Currently, in 2022, waitlists for Mental Health supports and intervention are at an all-time high. The Pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the climate crisis, the economic and housing crisis….the list goes on. Our children are very intuitive little humans who absorb the language, behaviours, and feelings of those around them. As a former teacher, I quickly noticed that my students would often emulate my energy and mood on any given day.
As a society, we are more stressed, rushed, and spread thin than we have ever been. Social media is exposing us *and our children* to more trauma, danger, violence, racism, and hate than we likely would have ever seen in-person throughout the history of time. Worse yet, this is often the main source of “entertainment” in our current culture. If you are anything like the average parent, you don’t have the opportunity to take a myriad of psychology courses to best know how to support the mental health of your children.
Where to start? I came across some wonderful videos for which I have provided some links below. The videos were created by The Child Mind Institute and are terrific conversation starters for you to have with your child, or your entire family. Below each video link (divided into age categories) is a skills sheet which will allow you to help your child personalize the information.
No writing or printing is required; you can simply use the skills sheet to guide your discussions. Following these videos, we have created topic-specific sections for you to seek further information and resources regarding concerns you may have for you child. We are constantly adding links to videos, websites, books, and our own newsletters to help you find ways to support the mental health and well-being of your children. We hope this will be of some support to you in your journey as a parent. You are not alone.
