When it comes to young people’s mental health, simple acts of love, support, and acceptance can make a powerful difference.
“Parents play an important role in the psychosocial care of their children,” according to a 2022 study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Library of Medicine (NLM).
While even the most caring and attentive parent might not know all the best ways to care for their children’s mental health, there are tools adults can give youth to help them not only survive, but thrive.
Below are seven tools and activities for parents to offer their children– whether starting kindergarten or heading into senior year— to maintain students’ overall wellness year-round.
1. Self-Care Kit: Creating a personalized self-care kit together can be a powerful way to manage stress and feel emotionally supported. Items can include: a journal; handwritten notes of encouragement; favorite photos; and a “good luck” charm. Encourage relaxation by including a piece of fabric scented with calming essential oils like lavender, chamomile, or vanilla.
2. Fidget Toys: These toys serve as sensory tools that can provide children with an outlet for anxiety and stress. Some examples include fidget cubes, spinner rings, tangle toys, squishies or stress balls, putty or kinetic sand.
3. Coloring Books: “The act of coloring occupies the mind by requiring focus; it slows down the noise that creates anxiety,” Dr. Simone Jacobs, a licensed therapist and founder of Takoma Therapy in Montgomery County, Maryland, explained. “The mind needs to be strengthened, it needs flexibility, it needs to be fed, and it needs rest. Colouring can do all of that simultaneously.”
4. Weighted Plush Toy or Blanket: Small, weighted items can help children and youth who are experiencing anxiety or restlessness gain a sense of calm and safety, according to the TCU Institute of Child Development. Common options include weighted stuffed animals, dolls, or blankets, which are filled with beads or pellets to provide calming pressure that supports emotional balance.
5. Movement: Dance, sports, and martial arts help calm anxious minds, center kids, and build confidence. According to the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity daily can boost mood, improve focus, and support mental health
6. Breathing Exercises: Unlike toys or activities that help manage anxiety externally, breathing is a tool kids can tap into from within, regardless of where they are. Teaching children how to use their breath to calm themselves gives them a lifelong skill for navigating stress.
7. Spiritual Practices: Prayer, meditation, church, and spiritual community can all contribute to a child’s emotional and mental well-being. When parents model spiritual practices—whether based in traditional religion or more alternative paths—it teaches children how to ground themselves, find meaning, and support inner peace.
Further, experts remind parents to remember, the best support there is: love.
“Your kids require you most of all to love them for who they are,” said retired professor, community organizer and activist Bill Ayers, “not to spend your whole time trying to correct them.”