May 9th is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day! Actually, it’s National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week! In case you don’t know what that is, there is a post all about it on our main website blog. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) began this event in 1994 with the goal of “caring for every child’s mental health.” That’s a goal we can get behind anytime, but particularly if you look at the challenges facing children today. So we thought it would be good to offer you a week’s worth of things you can do to be a Hero of Hope. In other words, how can you “care for every child’s mental health.” That probably feels pretty overwhelming to think about, since as parents you feel like it’s a challenge to just care about your own kids mental health. While that’s true, of course, we are speaking to more of an attitude, an approach to the resiliency of children. In honor of this week, let’s give it a try.

So, Heroes, let’s get started.

Hero activity number ONE:

When you are going about your daily routine, pay attention to the children around you. You see them all the time, bunches of them. They may pass you in the hallway or at the grocery store or on the sidewalk. Most of the time you don’t pay a whole lot of attention. Even if it’s your job you really use most of your energy paying attention to whatever child or children are your responsibility. Today, look more closely. When you see a child or teen who needs a word of kindness or encouragement or support – GIVE THEM SOME. It’s amazing how just a couple of simple words can make all the difference to a child in a given moment. And consider yourself a Hero of Hope!!