Editor's Note: See all videos here: Nemours.org/MichaelPhelpsFoundation
WILMINGTON, DE (March 16, 2022) – Nemours Children’s Health and the Michael Phelps Foundation are proud to announce the launch of Raising Resilient Kids, a four-part video series featuring gold medalist Michael Phelps and his wife Nicole Phelps alongside Nemours Children’s Health psychologists Meghan Walls, PsyD, and Roger Harrison, PhD.
Raising Resilient Kids was inspired by Michael and Nicole Phelps – mental health advocates and parents of three young children – who noticed that their kids needed extra support to navigate the overwhelming feelings they were experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of a longstanding partnership, the Michael Phelps Foundation collaborated with Nemours Children’s Health to create short, conversational videos designed to share practical advice that helps parents and families tackle common concerns around children and their social-emotional health.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the critical need for behavioral health support for children. Parents and families are facing large demands while they navigate securing resources for their children,” says R. Lawrence Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP, president and CEO of Nemours Children’s Health. “We are proud that Michael and Nicole Phelps have chosen to work with our experts at Nemours Children’s Health to create accessible, practical advice parents can use to support their children’s emotional well-being. Our partnership on Raising Resilient Kids affirms our joint commitment to addressing mental health issues for children.”
According to the U.S. Surgeon General, there is an urgent need to address the nation’s youth mental health crisis, stating that even pre-pandemic, “mental health challenges were the leading cause of disability and poor life outcomes in young people, with up to 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17 in the U.S. having a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder.” Emerging data from the pandemic suggests that many children are experiencing an increase in stress and other mental health concerns, including symptoms of anxiety and depression.
In the Raising Resilient Kids video series, Michael and Nicole Phelps sit down with Dr. Walls and Dr. Harrison to address some of the most pressing questions and common experiences facing parents today. Questions like, “How can we help kids handle disappointment in a healthy way?” and “What’s the best way to help them cope during tough times?”
Answers and advice are shared throughout the four-part video series topics: Handling Disappointment, Helping Kids Calm Down, Preparing Kids for Change, and Building Empathy in Kids. Each video offers expert-approved advice and actionable tips families can practice at home.
"We have our own experiences with mental health and the challenges that have arisen during the pandemic, which not only has affected us but also our children,” shared Michael and Nicole Phelps. “As parents to three young boys, we know how important it is to help our children learn and manage their emotions in a healthy and resilient way. We hope that our conversations with Dr. Walls and Dr Harrison can help parents and families understand and address children’s emotional health.”
For more than a decade, Nemours Children’s Health has been a trusted partner to the Michael Phelps Foundation. Nemours KidsHealth.org, the world’s most visited website for family-friendly content focused on the health of kids and teens, provides medical expertise, curricula and other education on mental health and more for the foundation’s IM Program.
“There’s no denying that the pandemic has been an incredibly challenging time for kids,” says Meghan Walls, PsyD, pediatric psychologist, Nemours Children’s Health. “And while this video series was created with the pandemic top of mind, these topics really are timeless, and are relevant for many different stages and situations.”
"We hope parents will be able to relate to our conversations with Michael and Nicole, and put our tools and tips into practice now and in the future,” says Roger Harrison, PhD, pediatric psychologist, Nemours Children’s Health. “The ultimate goal of this video series is what we all want as clinicians, and more importantly as parents, to raise children who are happy, healthy, and resilient.”
The Raising Resilient Kids video series launches in tandem with Michael Phelps’ appearance at the HIMSS Global Health Conference taking place March 14-18 in Orlando, Florida. Phelps’ closing keynote will address his mental health journey and promote his foundation’s work with physical and mental health.
The video series, as well as links to more information, can be found online at: Nemours.org/MichaelPhelpsFoundation.
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
About Nemours Children’s Health
Nemours Children’s Health is one of the nation’s largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two free-standing children's hospitals and a network of nearly 75 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high quality care, while also caring for the health of the whole child beyond medicine. Nemours also powers the world’s most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.org.
The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.
About Michael Phelps Foundation
The Michael Phelps Foundation (MPF) is focused on promoting water safety, healthy living, and the pursuit of dreams, especially for children. Founded in 2008, MPF has provided learn-to-swim, healthy living, and goal-setting programming to more than 100,000 children and young adults around the world through strategic partnerships with the Boys & Girls Club of America, Special Olympics International, and the Level Field Fund. For more information, please visit: http://www.michaelphelpsfoundation.org
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