children's mental health
The theme of Children’s Mental Health Week 2025 (3rd - 9th February) was ‘Know Yourself, Grow Yourself’. The more we can understand about ourselves, the more prepared we are to express our emotions and take on life’s ups and downs. Being self-aware means getting to know and understand what we are good at, what we find difficult, our likes and dislikes, what makes us feel joy and what may cause us sadness. It is also about understanding what makes us unique and our fears, hopes and dreams. As we build a sense of self, we grow in our ability to connect with others, as well as develop our skills and talents. It is with this basis we can form strong and healthy relationships, from early childhood right through to adulthood and are equipped to cope with the challenges that life brings our way.
You can find out more about this theme and get resources for parents/carers on the official CMHW site: https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/
There are specific resources that families can use on this page: https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/families/
WELLBEING AND MENTAL HEALTH AT CHRISTMAS
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year for most children but can also cause their mental health and wellbeing to be negatively affected due to the stress, anxiety and busyness that can come with the season. Here are some activities and suggestions for helping children to maintain/build good mental health and wellbeing this Christmas.
The Essex Wellbeing Service
This is an early intervention service that supports everyone in Essex to live healthy and socially connected lives. With practical, emotional, health and wellbeing advice, support and signposting they help Essex residents to lead their best possible life and to find the right support at the right time, including support in the community for a range of health, wellbeing and day to day needs – supporting families to adapt to the 'new normal'. This can be accessed here: https://www.essexwellbeingservice.co.uk/
There are several other sources of information and resources below that parents may find helpful::
