Improving Kid’s Mental Health: Tips from Anxiety Counselling Calgary Therapists
What comes to mind when you think about parenting? For some people, they envision their own childhood and the associated memories and experiences. For others, they are filled with memories of what they have already gone through as parents-the joys and challenges. For others, they immediately feel anxiety and are filled with concern because they are currently navigating some tougher times with their child(ren).
Statistics Canada data shows that the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t seem to have as much impact on young children’s mental health as it did on youth, with 94% of families surveyed still saying that their kid’s mental health is good, very good, or excellent. This leaves at least 6% of families with kids who are having a harder time which is still significant.
Wherever you are at, it is okay. Things won’t stay the same forever and there are always options and steps forward.
In this article, our anxiety counselling Calgary and mental health counselling Airdrie therapists who specialize in working with children bring you some tips to help improve, and keep building, your child’s mental health and resiliency.
FREE Self-Assessment Quiz Developed by Anxiety Counselling Calgary Therapists
Wondering if your child might benefit from counselling?
Disclaimer: Please note that this quiz is not meant to replace a formal assessment or meeting with a professional healthcare provider. This quiz does not provide diagnostic information. It is intended to be an initial step in the process of determining whether more formal assessment and/or care would be recommended based on your responses.
Our anxiety counselling Calgary therapists realize that the initial steps of mental health care can be confusing and overwhelming. If you are feeling lost, this is meant to give you a starting point to put you on the track that you and your child need to be.
As a next step, please read through the recommended tips below and see which one(s) you feel ready and able to take action on in your family. Remember, professionals are always available to help so you can also consider implementation of these strategies with the support of a kid’s anxiety counselling Calgary therapist, or in your local area.
Improving Kid’s Mental Health: Tips from Anxiety Counselling Calgary Therapists
Our anxiety counselling Calgary and mental health counselling Airdrie therapists who work with kids have put together some recommendations to keep your kid’s mental health strong and promote resilience.
Improve Your Own Relationship with Emotions.
Learn how to acknowledge when you are feeling something, be able to identify and name what it is, and then learn what tools and techniques help you process the emotion. Maybe you like to write, create, talk it out, move it through, or all of the above and more. Our anxiety counselling Calgary and mental health counselling Airdrie therapists suggest using something like the Feelings Wheel to identify and name your own emotions.
We also recommend our free e-book on building Emotional Intelligence to support you in this journey.
Support Your Children in Identifying Their Emotions.
As you become more adept at acknowledging, identifying and processing emotions, you will be able to support your kids in building their own emotional intelligence.
Our anxiety counselling Calgary and mental health counselling Airdrie therapists suggest using something similar to the Feelings Wheel, but more visual (perhaps like this Therapist Aid tool), to do a nightly check-in with your kids about what emotions came up for them that day. This can be done at dinner, after dinner, or near bedtime to open up dialogue. Start with the question “How did you feel today?” and go from there. It is always amazing what kids will share when given the opportunity and tools to communicate.
The benefit of this? It helps kids learn how to emotionally regulate which can lower stress levels, increase resilience, and improve their daily functioning.
Spend Quality Time Together Every Day.
The focus here is on quality over quantity as we know that time is a precious resource. Taking 15 minutes per day to set aside all other priorities, media, and tasks to just focus solely on your kids can make a world of difference in your relationship, their behaviour, and their mental health. This time can be spent talking about their day, playing, doing a craft together, or whatever they feel like doing.
Even if you are watching one of their favourite shows together, our anxiety counselling Calgary therapists encourage you to make a point of paying attention and talking with them about the episode. Ask them what they like about the show, who their favourite character is and why, and/or what they found the most entertaining in that episode. This shifts time spent together to quality time as you are deepening intimacy and letting them know how important they are to you.
Provide Reinforcement, Not Criticism.
As our anxiety counselling Calgary and mental health counselling Airdrie therapists remind us, true learning happens through reinforcement rather than punishment or criticism. Telling someone not to do something is not as effective as providing praise and encouragement when they do something you want to see more of. This can apply to emotions and mental health. As an example, if your child shares about a struggle they are having, thanking them and letting them know this was appreciated will invite them to do this in the future. Here are more examples of positive reinforcement that parents can provide to their kids in this and other areas of life.
Be Curious About Their Lives.
Asking “Anything you want to share/tell me?” rather than “How are you feeling?” can help prompt younger kids to share what they may not otherwise have. For example, one of our anxiety counselling Calgary therapist’s parents said that this question opened up discussion with their child about bullying that was happening at school which had not come up before.
Prioritize Routine.
As adults, we remind ourselves to build and follow a routine as we know this is beneficial for our mind and body. This is true for kids too and they tremendously benefit from having predictability and stability in their lives. Here are some tips for creating a daily routine for kids.
Have Fun With Them.
Here is an extensive list of free and low-cost fun activities to do with kids. Spending time doing fun activities is a great way to provide balance, model healthy self-care, and bond with your children in a different way, according to our anxiety counselling Calgary and mental health counselling Airdrie therapists.
Consider Professional Support.
Our kids anxiety counselling Calgary and mental health counselling Airdrie therapists are here to support you and, if you are in different areas, you may be able to find a suitable provider using therapist search tools like Psychology Today.
Educate Yourself.
Please visit our FREE RESOURCES page for more recommendations on parenting and supporting kids and youth mental health.
Additional Tips from Kids Mental Health Counselling Airdrie Therapist
Jennifer Turner, Registered Psychologist and former teacher, provides a few additional tips based on her work providing mental health counselling Airdrie to kids, youth and adults.
Develop a Secure Attachment.
“Building a secure attachment with your child is foundational for their emotional and psychological development,” says mental health counselling Airdrie therapist, Jenn Turner. “When a child knows they are consistently cared for, it creates a sense of safety and trust. Connection is a basic human need, and children thrive when they feel seen, heard, and valued. Responding to their needs with warmth and consistency helps them develop confidence and emotional resilience.”
Provide Unconditional Love and Acceptance.
Children need to know that they are loved not for what they do, how they look, or what they achieve—but simply for who they are. Mental health counselling Airdrie therapist, Jennifer Turner, says that, “Unconditional love means offering support and care without tying it to accomplishments or behaviour. When a child feels that their worth is inherent and not conditional, it allows them to feel safe enough to express themselves authentically and develop a strong sense of self.”
Validate All Emotions Without Judgment.
This is an important reminder from mental health counselling Airdrie clinician, Jennifer Turner. It is important to let your child experience the full range of their emotions without trying to fix or dismiss them. Let them know that all feelings—whether anger, sadness, fear, or joy—are valid simply because they are feeling them. At the same time, teach them that while feelings are always acceptable, how they respond to those feelings matters. Helping them understand that emotions are temporary and manageable builds emotional intelligence and self-regulation skills.
Jenn also reminds us that children learn more from what you do than what you say. If a parent expresses acceptance and emotional regulation with words but behaves inconsistently or reacts emotionally, it creates confusion and mistrust. Modeling emotional balance, healthy coping strategies, and authenticity shows your child how to navigate their own emotions and relationships in a healthy way. Consistency between your words and actions builds trust and reinforces the lessons you’re teaching.
We appreciate your willingness to learn more to continue supporting your family and hope you will take care of yourself, as well as them.
Sana Psychological is a mental health and addiction recovery clinic located in Calgary, Alberta and Airdrie, Alberta. Our therapists support kids in multiple areas of mental health, including anxiety counselling Calgary, depression, trauma, school issues, behaviour challenges, and emotional coping.
