Mental Health Matters!
Throughout May, we are recognizing and speaking up during Mental Health Awareness Month. More than ever, we must educate about mental health issues, which are having a profound impact on people of all ages, but increasingly affecting younger generations.
Did you know 7% of US children aged 3-17 years have diagnosed anxiety.
– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In spite of the magnitude of the problem, lack of awareness and entrenched stigma keep the majority of these young people from getting help. We’ve pulled helpful resources to spark a conversation about mental health issues with your kids, and provided a round-up of shows available on Kidoodle.TV® to help them acknowledge their feelings and provide outlets to handle various emotions, including deep breathing and yoga. Help normalize mental health discussions and encourage acceptance of one another all year long!
How to Support Mental Health Awareness
1. Check out the Mental Health America toolkit on how to spread awareness and to normalize mental health.
2. Make sure your kids know their best local mental health resources. Find out if counselling is offered at school or share a local number to call for counselling if needed. Let them know who they can talk to if they’re feeling down.
3. Talk about what mental health is with your kids in a way they can understand. Check out these series that help your kids understand mental health and how to nurture mindfulness:
Storybots Emotions
Get ready for all the feels! This Storybots series helps kids understand their emotions through songs and games about feeling happy, grumpy, silly, and more.
MonsiKids
MonsiKids is an animated series about identifying emotions. The show was crafted by a team of child psychologists, designed to help kids understand how they are feeling. Each episode features tips on how to cope with difficult emotions like anger, envy, self-esteem and fear.
Yogapalooza with Bari Koral
Discover a wonderful world of catchy songs and activities with Bari Koral! Go on a dragon hunt and learn how to fly like a butterfly in this series centred around yoga, movement, and mindfulness.
Go with Yoyo Yoga & Mindfulness
Jump around and get moving with Yoyo! Yoyo blends education elements with fun, brain-boosting movements to help kids keep their minds and muscles strong. Twist like spaghetti, be magical like a unicorn, try affirmations with a robot, and lots more.
Corduroy
Follow Corduroy and his best friend Lisa as they experience the world from the point of view of urban children. There are so many sights, sounds, smells, and sensations to experience in the vibrant city of New York!
Classy.TV Yoga
Get your sillies and wiggles out! Learn how to find calmness through yoga in this curriculum-driven series led by real educators. Find your criss-cross apple sauce and join Sara for some fun exercises!
How to talk to your kids about Mental Health Awareness
This fantastic video for kids explains mental health and the importance of talking about it
Mental health in kids: what to look for and how to go about it
How to have a digital detox and why it’s good for you and your kid’s mental health
Understanding mental health and workshops to teach kids about it
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