra support to form deeper connections, and how every child can grow their own village, just as I found mine eighteen years ago in the most unexpected place.