As a parent, it can feel like a minefield when it comes to addressing your children’s mental health. Especially when navigating your own mental health can be tricky. Children’s Mental Health Week is a reminder that our kids need our support to grow not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. This year, Children’s Mental Health Week will take place from the 3rd of February 2025 to 9th February 2025. Every year there is a different theme, this year it is ‘Know Yourself, Grow Yourself’ led by the charity Place2B. The thought process behind the theme ‘Know Yourself, Grow Yourself’ is for children to build and grow by learning how to recognise their emotions to then understand them. This year the charity has joined forces with Walt Disney’s Inside Out 2. Inside out 2, which has made waves regarding children’s mental health and even adults mental health too! So, this is very apt for this year’s theme. Many people felt that Inside Out 2 depicts how you can embrace and understand your emotions so that you can let them live in harmony.

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The Link Between Physical Activity and Mental Health:

As we already know, physical activity plays a huge part in our mental health; we often forget, though, that this is also the case for children. Whether they are taking part in a team sport, doing obstacle courses round the garden, or dancing in the living room. Physical exercise is essential for a child’s mental health and confidence. Joining in with them doing these activities can strengthen trust and show them you can be silly too and have fun. Having fun is what it’s all about, and self-expression is always welcomed. At I Am Me, we understand this and have crafted leisurewear that will stretch and move with you and not against you. Especially when it matters most, spending quality time with your children. Your children often pick up on your emotions a lot quicker and seamlessly than you think. Making sure you are confident and balanced when addressing children’s emotions will help both people stay grounded. However, this doesn’t however mean that if you are upset you should hide it from your child, they need to learn that sometimes we have big emotions and when we do it is completely valid and okay.

 

Creating Safe Spaces for Emotional Growth:

It is always important to listen without judgement, this encourages open dialog between yourself and your child. When your child plays for a team or takes part in a sport, they will learn from the children around them that it is not just them that experiences these emotions and heightened feelings. This is great for building their confidence and resilience, as they will speak to each other about their feelings. They may feel understood by someone their age who is going through the same stages of life as them, as it gives them space to relate.

 

Encouraging Self-Expression and Authenticity:

Helping your child stay true to who they are should be a priority. At I Am Me, our community is built on this ethos, so we get it. Supporting a child’s mental health journey can be as simple as asking how their day went (probably best not to ask straight after school or college, as they can often just want to get home and chill). Talking to them at a suitable time for the both of you is crucial and encourages your children to be open and actively listen. Don’t make assumptions and jump to conclusions; stay patient as children may find it harder to explain what they feel, so this could come out in a way that may not make sense at first. Reinforcing positive affirmations can help to show your child their value and that they are allowed to feel these emotions.

 

A Call for Collective Support:

As parents, we have the power to make a difference in our children’s mental health. How they view mental health from a young age will set them up with an archetype as they grow up. As a community, we need to come together to support our children in a way that will promote positive well-being. Encouraging physical activity, creating open and honest spaces to talk, and setting a realistic example can make a huge impact.

 

Children’s Mental Health Week:

So far, Place2B has raised £90,000, and 341,895 children and young people will be supporting and taking part.

If you would be interested in making a donation, please use the following link: https://donate.place2be.org.uk/?campaign=cmhw&source=website&medium=website&dontype=single.

You can also access fundraising resources on their website.

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