Student Well-Being / On Our Sleeves

In a world with so much difficulty and sadness, are there ways to build happiness for our kids?

There are!

And not only does happiness feel good, but studies show that it’s good for us, improving sleep, lowering blood pressure, and even strengthening our immune system!

Look at our 7 ideas to jumpstart happiness in your home, including a fun new download to remind you to put more happiness into your daily routines.

Download Now

Another thing that helps with happiness: volunteering. You can help others AND help yourself at the same time. Get ideas for where to start.

How Volunteering Helps Kids

On Our Sleeves. The Movement for Children's Mental Health.

Ahhhh, those blissful moments after you’ve put the kids to bed, when you’re just starting to relax. And then you hear…

“I can’t sleep”

“I need a drink of water/juice/milk”

How do you help kids get the sleep that they need for their mental health, without costing yours? We have help for common sleep problems and a few downloads that may help young children stay in bed.

Download the Bedtime Pass

It doesn’t matter if the children in your life are toddlers or teenagers, lots of kids resist going to bed or staying in bed. When is it a sign of a larger problem and what can you do about it?

Helping Children Fall Asleep

Daylight Savings Time!

Help! There are zombies at my house!

That’s how we often feel for several days after daylight savings time, right?

Sleep is important for a child’s mental health. And when sleep schedules are disrupted, it can lead to more than just a case of the yawns. It can cause problems such as paying attention, irritability and difficulty handling stress.

You can help kids in your life adjust more quickly to schedule changes by doing it gradually over several days. So now is the time to start!

Get Our Expert Tips

Eating Disorders:

You may not realize that children of all genders and body types can develop eating disorders. You may not know that they can be challenging to diagnose in children.

Our experts have crafted new resources to help you learn about the most common eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. They’ve included the warning signs you can look for, such as:

Exercising excessively
Focusing on body weight or shape
Expressing shame or guilt about foods they eat

If you see some warning signs, there are things you can do. Our new download helps you talk about this challenging topic.

Download the Guide

While You Wait.

Mental Wellness Tools- OOS

You decided to seek mental health therapy for your child, but now you may be waiting for weeks or even months before the first appointment. This time can be truly stressful and, as a caregiver, you may feel powerless. However, there are some things you can start doing now to help your child and your family.

4 Ways to Support a Child While Waiting for Therapy – This resource includes connecting with others (including the child’s school) and setting routines (with a schedule templates for younger or older children to download).
5 Skills from Therapy to Try at Home – These skills include behavioral activation, thought challenging, relaxation and self-reflection.
Self-Care for Caregivers of a Child with a Mental Health Diagnosis – If you have a child in your life with a diagnosis (or who is waiting on one), it can take some extra effort to be kind to yourself.
Who to Talk to While You Wait to Start Mental Health Therapy – Parents and caregivers aren’t always sure who they can or should talk to when their child needs mental health services.
Types of Mental Health Therapy – Do you find the number and types of therapy to be dizzying or confusing? We have definitions of many of the most common kinds.
3 Ways to Prepare Your Child for Mental Health Therapy – For the parent who is overwhelmed and unsure where to start, we have 3 things they can do today, including a downloadable behavior tracker, that they can take to their first appointment.

Social Media Content:

Have you seen our new social media content?

Kids and Social Media – includes age recommendations, how to know if a child is ready for social media and the risks and benefits
Talking to Kids About Social Media – with conversation starters to help you learn more about how they’re thinking about social media
Using Social Media Wisely – covers talking with kids about oversharing and marketing
Privacy on Social Media – a checklist for keeping children and families safe online
Creating a Family Social Media Plan – we provide a template to use so that the family can come to an agreement on social media use
Does Your Child Have a Social Media Problem? – we give warning signs to look for and what to do if there is one
Social Media’s Impact on Kids with a Mental Health Diagnosis – social media isn’t all good or all bad, but for certain kids with a diagnosis of ADHD, depression, anxiety or an eating disorder there can be additional risks. We outline those and provide recommendations.

Helping Kids Minimize Back-to-School Anxiety

Back-to-school anxiety is often a part of the transition to a new school year for children. Our experts provide you tips to help your child feel less nervous about school.

Back to School Mental Health Checklist

Back-to-school conversation starters

NEW! Helping children with back-to-school anxiety
NEW! First Day of School Tips
NEW! Classroom conversation starters (perfect for teachers, coaches, mentors, etc.)