June is Pride Month and one of the most important ways to support LGBTQ+ children in embracing their identities is to help them tend to their mental health and emotional well-being.
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While any children can experience bullying or rejection, the Child Mind Institute writes in a new series of resources, children in the queer community are particularly targeted. This puts them at higher risk for such mental health challenges as anxiety and depression.
The institute’s resources include advice on what to do when a child is questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity – or decides to come out.
The resources feature an article on ways to arm children with tools to combat bullying and another on how to keep the lines of communication open with teens, which can help them to feel safer talking about topics such as sex, gender, and romantic relationships.
The Child Mind Institute’s resources include:
Various organizations, states, and nations recognize a number of observances each month. Resources help parents, caregivers, and child care professionals acknowledge and navigate them.
Here is a list of resources for October observances.
Week-Long Observances
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Anti-Poverty Week (Oct. 12 to Oct. 18)
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Baby Loss Awareness Week (Oct. 9 to Oct. 15)
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Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 5 to Oct. 11)
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Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 5 to Oct. 11)
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National Friends of Libraries Week (Oct. 19 to Oct. 25)
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National School Bus Safety Week (Oct. 20 to Oct. 24)
Month-Long Observances
HEAD START AWARENESS MONTH
DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH
NATIONAL BOOK MONTH
Days of Recognition
• OCTOBER 3: KIDS MUSIC DAY
• OCTOBER 4: NATIONAL PLAY OUTSIDE DAY
• OCTOBER 5: WORLD TEACHER’S DAY
• OCTOBER 6: NATIONAL CHILD HEALTH DAY
• OCTOBER 8: NATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL DAY
• OCTOBER 10: WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY
• OCTOBER 11: NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY
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Gender, Gender Identity, and LGBTQ+ Inclusion, Trying Together
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Family Guide: Gender and Gender Identity, Trying Together
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Non-Gendered Play in Early Childhood, Trying Together
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How Are Sex, Gender, and Gender Identity Defined?, Trying Together
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Resource List: Books to Celebrate Gender Expression, Inclusion, and Pride, Trying Together
• OCTOBER 13: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY
• OCTOBER 19: NATIONAL NEW FRIENDS DAY
• OCTOBER 20: NATIONAL YOUTH CONFIDENCE DAY
• OCTOBER 28: NATIONAL IMMIGRANTS DAY
• OCTOBER 29 : INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CARE AND SUPPORT
Various organizations, states, and nations recognize a number of observances each month. Resources help parents, caregivers, and child care professionals acknowledge and navigate them.
Here is a list of resources for July observances:
Month-Long Observances
- City of Pittsburgh Department of Parks & Recreation, CitiParks
- Summer Program Guide, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
- Top Green Spaces and Public Parks in Pittsburgh, Visit Pittsburgh
- Growing Equity in City Green Space, Eos
- Rocking and Rolling. Fresh Air, Fun, and Exploration: Why Outdoor Play Is Essential for Healthy Development, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
- Why Kids Need to Spend Time in Nature, Child Mind Institute
- Free Worksheet: Thank a Park Ranger Card, Education.com
- Become a Junior Ranger, National Park Service
- Five Fun Activities for Teaching Kids About Conservation, National Recreation and Park Association
- Allegheny County Shares Summer Safety Guidance, Trying Together
- 5 Pittsburgh Organizations supporting Our Most Vulnerable Children–and Inspiring Us to Help, Kidsburgh
- Most Popular Pittsburgh Children & Youth Nonprofits and Charities, Great Nonprofits
- Positive Parenting, National Institute of Health
- The Power of Positive Parenting, UC Davis Health
- 8 Ways to Strengthen a Parent-Child Relationship, Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin
- Bonding with Stepchildren: 7 Tips for Building a Strong Relationship, Care.com
- Three Principles to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families, Harvard University Center on the Developing Child
- Strategies to Support Black Students, Teachers, and Communities in Schools, Education Northwest
- 12 Powerful Statistics That Prove Why Teachers Matter, We Are Teachers
- Family Engagement, Office of Head Start and Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center
- Raise Child Care, Start Strong PA
- Prioritizing Minority Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- BIPOC Mental Health, Mental Health America
- Mental Health Disparities: Diverse Populations, American Psychiatric Association
- Contextualizing BIPOC Youth Mental Health, National Black Women’s Justice Institute
- Mental Illness Doesn’t Discriminate, so Why Do BIPOC Communities Have Difficulty Accessing Care?, Jefferson Center for Mental Health
- Erasing Mental Health Stigma in the Black Community, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
- BIPOC/AAPI Mental Health Resources, NAMI New Hampshire
- Where to Find Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents in Pittsburgh, The University of Pittsburgh: Youth and Family Research Program
- Anti-Racism Resources for Families, Trying Together
- Multilingual Trauma Resources, The Child Mind Institute
Days of Recognition
- Drowning Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Drowning Prevention & Facts, American Red Cross
- Water Safety at Home, Safe Kids Worldwide
- Water Safety Tips for Families, Seattle Children’s Hospital
- Toddler Water Safety: 14 Ways to Keep Safer, Stop Drowning Now
- Water Safety for Your Special Needs Child, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Resources: Learn to Swim, Allegheny County
- 4 Places To Get FREE Summer Swim Lessons For Kids In The ‘Burgh, Macaroni Kid
- How to Perform Child and Baby CPR, American Red Cross
- Trying Together and ELRC Region 5 Partnering to Offer First Aid & CPR Training, ELRC Region 5
Join the Brazelton Touchpoints Center and Burke Foundation for the second episode of their Learning to Listen: Conversations for Change webinar series, featuring Dr. Warren Ng, president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Attendees will learn about the mental health of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and LGBTQ+ children, the harms they experience, how those harms have been exacerbated by the pandemic and political polarization, and the ways that we can help them heal.
Session Details
Wednesday, March 15 | 3 – 4 p.m.
Virtual
Register
Learn More
To learn more, visit the Brazelton Touchpoints Center website.
