Kari Sutton nominated for award after releasing children’s mental health book

A Brisbane children’s mental health researcher has warned parents to limit news exposure with calls to a counselling service almost double compared to the previous year.

A Brisbane author has urged parents to limit their children’s news exposure with Australia’s mental health crisis deepening amid the pandemic.

Renowned author, researcher and mum Kari Sutton says there have been 40 per cent more calls to Kids Helpline than the same time last year.

Ms Sutton says she has had a front-row seat watching the “alarming decline in our children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing”.

“Our kids are more anxious, stressed, angry and depressed and data from Kids Helpline counselling sessions has highlighted that their top concern is their mental health,” she said.

The Kelvin Grove mum has used her experiences over the past two decades as the basis for her book, Raising a Mentally Fit Generation.
“Having worked as a teacher and guidance counsellor for the past 25 years, I have had a front-row seat watching the dramatic rise in anxiety disorders, depression and suicide affecting our kids,” Ms Sutton said.

“I knew that a proactive preventative approach is crucial.

“As parents, we want to prevent problems occurring by building strong protective fences at the top of the cliff rather than wait­ing to be the ambulances at the bottom, picking our children up when things have gone wrong.”

The 52-year-old said limiting news exposure as well as remaining calm and reassuring can help to support little ones.

“We need to turn off the constant bombardment from all forms of the media as it’s simply going to make children more worried and anxious,” Ms Sutton said.

“Parents need to be the safe calm adults leading their children through this time of uncertainty as when parents are calm and reassuring your children are more likely to be calm.”

It’s this incredible work to assist young people in the community that has Ms Sutton nominated for a 2021 AusMumpreneur award.

She said she was completely shocked.

“I found out that I had been nominated through an email from the Ausmumpreneur organisation,” she said.

“I don’t get to know who nominated me and that’s ok because it was just a wonderful surprise to be nominated.”

Kari Sutton and her nephew Mitchell on her wedding day.

For the past two decades, she has helped to raise her nephew Mitchell, after her sister-in-law passed away from cancer.

“I was presented with this opportu­nity when my brother reached out for support after they had been through their own personal firestorm,” she said.

“As a family, we’ve experienced many of the same problems and concerns raising him as every other parent has.

“I have always appreciated the support and love of my husband, my mum and dad as well as our extended family.

“I love being a mumpreneur because it provides me with the flexibility to fit work around family life and my other commitments.”