3 The future
As parents and/or professionals working and caring for children, increasing our knowledge of how to prevent some of the issues that can contribute to poor mental health and mental illness is a positive step to take. It is important to keep in mind the ‘recipe’ for emotional wellbeing and the holistic nature of children’s health and wellbeing. While funding for children’s services to improve wellbeing and mental health is important, as well as having high-quality professionals, it needs to be kept in mind that many of the ingredients in the recipe relate to how well we develop relationships with children, and we can all do more to develop and maintain those relationships.
The final section includes some useful resources for anyone with an interest in children’s health and wellbeing.