Help your kids to talk about their difficult feelings. One useful strategy is to dispel the myths about depression:

Depression is more common than you think, so having these feelings is far from “abnormal.”

Depression is often temporary, so kids need to know that these difficult feelings will reduce in time.

Kids need to know that it helps to talk to others about these difficult feelings. They might not be ready to do this, but just to know that you are there for them when they are ready, is tremendously helpful.

If you need more support, get in contact.

Chris Warren-Dickins
Psychotherapist in Ridgewood, New Jersey​

We can't wrap our kids in bubble wrap any more than we can deny the reality that they will experience difficult feelings.

If we deny, ignore, invalidate, or shame difficult feelings, they are likely to grow and grow.

Instead, we can help them identify, express, validate, and allow those difficult feelings so they can ride the natural course of emotions' ups and downs.

The good news: Monkey see, monkey do, so if our kids see us doing this, they will find it easier to do it for themselves.