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Guiding you through your child’s mental health journey.

Life can be tough, especially for our kids. You might be noticing your child is struggling in new ways, or that old problems are getting worse. But what can you do right now to help your child with their mental health? We’ve curated a collection of resources that you can try at home today and organizations that we know can help.

What can I do right now?

What can I do right now?

Find tools and strategies that have worked for other families to help you and your child improve their behavioral health from home.

Explore resources

Who can help my child?

Our top picks for community organizations and government resources to help find the right behavioral health help
for your child.

Find help

How much should I worry?

Is your kid just being a kid, or is their behavior something to worry about? Learn about signs to look for and get suggestions on what to do next.

Learn more

Our Top Pick

Use the 988 Lifeline to get help from a trained crisis counselor

988 is an easier-to-remember way to access a strengthened and expanded network of crisis call centers. The Lifeline accepts calls, texts, and chats from anyone who is experiencing thoughts or feelings of suicide.

THE HANDHOLD TEAM

Call or text the 988 Lifeline

The 988 Lifeline offers 24/7 call, text and chat access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing suicidal thoughts or feelings. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need support.

OUR TOP PICK

How to create calm when talking with your child.

One of the best ways to help your child when they’re struggling emotionally is to make sure that you’re creating a calm environment where your child (and you) feel comfortable communicating. This is not easy, but we’ve found a video series that we absolutely love as it has practical ways of doing this that you could use every day.

— THE HANDHOLD TEAM

The School of Hard Talks Online

We know that parenting a teen or young adult can be hard. Sometimes, it seems like everything you say is wrong. These seven short lessons illustrate strategies you can use in any situation to have calmer, more productive interactions. It’s a great resource for parents who want to support their almost-grown-up kids in making healthy decisions.

OUR TOP PICK

Use these simple worksheets to help your child connect their feelings and behaviors

We love these easy to use worksheets created by the Mass Department of Mental Health. Use them to talk with your child about what makes them upset, what happens to their body when big feelings get overwhelming, and what helps them feel better. Using these may help you and your child prevent the next “melt down” or at least help you to feel prepared when it happens!

- THE HANDHOLD TEAM

Create a custom "calm down" plan for your child

Use these simple worksheets with your child to explore what might help them feel better when they are upset.

OUR TOP PICK

Get some ideas for how to handle screen time

If you are worried about the amount of time your child spends in front of a screen, these 19 tips from the team at Smart Social, may help you reduce the “screen time” battles in your home.

- THE HANDHOLD TEAM

19 screen time management tips to prevent addiction

Expert advice for helping your kid develop a healthy relationship with technology

You’re not alone.

If you’re worried about your child, you’re doing the right thing coming here. Sometimes it can feel easier to just hope things will get better. But you are doing the best thing for your child by taking steps to make sure that they do.

It takes patience and it takes work, but you don’t have to do it alone. That’s why we’re here—because we care. We want to empower you to take care of your child and your family as well as be inspired by families just like yours who have gone through something similar.

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