The Duchess of Cambridge penned a message of support for Children’s Mental Health Week, which started yesterday, February 3.
Children’s Mental Health Week was started by one of Kate’s patronages, Place2Be, in 2015 to spotlight the need for children’s mental health counseling. Each year, the week has a different theme; this year’s theme is: Find your Brave.
Bravery comes in all shapes and sizes and is different for everyone. Bravery can be about sharing worries and asking for help, trying something new or pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. Finding your Brave can build your confidence, self-esteem and make you feel good about yourself.
Life often throws challenges our way. Bravery isn’t about coping alone or holding things in. It’s about finding positive ways to deal with things that might be difficult, overcoming physical and mental challenges and looking after yourself.
Children’s Mental Health Week
As patron of Place2Be, Kate always does something for Children’s Mental Health Week; usually a video message or visit. In 2015, Kate recorded a video message at a Place2Be school; as she did in 2016. In 2017, Kate and William visited a Place2Be school where she gave a speech. In 2018, Kate recorded another video message. And then in 2019, Kate visited a primary school. This year is the first where she’s written a message of support rather than filmed one or visited a school. Kate’s 2020 message reads:
For many children today, the world can feel a scary and daunting place. While we might not always feel brave inside, even the smallest act – such as sharing a worry or asking for help – can be incredibly courageous. Helping children to feel confident about seeking support can have a transformational impact on their lives.
Being able to try new things and push ourselves outside of our comfort zone are important skills that can build children’s resilience and self-esteem. Learning these skills early in life can give children tools to cope with future challenges they may face in adulthood.
I am therefore so pleased to once again support Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week, which is this year focused on bravery. Through all my interactions with the charity, I’m proud to have seen how its work is helping children, young people and adults to be more confident in looking after their mental health, but there is still much more to do. The first step is talking about it, and recently I’ve launched a UK-wide survey on the under-fives in an attempt to get people to do just that. Our long-term ambition is to bring about positive, lasting change for generations to come.
I’d love schools and families across the country to take part in the week to help children and young people to ‘find their brave’.
It’s a written message of support. It does what it needs to: sticks to topic and issues a call to action at the end. But I do hope that Kate actually visits one of the Place2Be schools soon – she only visited once last year, in February for Children’s Mental Health Week.
