Mental Health Awareness Month: How We Help Kids Heal—And How You Can Help Too

May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a time to check in, speak up, and take action. At I Am Aria Inc, we believe that stories save lives. We’ve seen it firsthand in classrooms, on Zoom calls, and inside quiet, tear-streaked journal pages.

Mental health struggles don’t start in adulthood—they often begin in childhood. Anxiety. Depression. Loneliness. These are not adult-only battles. They show up in our kids' lives, sometimes silently, sometimes loudly. And they’re showing up more often than ever.

That’s where we come in.

Our mission is simple but urgent: use creativity to help children and teens process emotions, build resilience, and feel seen. Through our 8-week afterschool journaling program, our 6-week virtual summer writing and publishing course, and our book donations to underserved communities, we’re creating safe spaces for young minds to grow and heal.

We teach kids that their voices matter, their stories are powerful, what they feel is valid, and they’re never alone.

But our programs are just one piece of the puzzle...

The conversations happening at home matter just as much. Parents, talk to your kids. Not interrogations. Not advice marathons. Just conversations. Ask about their day. Share a laugh. Be curious without pressing. And most of all—listen. Kids drop hints all the time, often when we least expect it: In between dinner and homework, on the way to practice, while they’re scrolling, or just passing by the sofa.

Here are some common hints that may signal something deeper is going on:

• “I’m just tired all the time.”

• “I don’t want to go to school.”

• “Nobody really gets me.”

• Changes in eating or sleeping habits

• Withdrawing from friends or family

• Declining grades or sudden loss of interest in things they used to enjoy

• Over-apologizing or feeling like a burden

• Excessive worry or irritability

  
  

If you notice several of these signs lasting more than a couple of weeks—or your gut says something feels off—it’s time to reach out for help. Start with your pediatrician, school counselor, or a licensed mental health professional.

You don’t have to fix everything. Just be the safe place where your child feels seen, heard, and loved.

Mental Health Awareness Month isn’t just about raising awareness—it’s about doing the work. And we’re proud to be part of that work.

Want to support our mission? Share this post, donate if you can, and check in with the young people in your life. The smallest acts of care can make the biggest difference.

Because when a child believes their voice matters, everything changes.