Mental Health - Widower Experience (WX)

International Children's Day is a day focused on advocating for the rights, education, and welfare of the children across the globe. Celebrated every first of June, it emphasizes the importance of securing a good future for the children who are considered to be the world's hope. The day is important as it highlights the issues related to child labor, violence against children, exploitation, and the need for proper education and health facilities. It highlights the urgent actions needed to protect children and ensure their rights are protected and upheld. It also celebrates children and their contribution to the betterment of society. The day was first declared by the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in 1925. It encourages people, organizations, and governments all over the world to pay special attention to the issues affecting children, take action to alleviate their suffering, and focus on the importance of developing children's welfare. Children Rights This...

I've been working on this article for a long time - and I'm still not finished - but due to current local events, I'm publishing the current state of it.  After a traumatic event, it is possible to help children feel safe with comfort, support, and assurance. We can help them deal with their fears, grief, and help them recover in a healthy way.  I have put together the following tips and recommendations based on studies and support from psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health experts who specialize in crisis situations. Whenever possible, I tried to provide simple tips on what to expect, what to do, and what to look out for. IMPORTANT - If you, or children or teenagers need support for their mental health, do not hesitate to contact a doctor or another health care provider for help or a recommendation.  1. Tips to assist children after the event  Make the child feel safe and secure. This includes physical closeness - all children, from toddlers to teenagers, ...

Children’s mental health is an essential foundation for their happiness, development, and success. On Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, we are reminded of the critical need to support the emotional well-being of the youngest among us. Mental health deserves the same care and attention as physical health, yet it often goes overlooked or misunderstood. By open conversations about emotions and resilience within our families and communities, we can empower children to navigate their feelings and the inevitable challenges of life with confidence and strength. Positive mental health is not just about the absence of struggle—it’s about fostering tools for self-esteem, inner resilience, and emotional regulation. For children, receiving encouragement and learning strategies for managing their mental well-being can be transformational. Inspirational quotes offer a simple yet powerful way to communicate these values and lessons. They hold timeless wisdom that transcends age and provide chil...

Whether we like it or not one of the only sure inevitable things in life is that we are all going die and our beloved ones. We don’t talk about death. We talk about sex, drugs and money. We teach our children about these subjects but we don’t talk about death and dying. We need to talk to our young about death and dying and we need to talk among ourselves openly about grieving. Pets are a good start whether they because they passed away peacefully caused by age - but as well when assisted by a doctor. We need to discuss how we feel about their death and encourage our children to do the same.  And adults don't like to talk to children about dying and death if it gets to suicide. Many believe that keeping suicide quiet protects children. But this is not the case.  By the way - I did so and thought so as well a long time, but especially by my latest explorations of studies and courses and seminars I joined - I were disabused. This is not the case - because children are ...

Childhood Depression Awareness Day, observed on May 7 each year. It aims to bring attention to the often-overlooked issue of depression in children, highlighting the importance of understanding and addressing their mental health needs​. Often, we visualize childhood as a time filled with laughter, vitality, and a never-ending whirl of fun and joy. Heartbreakingly though, the dark shadow of childhood depression haunts this picture, a tragic reality we can no longer afford to ignore. This severe matter necessitates heartfelt conversations among parents, caregivers, and educators. Leading to many other health disorders, depression addictively claws its way into lives across all age brackets. The World Health Organization has recognised depression as a sweeping health crisis. However, its devastating effects on children could be alarmingly aggressive, mercilessly putting the futures of our precious boys and girls on the line. Today -  It's a day where we all must passionately participa...

Blue Ribbon Day is often celebrated within Blue Ribbon Week as a focal point for activities and events dedicated to child abuse awareness. Originating from a grandmother’s heartache over the devastating loss of her grandson to abuse, the blue ribbon symbolically calls for society’s attention to the vulnerabilities children face. The day, therefore, stands as both a memorial and a call to action, urging communities to address the issue and protect children from neglect and harm. Blue Ribbon Week Apr 7th, 2025 - Apr 13th, 2025 Goals of Blue Ribbon Week The primary goal of Blue Ribbon Week is to shine a spotlight on the prevalence and implications of child abuse and neglect. By encouraging conversation and reflection, the initiative aims to: Educate: Inform communities about the forms child abuse can take—physical, emotional, sexual, and neglect—along with the signs and symptoms. Engage: Foster community involvement through events and activities, promoting a collective responsibility towa...

The topic of empowering young girls and embracing diversity in shaping societal norms is vitally important. The stories and characters that influence our children can have profound impacts on how they see the world and themselves. It is for this reason that I hold Pippi Longstocking's legacy close to my heart, as she continues to inspire and teach invaluable lessons about bravery, independence, and the celebration of one's unique self. Pippi Longstocking Turns 80 - A Role Model for Autonomy, Strength, and Diverse Society Today, we celebrate 80 years of Pippi Longstocking – more formally known as Pippilotta Viktualia Rullgardina Krusmynta Efraimsdotter Långstrump 😆. Since her first appearance in 1945, written by Astrid Lindgren, she has shaped generations of children, particularly girls, with her cheeky demeanor, limitless imagination, and courage that extends far beyond her iconic red braids. From her inception, Pippi was a literary revolution. At a time when girls were often ...

On February 29, the 'Equal Care Day' initiative draws attention to the lack of appreciation of care work. It is a reminder of the low status that care work as a whole, the education and upbringing of children, caring for the sick, the elderly and people with disabilities has in our society. Care means the fair and equal distribution of care work; fair not only in terms of distribution between the sexes, but also between rich and poor, old and young, newcomers and long-established residents. Why should I care about equal care? Well, this is a tricky, potentially contentious issue that comes up at some point in every relationship. As someone who cared for his wife daily, often 24/7 for more than ten years, this topic is of personal significance to me - I continue to advocate for the cause personally and fortunately also in my workplace, for caregiving and caregivers, three years subsequent to my wife's passing. It's challenging for all of us to navigate this, whether it...

Today a colleague made me aware on this young lady. Not sure how I missed this video when it went viral a years ago but it touched me - should reach all of us - that's why I like to share it today, in case anyone missed it as well - take 7 minutes to listen and learn. Molly Wright took the TED Talk stage to gave a brilliant talk. She stressed and focused attention on the nature of learning, the 'qualities' of play for life. it's so brilliant how she brings the undeniable facts and benefits to light and named it crystal clear. I really love how she highlighted the benefits of play on lifelong learning, behavior and well-being, sharing effective strategies to help all kids thrive by the age of five.  When Molly Wright gave that talk in 2021, she was just seven years old. But that didn't stop her from talking, from speaking open and honestly, touching the people and reaching their / our minds and hearts.  Let us ensure or do our parts to ensure that all kids have the b...

We all know that our parents will die at some point down the line. For many people it is a shocking event. The death of a parent is a shocking, overwhelming experience at any age. Deep within every human being, the child rests throughout life - knowing there is a mother or father to find help, protection and security. When these the parents, are no longer there, this option suddenly no longer exists. When one of the parents dies, childhood is finally and irrevocably over, or one believes that being a child is/would be over. Suddenly some people think they are no one's child anymore. There would no longer be anyone to perceive/look at them with the familiar eyes of a mother or father. The way our parents spoke to us, no one will ever speak to us again. The path of dealing with grief is individual and always different. The path of grieving is as individual as the relationship was between children and parents during their lifetime. Was the relationship good, close, emotional, ... were...

World Autism Awareness Day is an international day celebrated every year on April 2nd. It's a special day aimed at raising awareness of autism, a developmental disorder that affects communication and social interaction. The goal is to educate people about autism and to promote acceptance and inclusion for individuals on the autism spectrum. Autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a complex neurological developmental disorder that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior. It manifests differently in every individual with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Some common signs of autism are difficulties in social interaction, repetitive behaviors, and communication difficulties. Autism is a growing concern worldwide and affects about 2 to 5% of all children – but not only children. It is often diagnosed for the first time in adulthood. It is a lifelong condition for which there is currently no cure. However, one could also wonder if a 'cure' is...

During a boating trip on the Thames, Lewis Carroll spontaneously wrote a story for a young girl named Alice: "Alice in Wonderland." It was a book that would shape literary history. Today, 160 years ago, Carroll presented the handwritten manuscript to the girl. The story of young Alice is much more than a children's adventure for me. It was and still is one of the stories that captivate and inspire me to dream. Alice broke the rules of convention and didactic children's literature. Instead of obedience and morality, Alice displays courage, wit, and the ability to find her own way amidst chaos. Characters like the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, or the heartless Queen of Hearts, along with the absurd logic and linguistic playfulness, make the story a literary phenomenon to this day. In November 1864, Dodgson presented his manuscript to the real Alice. - Sidenote Lewis Carroll was born as Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. But that wasn't the end of it: Dodgson revised and expa...

The feeling of self-worth / the way you judge yourself, is built on / growing on your roots of ... confidence and awareness of yourself - the knowledge of your personality, your abilities and your goals as well as the conviction of your own actions trust in yourself - believing in yourself and your strengths acceptance of yourself - accepting your weaknesses and knowing that you are always good enough Everyone is born with these roots, but you have to work on them to make them stable and strong - it is up to you to care for these roots and yourself. And the recognition we receive from others - starting when we were children - affects how we feel about ourselves as adults. If you were laughed at because we missed certain goals or you were constantly picked last for the team, you may still think today that you are not good or get attention or not the way we like to get. A lack of respect, ridicule and distrust can damage feeling of self-worth and the way you judge yourself. As a result, ...

The person in life who will always be with you always and all time, is yourself. Even when you are with others, you are still with yourself, too! When you are at the most beautiful or important place in the world - the most beautiful and important person is there as well. When your are laying in bed at night you are with yourself. When you wake up in the morning, you are with yourself. When you are walking along a beautiful beach in the sunlight you are with yourself. What kind of person do you want to walk along the beach with? What kind of person do you want to wake up in the morning with? What kind of person do you want to see dusk is falling, before you fall asleep? Because that person is yourself, and it's your responsibility to be that person you want to be with. It is up to us how and what we think about ourselves and how we can perceive ourselves. Every person is something unique in the world. Self-awareness is important because our feelings are an expression of our needs. ...

March: Self-Injury Awareness Month – Let's Break Down Stigmas and Support Each Other March is Self-Injury Awareness Month, a time to shed light on a often hidden and misunderstood issue. Self-injury, also known as self-harm, is a response to severe emotional distress where a person intentionally hurts themselves to cope with overwhelming feelings or combat emotional numbness. It's more common than you might think, with around 15% of teenagers and 4% of adults experiencing some form of self-injury. It's crucial to recognize the warning signs, so we can support those who might be struggling. Warning Signs of Self-Injury Consistent injuries on arms, legs, or other body parts, such as scabs, bruises, burns, or cuts Wearing long sleeves, pants, or coats in warm weather to hide injuries Repeatedly making excuses for injuries Avoiding activities and relationships they used to enjoy, and withdrawing from social life Self-harm can take various forms, but the most common are ... skin...

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, observed annually on November 25th, is a significant occasion that serves as a global call to action to eradicate the widespread issue of gender-based violence. This day is vital for raising awareness, fostering dialogue, and mobilizing efforts to address and put an end to the violence that affects millions of women and girls around the world. One of the key reasons this day is so important is that it highlights the alarming prevalence of violence against women. Statistics from the United Nations reveal that 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence. This Day helps shed light on these grave issues, bringing them to the forefront of public consciousness and prompting actions from individuals, organizations, and governments to protect and empower women. Furthermore, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women ca...