lOOKING AFTER YOUR CHILD'S mENTAL HEALTH 

Tips to help your child look after their mental wellbeing and talk about their worries

Talking about worries or problems can really help your child to feel better. Here are a few suggestions to help them open up:-

Reading and Wellbeing

If your child is upset about something, reading a story that covers the same subject could help them to make sense of what they are going through, forget about the
stress or worry and learn to understand others’ points of view.

★ Visit the library - it’s free and a good place to find books covering all sorts of issues.

★ Reading a funny book together can make your child laugh and feel happier.

★ Read a story before bedtime to switch off from the day. 

Stories and books can help your child feel more confident and happier.

Useful books:

Ruby’s Worry by Tom Percival
Badger’s Parting Gift by Susan Varley
Kaya’s Heart Song by Diwa Tharan Saunders
Daisy’s Dragons by Frances Stickley
The Worrysaurus by Rachel Bright and Chris Chatterton                              
Find Your Happy by Emily Coxhead

Write a Worry Journal

Often children find it difficult to talk about or express their worries/concerns.  You could encourage them to keep a worry journal to help them work out what’s happening and think about ways to feel better.

Colouring to improve mindfulness

Colouring can be very soothing for children and can help them forget their worries.  You could colour or doodle together and talk about feelings.