The Duchess of Cambridge has written a message for Children’s Mental Health Week encouraging young people to “find their brave” in a world that “can feel a scary and daunting place.”
Her 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.’”
The theme of this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week, which is held annually by Kate’s patronage Place2Be, is ‘Find Your Brave,’ meant to highlight that “bravery isn’t about coping alone or holding things in, it can be about sharing worries and asking for help, trying something new or pushing yourself outside your comfort zone,” according to Place2Be’s website.
The Duchess helped launch Children’s Mental Health Week in 2015 and has supported the cause ever since. Place2Be’s Chief Executive Catherine Roche said in a statement, “We are delighted that our Royal Patron is once again offering her support for the campaign. Around three children in every class have a mental health problem, so it’s vital that we reach as many people as possible with this important message.”
Children’s Mental Health Week runs from 3-9 February.
