Tag Archives: influence

The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families produced an animated video designed to show children how to talk about mental health issues. That's a wonderful resource for many children. Kate Middleton, who is a patron of the organization, provides the introduction, lending her voice and celebrity status to a worthy cause. We have the short video for you below, and it's really worth watching. We would expect nothing less from the Duchess of Cambridge. This isn't just because Kate Middleton is already a mother of two, with a third on the way . Though, obviously, this kind of topic is going to be near and dear to her heart as a mother. By marrying into the British Royal Family, Kate Middleton did more than just become an implied villain on  Grimm . (Don't ask) She inherited a lot of responsibilities — one of which being that she'll very probably be queen in the not-so-distant future . Overall, she has an obligation to the British people — whose tax dollars include millions specifically for the royals — to use her influence and celebrity status for positive effect. One of the ways that she's doing this is by introducing this video, aimed at children, that talks about mental and emotional health. Mental health is very complicated. Until very recently, the subject was almost taboo among most people. It's been pointed out that Millennials, stereotypically, are willing to bluntly discuss things like depression and anxiety. Part of that is being the first generation to grow up with evolving technology, from the internet to social media. This provided not only access to mental health resources that aren't hidden behind a paywall (as actually seeing a therapist is), but has allowed Millennials to engage with each other and share their own experiences. There's where you get conversations where people say “oh, I've always done that … I never knew that it was called executive dysfunction!” or “wait, my life doesn't feel like it looks like on those commercials, but it sounds like I'm depressed.” Knowing the names for ways that you're feeling puts you one step closer to finding helpful coping mechanisms. This video is for younger children, though, and doesn't use diagnostic terminology or talk about “coping mechanisms” in a formal way. Rather it talks about feelings. Some of us don't live on emotional roller coasters now that we're adults, and under normal circumstances are feelings are more or less limited to feelings like  contentment ,  hungry , and  drunk . For children, however (and for many adults), there's a whole spectrum of feelings that their tiny little bodies and still-developing brains cannot contain. Magnifying that is the general powerlessness of children and the fact that a lot of parents don't have a clue on how to listen to a child and know what's normal for children and what could be a sign of mental illness. So a lot of what the video talks about is how children can start conversations with their parents, teachers, and even their peers about how they've been feeling lately and what symptoms they've been experienced. But it's all handled so informally that they avoid medical jargon at all costs.  It's important to note (though the video does not) that, in many cases, symptoms of mental health problems in young children can be signs of abuse of various types. This is a great way to talk about this without making abused children reflexively defensive about what's been happening to them. A child might be afraid to tell an adult what's happened to them at home, but they might not associate their trouble sleeping and stomach aches and acting out with the trauma that they are enduring. Adorably, the video even deals with how to show good listening skills if a friend comes up to talk to them about mental health. Always with the suggestion that an adult might be better equipped to help out with the problem. It's wonderful that Kate Middleton provided the introduction for this video. By lending her voice, she gives it more weight and more reach. There are too many people who still see mental health as a personal failing in which they do not see purely physical ailments. That's sad, and only education can change that. Even if you don't have kids, this video is cute: Kate    We would expect nothing less from the Duchess of Cambridge. By marrying into the British Royal Family, Kate Middleton did more than just become an implied villain on  Grimm . (Don't ask) She inherited a lot of responsibilities — one of which being that she'll very probably be queen in the not-so-distant future. Overall, she has an obligation to the British people — whose tax dollars include millions specifically for the royals — to use her influence and celebrity status for positive effect. One of the ways that she's doing this is by introducing this video, aimed at children, that talks about mental and emotional health. Mental health is very complicated. Until very recently, the subject was almost taboo among most people. It's been pointed out that Millennials, stereotypically, are willing to bluntly discuss things like depression and anxiety. Part of that is being the first generation to grow up with evolving technology, from the internet to social media. This provided not only access to mental health resources that aren't hidden behind a paywall (as actually seeing a therapist is), but has allowed Millennials to engage with each other and share their own experiences. There's where you get conversations where people say “oh, I've always done that … I never knew that it was called executive dysfunction!” or “wait, my life doesn't feel like it looks like on those commercials, but it sounds like I'm depressed.” Knowing the names for ways that you're feeling puts you one step closer to finding helpful coping mechanisms. This video is for younger children, though, and doesn't use diagnostic terminology or talk about “coping mechanisms” in a formal way. Rather it talks about feelings. Some of us don't live on emotional roller coasters now that we're adults, and under normal circumstances are feelings are more or less limited to feelings like  contentment ,  hungry , and  drunk . For children, however (and for many adults), there's a whole spectrum of feelings that their tiny little bodies and still-developing brains cannot contain. Magnifying that is the general powerlessness of children and the fact that a lot of parents don't have a clue on how to listen to a child and know what's normal for children and what could be a sign of mental illness. So a lot of what the video talks about is how children can start conversations with their parents, teachers, and even their peers about how they've been feeling lately and what symptoms they've been experienced. But it's all handled so informally that they avoid medical jargon at all costs.  It's important to note (though the video does not) that, in many cases, symptoms of mental health problems in young children can be signs of abuse of various types. This is a great way to talk about this without making abused children reflexively defensive about what's been happening to them. A child might be afraid to tell an adult what's happened to them at home, but they might not associate their trouble sleeping and stomach aches and acting out with the trauma that they are enduring. Adorably, the video even deals with how to show good listening skills if a friend comes up to talk to them about mental health. Always with the suggestion that an adult might be better equipped to help out with the problem. It's wonderful that Kate Middleton provided the introduction for this video. By lending her voice, she gives it more weight and more reach. There are too many people who still see mental health as a personal failing in which they do not see purely physical ailments. That's sad, and only education can change that. Even if you don't have kids, this video is cute:  

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Kate Middleton Introduces a Children’s Mental Health Video Resource!