Children's mental health conference set for Sudbury

Children's mental health will be the focus of a free conference for parents coming up this weekend in Sudbury.

It's being hosted by the Parent Involvement Committee of the Rainbow District School Board. Stacy Paajanen, a mother of three, chairs the group.

She says focusing the conference on mental health issues was an easy choice in today's high-tech world.

"With social media they constantly come in to … wanting to be on it, at what age is the proper age and are they using it properly and how to deal with situations that may arise," she said.

She says technology has made the world a different place from when she was growing up.

"We didn't have the internet, we didn't have access to information 24 hours a day at our fingertips," she said.

"So I think that is overwhelming on its own."

'Normal to be afraid'

The conference's keynote speaker is clinical psychologist Dr. Adèle Lafrance. She says she will offer parents tips on coping and effectively communicating with their children in difficult situations.

She suggests a process called "emotion coaching."

"It's such a different way of communicating … that it does often yield changes more quickly," she said.

"However, I urge parents not to see it as a quick fix. Sometimes it's the act of going back again and doing it again that can actually really strengthen the relationship."

She says it's not easy for parents to have difficult discussions with their children.

"It's normal to be afraid of connecting with your child on these tough topics," she said.

"If they do feel afraid to seek help, to ask for some scripts so that they can navigate through that fear and develop some skills to help them help their loved on in a good way."

The conference will take place between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Lockerby Composite School in Sudbury. It's free to attend but parents are asked to register in advance.