From diagnosis to action in the face of the mental health crisis that children are experiencing: Me Cuido, Te Cuido, the new CMPC Foundation campaign

The initiative seeks to help parents and caregivers identify situations that create stress and find concrete tools for dealing with them.

One of the most important factors in the well-being of children is having a significant adult nearby who is attentive to their needs and gives them attention and affection, but what if the mother, father or caregiver is undergoing a great deal of stress?

Various analyses have warned even before the pandemic that the deterioration of mental health in families is a problem in Chile that endangers children’s development, which only grew because of the long confinement period and subsequent return to in-person attendance.

This diagnosis led the CMPC Foundation to take action and launch the “Me Cuido, Te Cuido” campaign [Caring for Myself, Caring for You]. The essence of this crusade is to make visible the problem affecting mental health and provide tools so that parents and caregivers can help themselves to then help others.

CMPC Foundation Executive Director Carolina Andueza explains that, “It is essential and a completely responsible behavior to make a commitment to be well oneself in order to take care of others, so we can be affectionate and caring with our children.”

She added, “Because if we feel tired, stressed, and overwhelmed we won’t be open to connecting with our children, and we’ll miss out on wonderful opportunities to create positive experiences with them.”

This campaign starts with a Podcast series called “Me cuido, Te cuido”, which will address in a very practical way and from the voice of experts how to help improve our children’s mental health.
In the first of the four podcasts episodes, Carolina Andueza and CMPC Foundation Coordinator Daniela Torres will analyze the theme, “Stress in children and what our role as caregivers should be”. It is available on the Spotify application published by the CMPC Foundation Podcast.

“We’re going to talk about this topic in each episode and make this a more practical tool with suggestions and recommendations of resources that they can check out to go deeper into the subject,” said Daniela Torres, adding that, “We have to understand that taking care of ourselves is part of our needs as an adult, and it’s legitimate and indispensable. Additionally, it is crucial in order for us to take care of others.”

What practical tips does this first podcast focused on mothers, fathers and caregivers include?

1. Figure out what your own signals of feeling overwhelmed are, such being less able to focus or feeling that your jaws or hands are clenched, or that you are not enjoying something you normally enjoy. At the moment you discover them, stop what you’re doing.

2. Focus on your breathing, how the air enters and exits your nose. Then, focus on each muscle of your body and loosen the areas that you normally tense up the most, such as the eyebrows, the jaw, neck and shoulders, abdomen and pelvic area. Breathe deeply and scan your body to relax it little by little. Even if it’s just a few minutes, take a deep breath!

3. Identify one or two people you can go to when you feel overwhelmed and need to talk or simply be listened to. We learn more together! Let’s build a support network, a care network, where we can reach out, ask for help, and share ideas about self-care.

4. Give yourself some time alone, listen to a podcast like this one or music that resonates with you. Find your own spaces and activities that do you good. Have a coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or something with co-workers or friends. Even if they are only minutes that will nourish you, it generates spaces to share and talk while leaving aside tasks and routines.