Teach Early Years - Issue 14.2

Illness is a part of life. It doesn’t discriminate shared wisdom. Let me be the Ghost of Christmas Past: in the same way I have never needed a compass in my adult life, no adult ever spoke to us at school about mental health. My understanding of mental illness was a vague, patchy mismatch of covered ears and closed eyes, leaving the gaps to be filled by over-sensationalised, terrifying horror movies. Had I the tools to at least try and describe my symptoms I might’ve stood a fighting chance, asked for help sooner, been diagnosed and treated more quickly. I had no awareness, no idea that it was even possible to get so sick from something as everyday as having a baby. I misunderstood mental illness because I was essentially miseducated. I get it – illness is scary; we don’t like to talk about it because we don’t want to scare people. Especially children. But illness is a part of life. It doesn’t discriminate and nobody is immune. By silencing these conversations, we are disarming young people and only inflaming the shame and stigma. It doesn’t have to be scary; it can be comforting. Knowledge is power. So, let’s throw light onto the darkness. read that could open up conversations and get young people in the habit of reframing their thoughts and emotions. I am now grateful for the illness because I am a better parent because of it. I’m emotionally engaged and conscious, and best of all, I practise CBT with my seven-year-old son because I don’t want him to have to fix the roof in a thunderstorm like I did. Just this year in his school report, our proudest comment was his teacher saying how articulate he was with his emotions. I tell my son about what happened to us after he was born, not to frighten him or burden him but to protect and empower him. There is empathy, kindness, compassion, relatability and even humour to be found in these conversations. The best way to learn ourselves is to teach – so, let’s pass on the golden power of asking for help and caring for our mental health; being kinder to ourselves will only bring out the kindness in us all. Big Thoughts: Catch and Release Your Worries (Walker Books), written by Laura Dockrill and illustrated by Ashling Lindsay, will be available from 25 September 2025. Visit walker.co.uk RECOMMENDED READS Ten empathetic and practical titles to share with your children… A Totally Big Umbrella – Sarah Crossan & Rebecca Cobb Sad Book – Michael Rosen & Quentin Blake Where Did She Go? – Cariad Lloyd & Tom Percival Let The Light Pour In – Lemn Sissay (not a picture book but short poems) Love From Alfie McPoonst – Dawn McNiff & Patricia Metola Terrible Horses – Raymond Antrobus & Ken Wilson Max When I see Red – Britta Teckentrup A Lion in Paris – Beatrice Alemagna Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears – Emily Gravett What to do when you worry too much – Dawn Huebner & Bonnie Matthews LEARNING TO ASK FOR HELP Other than bonding with my beautiful boy, two of the main healers that transformed my recovery were, firstly, reading accounts of lived experiences of anybody going through anything hard and coming through it, and then going on to write my own memoir, What Have I Done? These conversations broke the silence around the illness. And secondly, learning Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. CBT is like learning a new language. It’s tough to retrain your brain, but the neuropathway of a well-trodden path can become overgrown, and there are smoother, easier, safer ways to walk. It’s all a work in process, and as my dad says, “Every day is a school day.” With my book Big Thoughts I wanted to bring these two powerful tools – storytelling and CBT – together to create a practical and comforting Teachearlyyears.com 49