Half of UK young adults struggle to confidently talk about mental health and emotions
Mr. Men Little Miss has created a book series, Discover You, to help adults talk openly with children about mental health and wellbeing.
Nearly half (44%)* of UK adults aged 18-34 struggle to confidently talk about mental health and emotion, yet 86%* believe that reading with children creates a safe space to have open conversations. To help overcome this, Mr. Men Little Miss have created resources to help adults have these conversations confidently with children to ensure emotional development in younger generations.
Mr. Men Little Miss has been working with children’s clinical psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Kilbey who has shared her top tips on how to help manage kids’ mental health and get kids talking about their emotions and wellbeing. You can find her tips and videos on the Mr. Men Little Miss website, along with a host of other resources to help parents and kids discover their emotions together.
Dr Elizabeth Kilbey advises: ‘Read together! – The Mr. Men Little Miss series have released new books as part of their Discover You series, which is unique in that the stories are specifically developed to explore emotions and emotional language in a fun and engaging way.
At the end of each page ask children about the characters and how they were feeling. You can ask them if they have ever felt the same and encourage them to discuss times when they have felt like this. You can also tell them about when you have felt the same as the characters.’
Whether it’s an uplifting story about managing your anger and coping with sadness, an inspiring tale about finding confidence in being you, or an inspirational narrative about self-esteem and resilience, the Mr. Men Little Miss Discover You series is there to guide you in how to tackle difficult topics and open up conversations with little ones.
We need to protect children’s mental health as well as our own, without any stigma and help each other find our inner Mr. Happy and Little Miss Sunshine!
Launching last year, the collection has now grown to include 10 collectable books. The newest in the series, released this year include:
Caring
A thoughtful and engaging Mr. Men Little Miss story about caring for others feelings and wellbeing.
Little Miss Hug is very caring and always ready to hug her friends whenever they’re in need of one, but empathy and compassion can be shown in many different ways.
Find Calm
An uplifting and engaging Mr. Men Little Miss story about finding calm by living in the moment.
Little Miss Busy is always very busy, dashing here and there with many things to do, while Mr. Calm takes a calmer, more mindful approach to life. Can he help Little Miss Busy to do the same?
Feeling Sad
A thoughtful and engaging Mr. Men Little Miss story about recognising and coping with sadness.
Little Miss Curious approaches life with many questions and some confusion, while Mr. Jelly is scared to engage with much of what life has to offer. They both feel sad sometimes, but with help from their friends, they’ll understand more about their different emotions.
Be Yourself
An inspiring and engaging Mr. Men Little Miss story about finding confidence in being you!
Mr. Funny is full of confidence, but you don’t have to be loud or funny to believe in yourself. You sometimes just need to realise that you’re liked and accepted for who you are, whether you’re as cheeky as Little Miss Naughty or as quiet as Mr Quiet!
I Am Angry
An honest and uplifting Mr. Men Little Miss story about managing your anger.
Mr. Grumpy is easily irritated, but we all get angry sometimes, it’s how we deal with it that counts. Do you shout and kick or silently rage? Little Miss Chatterbox is surprised by how she reacts. Can they learn how to manage their anger better?