An Update From SIBS
At our adult sibling day in 2020, 95% of attendees reported an increase in confidence following the day.
Helping young siblings cope with worry
We have had a number of queries recently from parents wanting to help their sibling children deal with worry. All children worry from time about things in their life, and some children worry more than others. Siblings can worry about things like their brother or sister’s health, about Covid, about not doing well at school, and many other things. If worries are not dealt with, they tend to grow bigger, and siblings become more anxious about them. Check out strategies on the ‘Worry’ section of our supporting siblings with feelings page.
Understanding disability for young siblings
We have a small directory of disability information written for children and young people in accessible language, to help them understand their brother or sister’s condition better. This is constantly developed with new listings being developed. Do let us know if there is a disability you would like included.
Are you an adult sibling struggling with your mental health?
You are not alone – reach out for support:
- To talk about anything that is troubling you, call Samaritans on 116 123 any time of day or night or email jo@samaritans.org
- Prefer to text? Use the ‘Give us a shout’ text service. Text ‘Shout’ to 85258 to talk about your feelings, at any time of day or night
- CALM (for men). Phone line 0800 58 58 58, open 5pm – midnight. Webchat service here
Photo Call!
We are looking to develop our photo library to include siblings of all ages and from all communities. We are working with a fabulous photographer based in Cardiff who is helping us to develop our collection to use on our websites, social media platforms and for the media. If you and your brother or sister would like to be involved, are within a couple of hours travelling distance from Cardiff (our photographer will come to you) then drop us a line at info@sibs.org.uk You will receive free copies of any photographs that are taken. Thank-you!
Adult siblings, do you need to give your self-care a boost this January?
Don’t forget our eBook “Self-care for siblings” is available to download via our website, 24 hours a day. It includes the most common topics and questions we hear from siblings, ideas for self-care and tips and experiences from other siblings. Get your copy here.
Sibling Group Leader Training – supporting young siblings
Our next Sibling Group Leader Training session for this year is running on 1st March via Zoom. If you would like to run support for young siblings of disabled children in your area/or online for your organisation and need advice and support, look no further. Booking details here.
Warm regards
Clare Kassa
Chief Executive
SIBS launching their new film with Jo Whiley @jowhiley