Self-awareness

Self-awareness is really about knowing yourself. Do you know what you’re good at, and what you’re not so good at? What is your personality like? Do you worry a lot or not at all? Are you very neat and tidy and well organised or are you messy and losethings easily?

If you know the answers to these questions then you have very good self-awareness.

We all have different levels of self awareness. Some of us know ourselves very well. You might know your strengths and weakness but some of your friends might not. As you get older you will have lots of opportunity to set targets and develop your potential in lots of areas, such as sport, music, dance or languages.

Confidence

You will already be confident in certain areas, like running or football for example, and as you get older you will develop confidence in more areas such as swimming or singing. Everyone will develop strengths and talents in their own time. No two people are the same, some of your friends might be better at sport than others, some may be talented at drawing and others might be great readers.

Moving on

As you approach the end of primary school you will begin to think about your next steps and your next school maybe. Going to secondary school brings lots of challenges. These challenges might seem scary for some but that’s normal. It is a big change, but a change most children love after their first few weeks.

You will get to meet new friends in your new school. Some might ask you to do silly things, and get into trouble for breaking rules, so have the confidence not to follow these people. Follow people who make you feel good about yourself, and make friends with those who you have common interests with. Choose your friends carefully.

Feelings

Recognise your feelings and how these show in your behaviour. If you are feeling angry what do you do? How can you deal with this anger in a positive way? Can you talk to a friend, a teacher or a trusted adult? Talking about your feelings can really help you and you can develop ways for dealing with negative behaviours in the future.

As we get older, responsibilities change and you become more independent. This does not mean that you should stop talking about your feelings, attitudes or beliefs. At times you might feel like you know it all, and at times you might feel you know nothing at all! These are all normal feelings and a part of growing up.

Getting help

It is not always easy to ask for help. If your brother or sister is annoying you for example you might feel like there is no point complaining because it won’t stop. You should still talk to someone about how you are feeling, because these feelings won’t go away unless you do something about it.