This Father's Day, not only is Prince William celebrating his two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte; but he's also celebrating the importance of ending mental health stigma.
In an open letter penned for nonprofit Heads Together nonprofit Heads Together on Sunday, the Duke of Cambridge discussed the importance of talking with children about mental health from a young age — and why he believes Father's Day is the perfect excuse to start the conversation.
"Today I celebrate my third Father's Day as a father. For me it is a day not just to celebrate how fortunate I am for my young family, but to reflect on just how much I've learned about fatherhood and the issues facing fathers in all walks of life.In particular, it is a time to reflect on my responsibility to look after not just the physical health of my two children, but to treat their mental needs as just as important a priority."
As Prince William goes on to explain, along with his wife, Kate Middleton, and brother, Prince Harry, he's continuously seen that a lot of the problems people deal with as adolescents and adults — addiction, suicidal thoughts, homelessness — "can be linked to unresolved childhood challenges." The first step in combatting these challenges, he argues, is to talk openly about them without fear of judgment.
"While the circumstances of any one situation are unique, it is clear that many families could have been helped if they had found it easier to talk openly about mental health challenges in the home. And I have been really disheartened to learn that even with all the progress made in recent years, many parents would still be ashamed if their children had a mental health problem."
The Duke of Cambridge cites that more than half of parents don't discuss mental well-being with their children, and a third of parents claim they'd be ashamed if they knew their child needed help. But as he goes on to explain, there's nothing shameful in needing help — and actually working towards getting that help for your child is far more important than worrying about how their need for it reflects on you as a parent.
"We know that fathers find asking for help harder than mothers. Less than a third of fathers say they believe that the emotional needs of their children is a fundamental priority. It is often said that fathers can often find it hard to talk about their own feelings so there's no wonder they struggle to speak to their son or daughter about the topic. But we don't really have a choice. I really believe that a child's mental health is just as important as his or her physical health."
Prince William ends his letter by asking fathers around the world to be a little more open about mental health and well-being with their kids, and by reminding them that their "guidance and support" is priceless to their children.
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