Are you worried about your child?

It’s also normal for your relationship with your children to become strained, from time to time. Children grow and develop, and family circumstances change too. There may be periods of time where things seem relatively calm, and others when everything becomes very stressful.

Young children need their parents and carers to be there for them. Older children may want more independence and may start to push adults away and challenge their authority. Sometimes it may feel like the parent always gets it wrong!

This section aims to help you deal with the most commonly held worries about our young people’s mental well-being.

What you can do

All these factors can combine to make parents feel stressed and worried about their relationships with their children. There are lots of things you can do to help the situation.

Talking

Children are often very aware of their own feelings but may not be able to express them. Talking with them can really help.

Involving your child

Trying to change the situation in partnership with your child, rather than a top-down approach, will give them some motivation to improve things themselves. Including them in decision-making will help them feel an important part of your family.

Honesty

It is important to be honest about your own behaviour, beliefs and thinking, to set a good example. You don’t have all the answers, and it might make you feel better to share how you feel.

Help from YoungMinds

YoungMinds produces a range of leaflets that can help with parenting and around specific mental health concerns.

View our range of publications.

Parents Information Service

If things do not improve, or your worries increase, you can contact the YoungMinds Parents Information Service.

We’ll help you explore the issues, discuss your worries and provide further information and professional advice.

Find out more about the Parents Information Service
Call us on 0800 018 2138
Contact us using our form