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Promoting mental health and wellbeing at home

Positive mental health and wellbeing is important for your child or teen’s healthy development and learning.

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Unpacking positive mental health and wellbeing

Positive mental health and wellbeing is important for your child or teen’s healthy development and learning. It supports them to manage the normal challenges of life.

Environments, experiences, relationships and individual characteristics all contribute to mental health and wellbeing.

For children and teens, wellbeing is supported when they:

Mental health exists on a continuum

It can be helpful to think of mental health and mental ill-health as existing along a continuum.

We all move along the continuum as we face challenges and situations that test our capacity to cope and change our mental health. Our mental health can change slowly or quickly.

Continuum line with ‘Flourishing’ one end, then moving through ‘Going ok’, ‘Going through a tough time’, and at the other end ‘Severely impacting everyday activities’.

Most people will experience changes in their mental health at some point during their lifetime. Social, emotional and environmental factors all influence our position along the continuum. Learn more about the mental health continuum.

Even if someone isn’t experiencing mental ill-health, that doesn’t mean their mental health is flourishing. Alternatively, it is possible to be diagnosed with a mental illness and still feel well and function effectively in many aspects of life.

Supporting your child’s wellbeing at home

As parents and carers, you’re already doing lots of things to support your child’s mental health and wellbeing. You can continue to protect your child’s mental health and wellbeing by developing and promoting:

For a range of videos and articles backed by Australian experts on how to support your child’s mental health, visit Raising Children Network.

Helping your child with online life

Being online and screen time can affect young people’s sleep, mood and wellbeing. ScrollSafe’s parent and carers hub provides simple tips and advice for talking with your teen about social media, the internet, and mental health. The guide and short video show easy ways to start conversations, model healthy social media use, and support your teen to stay safe and well online.

Apps

Find practical parenting tips on boosting your child’s mental and wellbeing, plus answers to key questions on when, why and how to seek support at the raising a healthy mind app.

Mental Health support during school holidays

Mental health support, resources and advice are available for students and families to access over the school holidays. Two fact sheets for students and families:

These fact sheets are also available in 19 different languages. To access the factsheets, including translated factsheets, visit: mental health supports for students over school holidays.

Parenting support

All parents and carers need support to build confidence and skills or to discuss specific concerns.

Online and phone support

Parenting programs

More information on Victorian Government Services for parents and carers.

Education & training

Updated 26 March 2026

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