Supporting Your Children’s Mental Health

Supporting children’s mental health is about helping kids gain the skills they need to build a balanced and fulfilling future.

Because children spend most of their time at home and school, parents and educators are in a key position to make a real difference. The support we provide them in these settings can positively impact their development.

If you are looking for specific strategies to support children’s mental health, this guide covers what parents and educators can do, along with helpful habits and tools for everyday life.

At Home (For Parents)

Children show their emotions through behavior before they can fully explain what they are feeling. Parents can focus on small daily interactions with the goal of helping children feel emotionally safe.

• Spend at least a few minutes of one-on-one time with your child each day.
• Validate feelings before trying to fix the problem.
• Keep routines predictable, especially during stressful times.
• Create screen-free moments during meals or bedtime by talking about each other’s day or reading together.
• Let children see healthy coping skills modeled by adults.
• Encourage effort instead of focusing only on results.
• Help children name emotions by talking about feelings openly.
• Avoid dismissing their emotions with phrases like “You’re fine” or “It’s not a big deal.”
• Praise their effort to show kindness, honesty, and persistence, not just achievements.
• Teach children that asking for help is a strength.
• Use calm conversations instead of harsh punishment when possible.

Parents should not ignore their own well-being either. Taking care of your mental and emotional health can help you stay emotionally available for your child [*].

At School (For Teachers)

Children spend a large part of their day at school, which means teachers are likely to notice when something feels “off.” Children do better academically and socially when they feel supported in the classroom.

• Greet students warmly at the start of the day.
• Normalize mistakes so children understand that learning includes trying and failing.
• Avoid shaming or embarrassing students and lean more on encouraging language.
• Stay attentive to changes in behavior, especially when a child becomes unusually quiet or reactive.
• Offer movement breaks, quiet corners, and opportunities for emotional regulation.
• Teach problem-solving and coping skills alongside academics.
• Check in privately with students who seem overwhelmed.
• Support and welcome all students, especially those at higher risk of marginalization, by creating a culturally responsive classroom.
• Promote teamwork and positive peer interactions.
• Make mindfulness part of the classroom routine, such as short breathing exercises, body scans, or quiet moments.
• Collaborate with parents when concerns arise.

Schools also need to look after their staff. When teachers are not overwhelmed by stress, they can provide more effective classroom environments and better learning experiences for students.

Healthy Daily Habits to Support Your Child’s Mental Well-Being

Mental health is influenced by everyday habits more than many people realize. Routines, such as getting enough sleep, staying physically active, and eating balanced meals, can all affect a child’s mood [*].

• Keep a consistent bedtime and wake-up schedule.
• Encourage outdoor play and physical activity daily.
• Limit screen time before bed.
• Encourage hobbies that are relaxing and enjoyable.
• Teach children to take breaks when overwhelmed.
• Provide balanced meals and regular eating routines.
• Help children build friendships and social connections.
• Encourage journaling, drawing, or creative expression.
• Practice simple breathing or mindfulness exercises together.
• Avoid overscheduling every part of a child’s day.
• Encourage children to talk about worries early.
• Protect sleep quality, since research links insufficient sleep to emotional, behavioral, and developmental difficulties in children [*].

While these habits may not seem like a big deal on their own, together they can serve as “buffers” that help children handle stress in healthier ways.

Helping Children Build Emotional Resilience

No matter where children grow up or what their lives look like, challenges and stressful experiences are a normal part of life. Children may struggle with friendship problems, academic pressure, family changes, disappointment, or loss.

While we cannot remove every difficulty from a child’s life, we can help them develop emotional resilience.

• Remind children that difficult feelings are temporary.
• Validate emotions while still encouraging healthy coping.
• Encourage problem-solving instead of solving every problem for them.
• Help them focus on what they can control.
• Encourage them to stay flexible when things do not go according to plan.
• Let children make age-appropriate mistakes and learn from them.
• Model resilience through your own reactions to stress.
• Reframe setbacks as opportunities to learn.
• Teach children that asking for help is a sign of strength.
• Let them understand that it is okay to take a different path when plans do not work out.
• Teach them that challenges do not define their worth.

Talk to Your Child About Mental Health

Many parents feel pressure to “say the right thing” when talking to their child about mental health, which can make the conversation feel awkward. Try to keep conversations natural and truly listen without immediately jumping into problem-solving mode.

• Remind them that talking about emotions is healthy and normal.
• Notice patterns in when your child seems most comfortable opening up, such as during car rides.
• Try talking while doing a light activity together, like walking, drawing, baking, or playing a simple game.
• Stay calm when your child shares difficult emotions or experiences. Strong reactions like anger, panic, or shock may make children less likely to open up again.
• Avoid dismissive phrases such as “It’s not a big deal,” “Just calm down,” or “Other kids have it worse.”
• Validate emotions even if you do not fully understand them by saying things like, “That sounds really hard,” or “I’m glad you told me.”
• Ask open-ended questions instead of yes-or-no questions to encourage conversation.
• Give children time to think before responding.
• Let children know they do not have to handle difficult feelings alone.
• Avoid turning every conversation into a lesson or lecture.
• Be honest when you do not have all the answers, while still offering reassurance.
• Check in regularly instead of waiting until there is a major problem.
• Respect your child’s privacy while still staying supportive.
• Continue showing warmth and connection after difficult conversations, so they know your support is consistent.

When to Seek Professional Help

In general, it may be time to consider professional help if a child’s emotions or behaviors start to interfere with their daily life. This may include frequent sadness or worry, intense anger, withdrawal from friends or family, or obvious changes in their sleep or appetite.

Another important sign is when your child is no longer bouncing back the way they usually do. All children get stressed at times, but most are able to recover with support from family and school. If your child continues to struggle despite your efforts, reaching out for professional guidance can be reassuring.

It is also important to seek help if your child ever talks about wanting to hurt themselves or expresses hopelessness. Even if you are not certain it “counts” as serious, getting professional input can provide reassurance.

Where to Get Professional Help

A good first step is often speaking with your child’s school. Teachers, school counselors, or guidance staff may notice changes that parents might not always see at home.

Pediatricians are another helpful starting point. They can screen for emotional or behavioral concerns, rule out any medical factors, and refer you to child psychologists, therapists, or psychiatrists if needed. Parents find it easier to start here because pediatricians are already familiar with their child’s development.

You can also reach out directly to licensed mental health professionals locally or online, depending on what feels most accessible for your family.

Resources

There are many helpful resources that families and schools can access right away to better understand children’s mental health. These are good starting points for gaining reliable information and guidance:

• American Psychological Association
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• UNICEF Parenting
• World Health Organization (WHO)