0
22 Jan 2025

Are We Truly Connecting with Kids About Mental Health?

When we talk about kids’ mental health, we often focus on behaviours, challenges or strategies, but we rarely talk about one of the most important aspects—emotions. Emotions are at the heart of mental well-being, yet they’re often ignored, even though they impact our thoughts, health, mood and the choices we make.

Kids often tell me that adults rarely ask them what they’re feeling. Instead, the focus is usually on behaviour:

  1. Why did you do that?
  2. Stop acting that way.
  3. You should know better.

These responses focus on the actions rather than the emotional state behind them.

Do you ever take a pause and ask kids, “How were you feeling when you did that or acted/reacted that way?” We tend to skip that question, assuming behavior is the most important subject to discuss. Without understanding the feelings driving those actions, we miss a huge part of the picture.

It makes me wonder: Are we truly addressing kids’ mental health, or are we focusing on what feels easier to discuss?

Talking about emotions can feel uncomfortable. Whether we like it or not, emotions are part of all of us, every second of every day. Ignoring them doesn’t make them go away; it just makes them harder to handle.

If we don’t ask kids about their emotions, how will they ever learn to recognize them? And if we do ask, we often hear, “I don’t know” which is, in most cases, an honest answer. They may not know because we haven’t taught them to name and acknowledge their emotions. (download poster)

This is what I know: We need to be the Emotional Leaders in their lives. We need to start being curious about their emotions. This curiosity builds trust and encourages your child/student to reach out when they need guidance, knowing their emotions are valid and worthy of attention.

Until next time…

8 Jan 2025

Boost Kids’ Confidence with Daily Intentions

Intentions are a wonderful opportunity to inspire kids to think about how they want to show up in their daily lives.

By encouraging them to set daily intentions focused on who they want to be (rather than just what they want to achieve), you help them align with their character. This practice nurtures emotional and mental well-being, fostering confidence and resilience throughout the year.

Creating daily intentions doesn’t mean every day will be perfect or without challenges. Rather, it’s about giving kids a tool to guide their choices and actions, especially when faced with difficult or awkward moments.

An intention is a simple, focused choice—a way to decide who they want to be or how they want to feel on any given day.

3 Steps to Make Daily Intentions Part of Their Routine

1. Choose One Intention: Encourage kids to pick a simple phrase that reflects how they want to approach the day. They can come up with their own or use suggestions like: ✨Today, I choose kindness. ✨I choose to be a good listener. ✨I am brave. ✨I will stay curious and keep learning. ✨I will speak kindly to myself. ✨I embrace new challenges with confidence. ✨I choose to be a good teammate.

2. Write It Down or Say It Aloud: Help them reinforce the daily intention by writing it on a sticky note, drawing a picture of it or saying it out loud.

3. Reflect and Check In: Throughout the day, ask how their intention is guiding them. For example, “How did choosing kindness help you with your friends today?”

This is what I know: By encouraging your child to set daily intentions, you’re helping them develop a growth mindset. This simple practice sets them up to face challenges with courage and adaptability, making the year ahead an opportunity for emotional and personal growth.

Until next time…