It is Children’s Mental Health week. This is another great initiative from Place2B and highlights, in particular, the difficulties our children are facing right now. This year, the theme is “Express Yourself”. Children can spend up to 8 hours a day at school. For many, it is the place where they do just that. Drama, music, break time on the playground and even classroom activities like creative writing all provide an outlet for them to express their dreams, desires and fears. But with school not there, it is left up to parents and caregivers to provide an outlet.
Are you a parent or carer?
But those parents are stressed. They now have to work from home, assist with their children’s education and still find the time and energy to be a parent. Adults are exhausted and stressed. When we are stressed, the children close to us can sense it. They can feel it. If they feel stressed and not quite coping with being away from their mates, our stress adds to theirs.
Adults need to take the lead. We have to learn how to manage this very difficult time so that our children can manage. It is impossible to deny that we are in very difficult times. Every day we hear more stories about the toll that the pandemic is taking on our mental health. We can get through this on one piece. We just have to learn how.
I use A Room in Town in Central London when I am working face to face with clients. They recently asked me to write something to coincide with Children’s Mental Health Week. Children’s mental health can be intrinsically bound to the mental health of the adults around them. I chose to focus on us, the adults. You can read the blog here to learn a few things that might make this a little easier.