How to use Minds in Bloom

Answering the question, “what if my child won’t read the books you recommend?”

Sometimes parents ask us if we have any tips to help get their kids more interested in the books we recommend. Some parents worry that if their child won’t pay attention to the book, the mental health skills we’re covering here won’t count.

Here’s our sneaky tip: These book recommendations are mostly for parents! The main goal of our “pick of the week” series is to expose parents to kid-friendly demonstrations of science-backed mental health skills. Parents are busy, and we chose these books because they’re easy for parents to quickly and see what’s going on in the book. Then, we break down the science behind the mental health skill and give quick tips for using these skills with your child.

Here are some things we hope parents will take away from Minds in Bloom:

• Learn about science-backed mental health skills

• Learn easy ways to use these skills with your kiddo

• Read the book yourself! Most of these books take 5 minutes or less to read and we almost always include a link to a free, instantly accessible video read-aloud version.

• Build a library of high-quality books that address mental health topics.

• Bring some of these books into your home so they’re in your child’s orbit.

• Read these books to your child if they seem interested in them.

• If you have a concern about something related to your child’s mental health or well-being, find what you need by looking through our skill library.

• If your child refuses to read the book, don’t sweat it!

Here are some things we hope kids will take away from Minds in Bloom:

• Have parents who feel comfortable thinking and talking about mental health concepts.

• Have fun reading with their parents!

The bottom line is, if your child doesn’t like the book, that’s no problem! We still see value in parents reading these books and the accompanying posts. Our goal is to help parents feel confident and prepared in dealing with kids mental health and behavioral challenges and knowing how to support their child’s well-being.