What's Up Over Christmas

15 Dec 05

What’s Up will have its phone lines open this Christmas for young New Zealanders needing support.

The Christmas season can be a great time of year, when you’re surrounded by close family and good friends,” says Grant Taylor, Executive Director of What’s Up, the national free telephone counselling service for children and young people.

“But for some children, Christmas can be a challenge. Although friendships and bullying lead kids’ problems during the rest of the year, family relationship issues leap to the fore around Christmas and New Year.”

“Family tensions may escalate under the pressure on everyone to meet expectations regarding gifts, hospitality or to get on happily with one another without the opportunities to “escape” to work or school. Other children and young people can be feeling very alone and isolated if everyone else seems to have a prosperous and happy family compared with their own situation. Some become bored and irritable because they are away from their friends.”

That is why What’s Up will continue operating seven days a week, from noon to midnight, throughout the summer, including Christmas Day.

“As well as giving children and young people a chance to talk through things in their own terms, our trained counsellors are skilled at helping them learn techniques that will help them resolve future issues as well as the problem at hand. Even quite young children can be good at working out how to deal with their problems if they are given the right kind of help.”

Every day of every week, including the festive season, the What’s Up team is giving children and young people the opportunity to talk about what’s bothering them and helping them develop the skills to cope with life better.

Anyone aged between 5 and 18 can speak free of charge to a What’s Up Counsellor between noon and midnight on 0800 WHATSUP (0800 942 8787).