Children's Mental Health Week 2022 Posted on 7 February 2022 by Amber Gravenell - Kent Teach in General | Wellbeing The 7th to the 13th February 2022 is Children’s Mental Health Week! In 2015, Place2Be introduced the first Children’s Mental Health Week with the intention of raising awareness of children’s mental health. For 8 years this awareness event has continued to thrive and is shining a light on mental health issues impacting children and young people. Awareness leads to education and an improved understanding of children’s mental health, which in turn improves the support and services available to young people. The theme for 2022’s Children’s Mental Health Week is Growing Together. This theme is dedicated to emotional growth and supporting others in their own growth. Resilience is a key skill to develop with the ability to view challenges and setbacks positively. Ultimately, the challenges we face serve to make us stronger. Setbacks allow us to adapt and try new things. The ability to embrace change and experiment with new things helps us to move beyond our comfort zone which can release untapped potential and possibilities. But, this is easier said than done. Sometimes, emotional growth can take time and it can be a frustrating and slow process. Emotional growth is individual to each of us and there is no race; it is important to acknowledge even the smallest of achievements in growth and develop the patience and resilience to keep going on the emotional growth journey.The Children’s Mental Health Week website contains a variety of resources for both primary and secondary school classrooms. There are also resources available for parents and carers. The website also information on support services offered by Place2Be, such as mental health training for schools. Below, we have provided additional links to classroom resources dedicated to children’s mental health.Resources:https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/https://www.twinkl.co.uk/event/childrens-mental-health-week-2022https://thecpsu.org.uk/upcoming-events/2022-02-07-childrens-mental-health-week/https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/for-children-and-young-people/https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/teach/childrens-mental-health-week/zk37bdmhttps://www.youngminds.org.uk/If you are searching for children’s literature about mental health, the Book Trust have a fantastic webpage dedicated to books raising mental health awareness. Ways You Can Support Children’s Mental Health• Communicate honestly and openly.• Build a relationships based on trust and mutual respect.• Listen carefully; do not interrupt or invalidate the child’s feelings.• Regularly start conversations; ask them how they are feeling with regular check-ins. If you are unsure on how to start the conversation, Young Minds have a fantastic resource dedicated to this. • Be engaged and interested in their lives.• Encourage the child to engage in hobbies and forge new interests.• Routines are crucial to maintaining positive mental health; structure is key alongside healthy eating, exercise and getting enough sleep. • Monitor their emotions and feelings; support them when things get tough. This resource is a fantastic place to start if you are unsure how to do this. Why not read our Youth Mental Health Day Blog next? Our guest blogger, Liz Miller, discusses her experience of children’s mental health and the importance of literature in promoting positive mental health.