Family wellbeing

Getting enough sleep, eating well and being active are things the whole family benefit from and lead to good mental health. It is not always easy in a busy family, but there are teams and resources locally who can help you.

• Sleep better: your health visiting team has a sleep champion who can support your family to have a good sleep routine.
• Eat healthier: Food facts – Healthier Families – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
• Get more active: Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership runs free activities to get your family active.

If you would think you would like one-to-one support, you can self-refer for a Health Coach. Visit What is a Health Coach? (somersetft.nhs.uk) to find out more.

It is also important to have fun and take time to rest. Think about what your family enjoys doing and makes you all feel good, for example:

• Having a cuddle
• Dancing around the kitchen
• Crafting together

Why not make a list and stick it on the fridge for when you need an idea.

Mums

When you are pregnant, or after you have had a baby, you might have problems with your mental health. For example, you might feel depressed or anxious. While it is normal to feel depressed or anxious at times, if these feelings stop you enjoying being a parent or doing things you normally enjoy, there is help available.

• Talking Therapies: How can we help you? (somersetft.nhs.uk)
• The Perinatal Mental Health Team (by referral from a health professional)
• Emotional wellbeing support from your health visiting team
• It can be helpful to make a plan for your wellbeing, and Tommy’s has created one especially for new Mums. Visit The pregnancy and post-birth wellbeing plan (tommys.org) to find out more.
• You can always talk to your GP or Health Visitor.

Dads

Health professionals have started to recognise that men can get postnatal depression, just like women. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you are a dad and struggling with your mental health. Dads can contact Talking Therapies, their health visitor or their GP, just like Mums but there are also some resources especially for Dads.

• New dads mental health advice – BBC Tiny Happy People
• Becoming Dad: A guide for new fathers | Mental Health Foundation
• Support for Dads – PANDAS Foundation UK

Being a dad is different to being a mum and there is lots of research that shows dads play a unique role in their children’s life. Finding time to play with your child can have a positive impact on you and your child. There are studies that show that when Dads read with their children it has a really good effect on their child’s mental health when they are older.  To find out more, and get some tips visit Dads Make Stories Magic website.

Ages 0 to 2

Babies rely on their parents and other people who care for them, to help them feel safe, happy and loved. 90% of our brain growth happens before we are 3 years old, so this is a good time to build our brains and good mental health for the future.

You can help your baby build a healthy brain through interaction and play. Here are some resources to help you.

• Healthy Little Ones: Your health visiting team runs these groups so you can get advice and support and your babies can play and meet other babies.
• NSPCC Look Sing Say Play: Look, Say, Sing, Play – Brain-building tips (nspcc.org.uk)
• Story and Rhyme Time at your library: You can follow your local library on social media to find out more, or visit Children and young people library information (somerset.gov.uk) page.

Somerset has a series of online learning resources available on the NHS website. Use the code ‘dragon’. There is a course about ‘understanding your baby’. Some parents struggle to bond with their baby and if you feel this way, there is help available. Don’t be afraid to tell your health visitor how you are feeling.

Ages 2 to 5

Children have to learn a lot between the ages of 2 and 5 such as learning to talk, using the potty, getting dressed and starting pre-school. It can be hard work and your child might need a lot of support. There is lots of advice online about how to help your young child below.

• Common difficulties in the early years (annafreud.org)
• Tiny Happy People (bbc.co.uk)

You may see your young child has big feelings like being frustrated, excited, angry or joyful. It can be helpful to be able to talk with your child about how they are feeling. This is called developing your child’s ‘emotional literacy’. If you would like help with this, you can ask your health visiting team to talk to you about emotion coaching.

If you have not started already, it is a good idea to spend time snuggled up reading with your child. This helps them develop their speech skills but is also a good time to be cosy and cuddle up together.

Getting ready for a child to start school can be emotional for families. There are resources to help you at Tiny Happy People. If you are worried that you child is not ready for school speak to your health visiting team or your child’s pre-school.

Young Somerset is a charity that can support your child with their emotional wellbeing. You can ask for support from a wellbeing practitioner or find out about toddler groups, such as Pop-Up Tots on the Early Years (youngsomerset.org.uk) website.

Serious Mental Health problems

There are some rare and serious mental health problems that can happen at any point in our lives. Women who have had a baby in the last year can be more at risk. Get help urgently if you are worried that you or someone else is experiencing the following.

• Recent or significant changes in mental state
• Thoughts or acts of violent self-harm
• Feelings of being very detached or distant from baby