Mental Health Awareness Week is a good opportunity to think about how we support the emotional wellbeing of children, not just adults.
In early childhood, children are still learning to understand their emotions, communicate how they feel, navigate unfamiliar situations and develop strategies for coping when things feel difficult. They need supportive adults who can help them feel safe, understood and connected.
This year's Mental Health Awareness Week theme in Aotearoa New Zealand is Belonging Matters. For young children, that sense of belonging is built through everyday experiences: being welcomed, having their feelings acknowledged, knowing there are adults they can turn to, and feeling accepted for who they are.
As parents, whānau and early childhood educators, we don't need to have all the answers. But we can keep learning about children's emotional needs and seek out reliable resources to help us support them.
I've come across some wonderful free resources from Anxiety New Zealand Trust (Anxiety NZ) that I wanted to share with our Eco Kids community. I haven't created these resources myself; they're the work of Anxiety NZ, and I've included links to their original materials so you can explore them directly.
Understanding anxiety in children
Anxiety is a normal human emotion. Children may feel worried about starting an early childhood centre, separating from a parent, meeting unfamiliar people, trying something new or facing a change in routine.
A certain amount of worry is part of growing up. However, when anxiety is persistent, intense or begins to interfere with a child's everyday life, they may need additional understanding and support.
Children don't always have the words to explain what they're experiencing. Sometimes worry may show up as clinginess, avoiding an activity, becoming upset during transitions, asking repeated questions or finding separation particularly difficult.
These behaviours don't automatically mean a child has an anxiety disorder. They can have many explanations, and each child and situation is different. Instead of jumping to conclusions, we can begin by observing, listening, responding with compassion and working alongside the child's whānau.
Free resource: Supporting children and young people with anxiety
Created by Anxiety New Zealand Trust
Anxiety NZ offers a free, self-paced online course for adults who want to better understand and support children experiencing anxiety or anxious feelings.
The course covers understanding childhood anxiety, practical relaxation techniques, talking about anxiety, strategies to support children, when to seek further support and the importance of looking after yourself as a supporting adult.
It's designed to provide accessible, practical guidance for parents, whānau and educators. Anxiety NZ also explains that this is a short introductory course, so it isn't a substitute for individual professional support when that is needed.
Access the free Supporting Your Child/Young Person course
If you're a parent, caregiver or early childhood educator wanting to build your understanding of childhood anxiety, this is a useful place to start.
Free resource: Practising relaxation techniques
Created by Anxiety New Zealand Trust
Anxiety NZ also shares resources and techniques to help adults support children who are feeling anxious.
Their relaxation resource explores practical approaches that can be practised with children. These can provide opportunities to slow down, notice how we're feeling and experiment with ways to settle when things become overwhelming.
You can explore their original resource here: Practising Relaxation – Anxiety NZ
When introducing relaxation activities to young children, it's helpful to keep expectations gentle. A child may enjoy a breathing activity one day and not want to participate the next. Some children find focusing on their breathing uncomfortable, so offer choices and alternative ways to feel settled, such as looking at a familiar book, moving their bodies, spending time in a quiet space or seeking comfort from a trusted adult.
The aim isn't to make a child stop feeling anxious on demand. It's to help them discover supportive strategies while knowing their feelings are accepted.
What can we do in everyday early childhood settings?
Supporting children's mental wellbeing doesn't have to involve a special activity or a complicated programme. Often, it begins with the everyday interactions and environments we create.
Here are a few things we can keep in mind.
Make space for children's feelings
Rather than dismissing a worry with “There's nothing to be scared of”, acknowledge what the child is experiencing.
You might say, “It looks like you're feeling worried about saying goodbye. I'm here with you.”
We don't need to agree that a situation is dangerous to recognise that a child's feelings are real to them.
Build predictable, trusting relationships
Familiar routines, warm interactions and consistent responses can help children feel more secure. When something is changing, explain what will happen next in ways the child can understand.
Some children may need more time, reassurance or support during transitions than others.
Avoid forcing participation
A child who is reluctant to join a group activity may need time to observe before participating. Offer choices and opportunities to take part in manageable ways, rather than assuming that immediate participation is the goal.
This doesn't mean avoiding every situation that makes a child nervous. It means responding thoughtfully, helping them feel supported and working out appropriate next steps together with their whānau.
Help children find ways to communicate
Young children may communicate their feelings through play, gestures, facial expressions, movement or behaviour before they can explain them verbally.
Books, drawing, pretend play and simple conversations can create opportunities to explore emotions without putting pressure on a child to talk before they're ready.
Work in partnership with whānau
Parents and caregivers know their children in different contexts, and educators may notice things in the early childhood environment that families don't see at home. Sharing observations respectfully can help adults build a fuller understanding of what a child is experiencing.
If anxiety is persistent or significantly affecting a child's everyday life, families can seek advice from an appropriate health professional.
When a child needs more support
It can be difficult to know when childhood worries are part of everyday development and when additional support might be helpful.
If a child's anxiety is ongoing, causes significant distress or interferes with activities such as attending their early childhood setting, sleeping, separating from whānau or participating in everyday experiences, it's worth discussing your concerns with a health professional.
You don't need to wait until things become overwhelming before asking for guidance.
Anxiety NZ provides information about anxiety, support options and its free national helpline. You can find out more through Anxiety NZ's website. Their helpline is available 24 hours a day on 0800 269 438.
A final thought for Mental Health Awareness Week
Children don't need adults who get everything right. They need adults who are willing to listen, learn, notice when something is difficult and respond with care.
A sense of belonging isn't created by one activity during Mental Health Awareness Week. It's built through the everyday experiences that help children understand that they matter, their feelings are taken seriously and they have people they can turn to.
This week, perhaps we can all take a moment to reflect on how we help children feel safe, connected and accepted, and where we might need to learn a little more.
I'm grateful to Anxiety New Zealand Trust for making accessible resources available to parents, whānau and educators. Please visit their original links above to explore the course and relaxation materials, and follow their work for further guidance and support.
Disclaimer: This article shares educational resources and general information. It is not a diagnostic tool or a substitute for individual mental health advice or professional care. The course and relaxation materials linked above are provided by Anxiety New Zealand Trust, not Eco Kids.