ChildhoodMatters

We are so grateful for Funny Girl Events for their support. Come and join us on May 18th for a fun night of comedy. After the show you will hear all about Childhood Matters and it’s mission. Buy your tickets here:
https://www.funnygirlevents.com/

Thurs. May 18 14 Cannons comedy night, Westlake Village. We're sharing the spotlight on ChildhoodMatters. A local nonprofit that aims to support and nurture the mental and emotional health of children and youth. There will be a 50/50 raffle and you can learn more about CM from the founder after the show. 50% sold out. Grab your tickets: FunnyGirlEvents.com

At Childhood Matters we are committed to fostering a culture that values mental health and well-being for all and we strive to create a safe and supportive environment where every child and youth feels valued, supported, and empowered.

From the Childhood Matters team:
We extend our deepest appreciation for the partnership and collaboration of our sponsors, community partners, event volunteers and mental health ambassadors. Your involvement has left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of all who participated. We look forward to continuing our work together to create a healthier, happier, and more supportive community towards wellness and mental health.

The event is just 3 hours away. We look forward to seeing you there.

We are grateful for the support of our local businesses that have donated amazing items toward the silent auction that will be at the event on May 6th.

Bid on tickets, a skateboard from , a basket of goodies, toys from .toys and so much more.

All proceeds from this auction will be going towards supporting our mission.

We would like to take thank and Vision Hankook Motors, Inc for sponsoring the upcoming Mental Health Awareness Community Playdate on May 6th.

In order to meet our mission and provide services in our community, we rely on the generosity of individuals and businesses for support. Without the assistance of community-minded individuals and businesses just like you, we wouldn't be able to serve those in our community. Your generosity towards this event will make a difference in our community by allowing us to continue and expand our work.

The April Nominate A Star program will be sending a Wellness toolbox to a public hospital working predominately with low-income children, many of whom are under the care of DCFS (child protective services) or the juvenile justice system.

The Childlife Program at this hospital is a new program and is looking for ways to continue to support their pediatric patients' psychosocial development.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. On May 6th, we bring to you hands-on learning and resources on wellness, mental and emotional health in , California

Over 30 community partners have joined hands to support the well-being of children and youth.

We look forward to welcoming the community to this informative and fun family morning.

Mindfulness help children and teens slow down and really take notice of what they are doing, even if it means just focusing on their breath. We can say that being mindful is the opposite of multitasking.

A “brain break” is an activity that takes you away from hard mental work and allows your brain and body to reset.

Learn all about brain breaks at the Childhood Matters table, brought to you by our ambassadors at the Mental Health Awareness Community Event on May 6th

What is your favorite brain break activity?

Children often have emotions that seem irrational to adults, but that doesn’t make them any less powerful. Instead of dismissing these feelings, it’s more constructive to offer validation by encouraging kids to experience the feelings along with the thoughts and physical sensations that accompany them.

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members” ~ Coretta Scott King

Thank you Jessica Sawyer for taking the time to learn about our mission and to invest in our Mental Health Awareness Community Event on May 6th. We are so grateful for your sponsorship.

People who’ve survived a traumatic event, including kids and teens, can take important steps to feel better and experience relief from stress. One of these therapeutic strategies is using trauma coping statements.

On Earth Day let’s remember our own connection with nature they has the power to improve mental wellbeing, increase energy and enhance creativity.

Our Mental Health Ambassadors work collectively to bring mental health awareness, inclusion and stigma reduction to their schools and communities.

We welcome Ayla to our team of Ambassadors.

Ayla is a junior in High School and has been a Girl Scout for 4 years. She is first aid and CPR certified. She loves photography and has been doing photography for almost 6 years. She loves to read realistic fiction, mystery and horror.

Thank you for taking the step towards making a difference.

This summer we will be encouraging children and youth to pay it forward by completing acts of kindness for others.
Mark your calendars for June 17th for the kindness kickoff.

A child with trauma usually has trouble identifying, expressing, and managing their emotions.

Exercise has been proven to reduce cortisol and adrenaline levels. In other words, it helps improve emotional regulation.

We are getting ready with community partners to bring mental health and wellness resources to children, teens, young adults and families at the 2nd Annual Mental Health Awareness Community Playdate

Join us on May 6th at the Conejo Creek North Park in for a morning of engaging hands-on activities. From a drum circle led by to therapy dogs by , there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

We hope to see you there!

Thoughtful Thursday brought to you by our youth mental health ambassador

Everyone needs to be able to cope with life’s emotions and stresses in healthy ways. Childhood is a wonderful time to learn to cope with and manage life’s ups and downs. If children have good coping skills, they will:

✅get along better with others

✅ easily make connections with others

✅be able to start and maintain friendships

✅be able to pay attention in school and learn

✅manage better when more challenging experiences occur

✅be more resilient as an adult

The aim of our Mental Health Ambassador program is to provide a platform for our youth to bring awareness to mental health issues among their communities. We hope that by starting a culture of conversation about mental health, we can reduce the stigma of mental health disorders and create a receptive community towards mental health.

To join our team of ambassadors, apply online at https://www.childhoodmatter.org/contact-7 or send an email to [email protected]

We are so grateful to Engage for being a Champion Sponsor of our 2nd Annual Mental Health Awareness Community Playdate that will be taking place on May 6th in Thousand Oaks, California.

Thank you Engage for making it possible for us to connect the community to the much needed Mental Health and Wellness resources.

During play children are pretending and are able to feel a full range of emotions and become comfortable with them. This, in turn, helps them to regulate their emotions better, a useful tool when it comes to handling a problem.

Regular physical helps children and youth with their physical health and improves their brain function and emotional wellbeing.

We tend to view childhood as a carefree, joyous time that only devolves into stress and anxiety once the pressures of adult lifecreep in. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Nearly one in five U.S. adults lives with mental health disorders, but it may be alarming to learn that those numbers are mirrored in children.

Our Silent Auction will begin online and move into a live auction on May 6th at the 2nd Annual Mental Health Awareness Community Playdate in Thousand Oaks.

This auction will be helping us fundraiser for our mission.
In order to meet our mission and provide services in our community, we rely on the generosity of individuals and businesses for support. Without the assistance of community-minded individuals and businesses just like you, we wouldn't be able to serve those in our community. Your generosity towards this event will make a difference in our community by allowing us to continue and expand our work.

If you are a business that would like to support our cause by donating a product, gift card or service, please dm us or contact us via email at [email protected]

The nominate a star program allows us to send free coping tools to children and youth going through a difficult life transition.

This month a grief and loss toolbox will be sent to:

💚Dominic, who recently lost his father and is struggling to cope with this loss.
💚A grief and loss toolbox will also be sent to Tino, who lost his mother due to domestic violence.
💚Harrison will receive a sensory toolbox to help him through his journey with retinoblastoma.

We are thankful to our community for donations towards this program which helped us to send tools to all three children.

Nominations for April are now open and the link is in our bio. To donate to this program, please visit the donation page on our website.

A growth mindset has been linked to a range of benefits for children and teens, including improved mental health, decreased stress, and improved academic achievement.

Yesterday we discussed the value of making mistakes, practiced using growth mindset language and made some SMART goals.

A big thank you to Channel Islands High School
and the students for welcoming us back.

To schedule a workshop for your youth group, please email us at [email protected]

Ambassadors are change makers and advocates who use their skills, trainings, experiences and platforms to raise awareness.

Tag someone you think would be right for this role.

To apply to be an ambassador, use the link in our bio.

By teaching kids breathing exercises, we're giving them a valuable tool for their toolbox.

When learning is made tactile and youth and children are provided the information and the tools to practice coping and self-care, prevention and early intervention is in action.

Thank you Ventura County Family Justice Center
for making the wellness of Camp Hope Youth a priority. We are so happy to have met a group of engaged teens so eager to learn about taking care of their mental health.

Thank you Abeera Tareen, our board secretary for developing this workshop and presenting it yesterday.

Children, in particular, can enjoy great emotional and mental benefits from spending time with animals

💚We are getting ready with our community partners to bring wellness and mental health resources to our families and children. Come spend the morning of May 6th in the beautiful outdoors engaging in art, music, mindfulness, sensory, play, fitness activities and interacting with therapeutic animals. Connect with providers to learn how they can best support your child or teens needs.

💚You can even do some shopping from our community small businesses, bid on amazing silent auction items, and enjoy and other local delicacies.

💚This is a free community event. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for updates as we welcome more partners and add additional activities for a morning of well-being!

Grow ABA Stories in Sensory National Alliance on Mental Illness - San Fernando Valley ROWI Teen & Parent Wellness Centers 2nd Annual Mental Health Awareness Community
We Rock The Spectrum - Agoura Hills Hive of Hope- Agoura Hills Diagnostic & Counseling Center United Parents Haley's Book Nook Harmony Family Yoga Happy Baby Social Nest

Gratitude can have benefits such as supporting physical and mental
well-being, boosting self-esteem, and enhancing sleep quality; all of which contribute to happier, healthier children.