As well as running Reading Fairy classes in Sutton and the surrounding area, former primary school teacher Tara Nathan has previously led local sessions focused on Children’s mental wellbeing and resilience.
Ahead of this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week, Tara’s shared some simple ways we can engage with children about big emotions and mental wellbeing, both within our Reading Fairy classes and at home.
When you’re reading an illustrated book with your child there are a lot of opportunities to talk about how the characters are feeling. Take a look at the character’s faces, do they seem angry? Might they be sad or crying? It’s an easy way into a gentle conversation, “Can you remember a time that you felt sad?”.
A playful approach is to talk about emotions while looking in the mirror. In so many homes mirrors are high on the wall and some children might not be used to seeing their own faces at all. Playing a game where you try and make an angry face together in the mirror, then a happy face and so on can help children understand more about our different emotions.
Encouraging reading for leisure is key to the Reading Fairy ethos and is something that has been shown to improve mental wellbeing, in both children and adults. Reading can really calm the emotions, it doesn’t have to be just at bed time. If your child is having a bad day reading together can have such a positive impact.
Reading together doesn’t just support your child. I know that for me personally, reading to my child calms me down, because you get really into the story, you put on your expression into it, your child might ask you questions, you might pause, and then you just totally switched off from all those daily jobs you've got to do in the stresses.
Speak to your local Ready Fairy class practitioner to hear how our classes support your child’s wellbeing during Children’s Mental Health Week and beyond, you can find your local class here. Discover more about Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 (9th - 15th Feb) on their official website.
