Happy parent, Happy child
"Happy Parent, Happy Child” is here to provide information and support available to you and your child to help you thrive even when times are difficult.
If you’re tired, stressed or exhausted, it’s difficult to be the parent you imagined you would be. You might lack the confidence to do what you did before or lack energy to start something new. If you feel happy, calm and well, then you’re better able to cope with stress, maintain relationships and enjoy parenthood.
Page contents
- Building resilience in young children
- Activity pack
- Children’s books about emotions
- Your child’s wellbeing
- Parent/Carer wellbeing
- Cost of living
- Further information
Building resilience in young children
An important part of caring for young children is supporting them to find their way through life’s challenges. Parents and carers can help children from a young age to develop useful skills and grow emotional resilience. Resilience is the ability to recover, bounce back and grow emotional strength after difficulties.
This video shows some everyday ideas for building resilience in young children.
This pack contains ideas for activities to enjoy with your child, including some healthy and simple recipes, and new games to try. These can help you to connect with your child and start conversations about emotions. Check out the activity pack here.
If you require help creating a printed version of this activity pack, you can email mentalhealth@southglos.gov.uk to request a copy sent to you in the post.
Children’s books about emotions
Reading with your child can be a great way of starting conversations about different emotions and helping them explore their thoughts and feelings through the stories. Understanding emotions and being able to name their feelings can also help your child to feel less anxious about feeling them as well as helping your child work out ways to manage the emotion in a positive way.
This book list has some suggestions for books about how to identify different emotions, as well as some stories about feelings of loneliness and loss, anger and anxiety and other emotions.
Your local library is a great place to find activities and resources for babies and children, including a collection of picture books to help talk through life experiences and milestones. South Gloucestershire libraries have a range of Reading Well books that have been recommended by health professionals to provide information on different health and wellbeing topics.
If you have any questions or concerns at all about your child, contact your local Health Visitor service. Your local Health Visitor service offers support for parents of all children (from pregnancy to age five), whatever their circumstances.
Visit the Community Children’s Health Partnership website to find out how to contact your local Health Visitor.
South Gloucestershire’s Mind you website has a range of mental health and wellbeing information about children and young people.
It is essential to make sure you look after your own wellbeing and mental health just as much for yourself and so you can care for your child.
The 5 steps to wellbeing tool suggests simple ways you can improve your mental health and feel more positive.
When you are looking after young children it can be hard to find time for yourself, but it is essential to take opportunities, big or small to take care of yourself. Even the smallest moments of self-care can make a big impact on how well you can take on the day.
Residents of South Gloucestershire have shared some of their tips for self-care while parenting.
Paul, a father of two from Longwell Green, shares his experience of becoming a dad and what has helped him in the early years of parenting.
Worries about finances and how to afford daily living costs is a source of stress and strain for many families. For local and national information visit our help with the cost of living page.
If you want further information to support your mental health and wellbeing here are some local and national resources:
- Our One you website has mental health and emotional wellbeing support and information for those aged over 18.
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NHS talking therapies is a service for those aged 16 and above with a GP in Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire. This service is provided by VitaMinds in partnership with the NHS. The VitaMinds website explains the different ways you can refer yourself and ask for help.
- The NHS website provides information and support for your mental health including advice on mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and stress.
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Parents, carers and family members living in South Gloucestershire have free access to expertly designed online learning and resources on nurturing emotional health and wellbeing so that our children can thrive as kind, sociable and emotionally aware people throughout their lives. For the full details and information on how to access the online learning, please visit:
and enter our exclusive South Gloucestershire ACCESS Code: CONCORDE.