At QBD, we understand how much mental health matters. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Australian Rotary Health (ARH) to participate in their significant “Lift The Lid Campaign”, sharing their important message with our community, and helping to raise much-needed funds for mental illness research.
Australian Rotary Health is one of Australia’s largest independent funders of mental health research. They provide funding for research grants, fellowships, and PhD scholarships focused on finding preventative and curative solutions for mental illness in young Australians. Mounting evidence that early intervention can prevent mental illness has prompted the ARH to change its research focus in 2023 to the 0-12-year age group.
Alongside this, the fantastic organisation also provides funding for a broad range of general health areas and provides scholarships for rural medical and nursing students, as well as Indigenous health students. They provide funding for areas of health that do not readily attract funding and promote findings to the community. Overall, they have a broad vision to improve the health and well-being of all Australians.
This October, QBD will be selling $1 “Lift The Lid” bookmarks in-stores and donating proceeds to the Australian Rotary Health.
In some cases, a child may choose to symbolically ‘take control’ of the experience they’ve had, through how they treat the physical book. They might walk around with it, asking different people to read the story. They might hide the book, keep it under their pillow, or refuse to read it. Help the child find words for how they’re feeling. There are many ways children use books and stories to help them make sense of their experiences.
How does reading help with healing?
Sometimes children want the same story over and over. This can be part of how they deal with something stressful that’s happened in their lives. A story can help them sort out their feelings and figure out how to move on.
How can reading “healing stories” help with babies and young children?
In many instances, “healing stories” can help young children to recover from emotionally distressing events. For example, Jackie French – a prominent Australian fiction author – has released a series of children’s books that address the common natural disasters that occur in our country.
“Fire”, “Earthquake”, “Drought”, and “Cyclone” are written in an honest and sensitive expression to educate young children on the negative effects natural disasters have on people, native animals, and society but also significantly, the strength of community and the Australian spirit in the face of adversity.
Even when there’s no unusual event happening, having an adult read a book with them can help a young child:
- Develop language and literacy skills
- Stimulate their imagination
- Learn about the world
- Feel more closely bonded with parents, carers, and educators.
To order Jackie French’s incredible stories, you can visit QBD Books in-store or online here.
This Mental Health Month, make sure to visit QBD Books in-store to purchase your $1 “Lift the Lid” bookmark – supporting the Australian Rotary Health. For more information on “Lift the Lid”, you can visit their website here.
Or visit their social platforms:
IG: @ausrotaryhealth
Many thanks also to the Queensland Centre for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health, Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, for providing some of the ‘healing stories’ material that is referenced in this blog.
Their Birdie storybooks are an example of ‘healing stories’ – that help young children recover from emotionally distressing events.
To read Birdie books, play games, and get other useful information, go to Birdie’s Tree – Growing together through natural disasters | CHQ (health.qld.gov.au)
