Children’s Mental Health Week
Week Beginning 7th February 2022
The 7th February 2022 marks the first day of children’s mental health week. The theme this year for children’s mental health week is growing together. A rather fitting concept and idea, in the early years we spend a lot of time supporting children’s growth and emotional well-being through our relationships, nurturing, and stimulating environments and through supporting parents/carers. Although, we should be focusing on children’s mental health all year round, heading into next week is a great time to focus on how we support children’s emotional growth, as well as their physical and cognitive growth in the first 5 years of their live.
A lot of the research around children’s mental health out there is about children over the age of 5 years old. For example, we know that 1 in 6 children between the ages of 6 and 19 years old suffer with their mental health (Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner 2021). This is a shocking difference to 2017 figures of 1 in 9 children suffering with their mental health, this is an issue that deserves it time, reflection, and dedication to support our children. More and more, although it is not discussed as much, I hear practitioners talking about children who are experiencing mental health problems in the early years.
So, this mental health week I am going to encourage you to take the time to reflect on your practise and consider how are we supporting the mental health of children in the early years. Especially, focusing on this year’s theme ‘Growing Together’. When it comes to emotional growth, it doesn’t stop when we become adults it is a lifelong journey, but the children do start that growth and all-important foundations when they are with us in the early years. Foundations that will be built on for many years to come. And a pivotal part of that is learning to identify, talk about and recognise our emotions.
Places2be have developed some lovely resources for children’s mental health week, focusing on growth. These can be found by clicking here. For example, using stories about growth such as the very hungry caterpillar and taking the opportunity to talk to children about their own growth from birth to now. As well as resources from previous years that can be adapted for early years settings.
We also have some resources available on our website that can help you to support children’s mental health, emotional well-being, and personal social and emotional development in the early years. You can find these in our online shop by clicking here.