I was in London this weekend visiting my family, and my brother-in-law had a gorgeous hoodie on. It had a slogan that was so poignant and thought provoking:
When I got home, I googled the company. It is a mental health clothing brand that was set up to encourage men to open up about their struggles and to let them know that they are not alone. 1 in 8 people experience mental health challenges … just take a moment to think about that huge number of people suffering every day. The founders of the company have found a way for men to start conversations or to highlight that they have feelings too by creating this slogan that has been so gorgeously designed in different ways. It is important that no one ever feels alone when they are having a hard time.
Just think how we in schools can make such a difference to this campaign by supporting young boys to talk about their worries and concerns from a young age. Helping children to recognise emotions in others and to help them know how they can help and best respond when a friend is having a tough time, or when someone looks sad and alone, or learning to look underneath the words that are being said to them andfeeling ok enough to find out what is really being said.
Please take the time to check out Boys Get Sad Too, the lovely brand that inspired me to write this blog in the first place. What a wonderful way to get such an important message out there! Through something as simple as a hoodie or a t-shirt, they are helping to start conversations that might otherwise never happen. They are reminding boys and men that it’s okay to have feelings, it’s okay to feel sad and, most importantly, it’s okay to talk about it. They also support mental health charities through their work, which makes what they do even more special.
Take a look at their website if you get a moment. Sometimes it really is the simplest of messages that can make the biggest difference, and wouldn’t it be lovely if we could help children grow up knowing that they never have to hide how they feel?
On a completely separate note, it is the beginning of half term for us, so it is time to say thank you for all your hard work and for the support you have shown us this half term. Enjoy the break and, as a headteacher put it to me yesterday, we will see you for the glittery half term.
