Parents are exhausted.
Children are struggling.
And so many of us are quietly saying the same thing… I don’t know what to do anymore.
If that’s you, you’re not alone. I’m hearing this from parents again and again.
Something isn’t working the way it used to. School doesn’t feel supportive for many children, and parents are left carrying the emotional weight at home, trying to hold everything together while watching their child struggle.
This isn’t because our children are failing.
And it isn’t because we are failing as parents.
It’s because old systems are breaking down and we are in the middle of a big transition. Old ways are falling away and new ways haven’t fully formed yet. That in-between space feels uncomfortable, uncertain, and overwhelming especially when it’s our children who are hurting.
This is where parents are needed.
It’s important to remember that schools are made up of people doing their best inside a system. They do not have authority over your child’s wellbeing. You do. You know your child. You live with the impact every day.
If your child is struggling with their mental health, that matters. And it deserves to be taken seriously.
Trying to manage an hour here and an hour there, or gently encouraging attendance when a child is already overwhelmed, often gets logged as compliance. From the school’s point of view, it can look like things are improving, even when they aren’t. Meanwhile, parents are dealing with the fallout at home.
Sometimes the most supportive thing we can do is take our children out of the environment that isn’t working, temporarily, and name the reason clearly.
It is okay to put this in writing.
It is okay to be clear.
It is okay to stand firm.
Parents can say something like this:
My child is currently struggling with their mental health, and attending school at the moment is having a negative impact on their wellbeing.
For this reason, our child will not be attending school for the time being while we prioritise their mental health and seek appropriate support.
We will remain in contact, but their wellbeing has to come first.
You don’t need to over-explain.
You don’t need to justify protecting your child.
Mental health is a valid reason.
This isn’t about giving up on education. It’s about recognising that a child cannot access learning when their nervous system is overwhelmed.
There are around 1.8 million children struggling right now. This is not rare. It’s not isolated. And it’s not something that can keep being brushed aside with temporary fixes.
Yes, standing strong may mean short-term sacrifice. Changes to work, routines, and plans you never expected to have to make. None of that is easy, and no one is pretending it is.
But this is not forever.
When parents come together, document what is really happening, and refuse to minimise their children’s struggles, systems have to respond. Change happens when it becomes impossible to ignore.
Many people talk about this time as a new era, a golden age of change, where old ways fall away so something more human can grow. Whether that language resonates or not, something is clearly shifting.
Our children are not the problem in this. They are showing us where change is needed.
If you’re feeling lost, tired, or unsure right now, that doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you care deeply, and you’re being asked to stand in your role.
We don’t have to have all the answers.
We just have to stand together, stay steady, and advocate for our children while things change.
Our children deserve better.
And it’s time we stand strong and ask for it.
If you would like to be part of the Young Soul Education Movement please go follow @youngsouleducation on insta.
There you will be kept up to date with progress. We hope to have the pilot programme up and running by Spring.
Sending lots of Love and Strength
xxx