Looking after a child or young person's mental health
As parents and carers, there are ways we can support our children to give them the best chance to stay mentally healthy.
Encouraging and guiding a child to think about their own mental health and wellbeing are vital skills you can teach them from a young age.
Find out how you can help a child to have good mental health, including knowing how to talk to a child about their mental health, and when to spot signs they might be struggling.
Plus get self-care tips for you, to help you look after your mental health while caring for others, and find out how to get more support if you, your child or your family need it.
Ways to support a child or young person
Be there to listen
Regularly ask your child how they're doing, to help them get used to talking about their feelings, and know there's always someone there to listen. You can get tips on Young Minds: How to talk to your child about mental health.
Support them through difficulties
Pay attention to how your child is feeling or behaving and try to help them work through difficulties. It may not be easy facing challenging behaviour, but try to help them understand what they're feeling and why. Learn more from the Maudsley Charity on difficult behaviour.
Stay involved in their life
Show interest in their life and what's important to them. It not only helps them value who they are but also makes it easier for you to spot problems and support them.
Encourage their interests
Support and encourage your child to explore their interests. Being active or creative, learning new things and being a part of a team helps connect us and boost our mental wellbeing.
Take what they say seriously
Listening to and valuing what they say makes them feel valued. Consider how to help them work through their emotions in constructive ways. Anna Freud Centre's guide on ways to support children and young people has more on this.
Build positive routines
Try to have structure around regular routines, especially around healthy eating and exercise. A good night's sleep is also important, so have a fixed time for going to bed and getting up. The Sleep Charity has relaxation sleep tips for children.
Signs a child might be struggling
A large number of children and young people will experience behavioural or emotional problems at some stage. For some, these will resolve with time, while others will need professional support.
It might be difficult to know if there is something upsetting your child, but there are ways to spot when something's wrong. Look out for:
- significant changes in behaviour
- ongoing difficulty sleeping
- withdrawing from social situations
- not wanting to do things they usually like
- self-harm or neglecting themselves
When to get professional help for a child or young person
You know your child better than anyone, so if you're worried, first think if there has been a significant change in their behaviour.
If there has, is it caused by any specific events or changes in their life? Does it only happen at home, school or college, or when they're with others or alone?
If you're worried or unsure, there is lots of support out there (see the support section on this page). MindEd for Families also has information explaining some common behavioural problems in different age groups.
Looking after your own mental health
Parenting or caring for a child or young person can be tough at times. It's important to look after your own mental wellbeing, as this will help you support yourself while you are supporting others.
Try to recognise and acknowledge when you're feeling low or overwhelmed. Struggling with something or experiencing your own mental health problems does not make you a bad parent or carer.
It's completely normal to be worried, scared or helpless during difficult times, and feeling this way is nothing to be ashamed of.
If you can, tell someone you trust how you're feeling. Maybe there's family, friends or a colleague who could support you or allow you a break?
You should never feel like you must cope on your own, as there's help available. Scope has advice on managing stress when caring for a disabled child and Young Minds has lots of support for parents.
Get support
If you are worried about a child or young person's mental health, there are many resources available to provide guidance and support.
Where to find mental health support for children
- The NHS offers advice on Mental health support for children and young people.
- Action for Children helps children and families look after their mental health with simple tools and support to feel better and cope with challenges.
- The Childhood Bereavement Network offers guidance on supporting a child through grief.
- Visit NHS - Advice for parents for support if you think your child may have an eating disorder.
- The Young Minds Parents Helpline offers parents free and confidential advice via phone, email, or webchat.
- Teachers, school nurses, social workers, and GPs can help you find the right support.
Support for children with additional needs
If your child has a learning disability or autism, these websites can help:
- Mencap offers expert advice and support for children with learning disabilities, as well as their parents and carers.
- The National Autistic Society provides valuable resources and support for parents or carers.
Where to get urgent help for mental health
If you or your child are in a mental health crisis, get help straight away.
Visit the NHS urgent mental health support page to find 24/7 helplines, crisis services, and emergency support.
