Children's Mental Health Week 2024

News - 29 January 2024

Help give a voice to children and young people across the UK in Children’s Mental Health Week, from 5-11 February 2024.
Children's Mental Health Week is a mental health awareness week that empowers, equips and gives a voice to all children and young people in the UK.

The theme this year is ‘My Voice Matters’.

My Voice Matters is about empowering children and young people by providing them with the tools they need to express themselves.

As parents and carers, you play an important role in your child’s mental health.

This year, Place2Be want to empower children of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to work together to create a positive change for their mental health and wellbeing. Our aim is for Children’s Mental Health Week, we want all children and young people to be able to say – and believe - “My Voice Matters.”

Families, parents and carers can get involved too. 

Talking to Your Child about Mental Health

Children and young people told Place2Be what they need from their families:

  1. We don’t need to have ‘one-off conversations about our mental health’ – sometimes a chat on a journey or at bedtime is enough.
  2. I need to know it’s okay to talk to you about any and all of my feelings. Please hear what I have to say, without interrupting me.
  3. Please listen to me carefully and acknowledge how I am feeling – it might seem silly to you but what I am going through is important to me.
  4. Playing with pets can make me feel better. Same with playing football, basketball or whatever type of sport I am into.
  5. Don’t compare my experiences to your own when you were a child.
  6. Sometimes I just need you to listen and hear what I’m saying – I don’t always need answers (or lectures)
  7. Please don’t worry about trying to fix things for me – I often just need to know you are there for me and understand what I am going through.
  8. If you are open with me about your feelings, this can help me to be more open about mine
  9. Sometimes I don’t want to talk. Please trust that I will come to you (or another grown-up or someone my own age) when I’m ready. Sometimes it’s easier for me to talk to someone nearer my own age – my siblings, cousins, friends, younger teachers at school - because they ‘get it’.
  10. Sometimes a hug is all it takes to make me feel supported.

Family Resources - Children's Mental Health Week (childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk) Halton's Mental Health Information Point offers information for children, young people, parent and carers. 

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