Talking with kids about mental health doesn't have to be heavy and overwhelming. Stories and movies can be a great place to start. Take a look at these suggestions from the Firefly Children & Family Alliance.
For very young kids, My Many Colored Days by Doctor Seuss explores the range of emotions we all feel through color and animals, two subjects that preschoolers find naturally fascinating. On orange days, the narrator explains, “I’m a circus seal!” But on green days: “Deep, deep in the sea. Cool and quiet fish. That’s me.” The book naturally invites questions: “What color do you feel today?” or “What does blue feel like to you?” There are no right or wrong answers, and your child’s insights may surprise you.
In the Pixar movie Inside Out, feelings have the starring role. The main characters are the five emotional moods of an 11-year-old girl named Riley. Their names are Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Sadness. Riley’s world is upside-down since her parents moved the family to a new home in San Francisco.
Riley’s emotions, led by Joy, try to guide her through this difficult, life-changing event. However, the stress of the move has brought Sadness to the forefront. Without really meaning to, Sadness is starting to color all of Riley’s happiest core memories. To complicate matters, Joy doesn’t really see the worth in Sadness. But when Joy and Sadness get stranded together in the depths of Riley’s mind, Joy finds that Sadness has an important part to play.
There are scenes that show clearly how even a happy and secure life contains moments of loss. Sadness helps Riley to understand and process the changes she’s experiencing internally, due to changes she’s dealing with externally. But because Riley learns to cope with these losses, the movie’s ending is ultimately a happy one.
After reading the book or watching the movie, ask questions. What feelings has your child experienced? When were they experienced most strongly? And what makes even difficult feelings important players on the emotional team?
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