Time to Talk Day 2025

Time to Talk Day, taking place on Thursday, 6th February, is an annual event dedicated to encouraging open conversations about mental health across the country.
To mark this day, we’re sharing insights and practical tips from our Eikon practitioners on how to start meaningful conversations about mental health with children and young people. This is especially important if you’re concerned about a child’s well-being and unsure how to approach the topic.

“Think about how to start the conversation. For example, rather than sitting the young person down face to face, it can feel less intimidating for them to have a conversation in a car or on a walk, or even through text at first!

And ideally when you’re not in a rush, so that there’s time for the conversation to expand.

Young people often don’t even know how they’re feeling either, so it can be a slow process (patience!), but reassuring them that they are not alone and that you are there to talk and listen can be the first step to them opening up.”

“A conversation piece –  ‘What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail’

Gives insights into hopes and aspirations or for the creatives of the world pure indulgence in fantasy.”

Sadie is a young person who was supported by The Eikon Charity

Ask the young person –

“What are you looking forward to?”

The question has two main purposes, the answer usually gives an insight into the interests of the young person, which is often the key to them engaging with you.

The other reason is that it often gives insight into their mental health at the time.

The principle is that not looking forward to anything may be an indication of their state of mind. It also starts your conversation with a question that is not obviously about your adult agenda.”

 

“Think about how the young person might like to communicate – is it through a verbal conversation or might it be through drawing for example or play?

Where might the young person want to be – in a room? Outside? Engaging in an activity together?”

“When working with young people one to one… I used to carry a mixture of children’s poetry books. Age-appropriate and varying in funny, sad, or thought-provoking. Reading a poem sometimes acted as an icebreaker and sometimes linked to a chosen theme.

Then asking the child to select poems from a book would develop the conversation and this also encouraged reading and public speaking over time.”

Doodle heart

“I would encourage parents and carers to first just listen, empathise and really try to understand the Young Person’s perspective before trying to ‘fix’ things. Well-intentioned ‘advice’ can leave the child feeling disempowered and misunderstood.

Perhaps asking more questions such as:

‘What helps you feel better when…?

How would you like me to respond when…?

How can we think about this together?

These kind of questions might invite more of a discussion and give the child more agency, even if not all the young person’s wishes can be met.”

“Asking a young person how they are via the Muppet’s emotions, or another one not on the poster…”

Doodle smiley face

“Once children and young people feel comfortable the bigger questions can then be asked, some of the ideas listed below will allow for exploration around worries and emotions.

There is a wonderful children’s book called You Choose. It is predominantly a picture book whereby on each page it asks you questions like, if you could go anywhere in the world where would you go? What would your friends look like?

Games you can play which gives good insight are

Would you rather?, Have you ever?, Conversation cubes and Jenga (with questions on them, so the brick you choose is the question you answer)”

“I introduced the ‘Key Jar’ activity to my son and other young people, and I recommend it to parents as a great way to spark conversations at the dinner table and strengthen connections.”

The ‘Key Jar’ activity was created by Erin Waters and the Momastery website.

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