Keepin' It Moving™ Events

Session Speaker:

Geri-Lynn Utter-Godfrey, PsyD

Session Overview:

It’s challenging to talk with (not at) our kids about their mental health. As parents and caregivers, we are still learning how to navigate our own mental health concerns, let alone trying to educate and create a comfortable space for our kids to share their mental health struggles with us. I’m a psychologist who does this stuff for a living and I find myself feeling overwhelmed, at times, when I see one of my kiddos struggling with their self-esteem, identity, academics, romantic interests – you name it! In this session, I am going to provide you with several tips on how you can better engage your kids in conversations about their mental health, in way that doesn’t make either of you feel even more frustrated or like you’ve failed in some way.

• Highlight the importance of physical and mental well-being for children and adolescents.
• Provide a brief description of the session’s topic and what participants can expect to learn or experience.

Session Key Takeaways: 

This session will teach parents and caregivers how to:

• Talk with their kids about their mental health by creating a comfortable space where they can be heard without judgment or inadvertent criticism (it’s okay, as parents and caregivers, we are all guilty of this because we want what’s best for our kids).
• Talk “with” and not “at” your kids – let them know you are human and made mistakes too when you were a kid.
• Being a parent/caregiver is all about progress, not perfection. The same applies to your kids. It’s about setting realistic expectations – nurture your children’s strengths to help build their self-concept.
• Give yourself grace as a parent/caregiver – you aren’t going to be on your “game” every day; you are going to make mistakes. The same applies to your kids; they are going to make mistakes. However, you want to be the first person they come when they make a mistake, not the last. Learning how to talk with them about their mental health in an empathetic manner will afford you this opportunity with your children throughout your life.

Session Call-to-Action: 

Try the tips that you learned today on how to talk with your kids about their mental health:

• At first, it might feel a lil’ awkward, but don’t give up!
• Having your kids begin to see you as a human, in addition to their parent will afford you the opportunity to learn more about them and how they are really feeling.
• Over the next few months, if you notice that you are getting less “I’m fines or school was fine” and observe them talking with you about things that are bothering them or dare I say, making them happy – this session helped you more than you think.
• But remember, patience is essential on this parenting journey. The tips I gave you may take some time and personal touches before you can begin to see them working.