Mental health and well-being

Your attention to your child’s mental health and wellbeing is a powerful tool for their growth and happiness.

As your child begins to grow and navigate their world, they start to face different emotions. 

Helping them to understand and express their feelings and emotions can influence your child’s self-esteem and:

• How they feel about themselves and others
• Provide them with the skills to cope with life's challenges.
• Support them to build positive relationships
• Lay the foundations for better mental health and well-being in adulthood

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Just like adults, children can experience moments of anxiety, worry, or unease. These emotions can stem from reactions to changes or uncertainties in their surroundings. While every child is unique, if you observe these feelings persisting or becoming overwhelming for your child, consider seeking extra support. See further information below.

Remember, you're not alone, and taking that extra step can provide valuable reassurance and assistance for your child.

• Being consistently sad, moody, or easily frustrated. 
• Withdrawal from activities and friends. 
• Trouble falling asleep, waking during the night, or sleeping too much. 
• Frequent complaints of headaches, stomach aches or other physical symptoms. 
• Loss of appetite or overeating. 
• Difficulty concentrating, trouble focusing, making decisions, or completing tasks. 
• Unexplained outbursts of anger or aggressive behaviour. 

Knowing what to do if you see your child struggling can be difficult. If you have concerns about your child’s mental health and well-being, try to be kind to yourself – parenting is different for everyone, and it’s not always easy.
 
You can help support your child by: 

• Being open and honest in your communication with your child.  
• Understanding when your child is feeling pressure at school or with exams and taking measures to support them. 
• Monitoring your child’s online activity. You may find answers to any questions you may have about keeping your children safe online. 
• Encouraging regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, and getting enough sleep.  
• Helping your child form positive friendships and develop social skills.  
• Recognising their unique strengths and interests and encouraging them in activities they enjoy. 
• Help your child manage stress by providing them with coping skills. You can find ideas on our blog page improving your family’s calmness and mindfulness.

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Barnardo’s resources on Looking after your child's mental well-being offer helpful information and you can find out if there is a Barnardo’s support team near you. 

Try to speak to someone you trust about what’s happening. You may find it helpful to seek support from your doctor, child’s teacher, or school nurse. 

You can also find strategies from Mind to help you cope.

If your concerns about your child's mental health and well-being such as

• Depression
• Self-harming
• Suicidal ideation

These should always be addressed right away by seeking professional help. If you need to speak to someone independent, you can call the NHS urgent mental health helpline, or text ‘Shout’ to 85258 for 24/7 mental health text support. 

• Barnardo’s page Looking after a young person's mental well-being provides tips and resources and how to get help for your child.
• Our grief and loss pages provide further information on how to support your child with bereavement. 
• Childline is a free, private, and confidential service provided by the NSPCC where children can talk freely. 
• Mind offers help and advice on mental health for parents and carers. 
• The NHS also has guidance on what to do if you need urgent help with your child’s mental health and wellbeing.  
• Mencap, the Mental Health Foundation and the National Autistic Society all have excellent resources and support for parents or carers of children with additional needs or autism. 
• Young Minds has information on the importance of emotional well-being in children.