Calm Health’s in-app “Disney Princess” program may help kids calm their nerves, feel less stressed or anxious, and sleep better—supporting working parents, too.
The pandemic exposed to many organizations what working parents already knew: organizations need to do more to support the mental health and well-being of the entire family, not just the individual employee. When one member of the family suffers from mental health challenges, the whole family is affected. And when families suffer, repercussions extend to the workplace.
For working parents, tools for kids’ stress relief can be a practical way to support family mental health at home—and reduce spillover into the workday.
Nearly 80% of parents and guardians say their kids’ mental health has affected them during business hours, according to a Calm survey. One in four parents say they’ve missed work to support their kids’ mental health needs.
This isn’t surprising when you consider that one-third of parents say their kids are feeling nervous, anxious, or stressed all the time. Those statistics could worsen as fall approaches and back-to-school nerves kick in for many kids, causing stress, issues with concentration, and sleep challenges.
When we asked parents what mental health benefits they wished their organization provided as proactive support for both themselves and their families, more than 40% said mental health solutions to address kids’ stress, anxiousness, and sleep issues. Many organizations already offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP); app-based resources can complement existing benefits by making support easier to access between sessions or alongside other offerings.
Calm introduces the Disney Princess collection to support family mental health
To support the mental well-being of kids and help families make mental health a priority, Calm is collaborating with Disney and launching a new Disney collection in the Calm app.
The Disney collection features beloved Disney Princess characters guiding kids through breathing exercises and other skills-based tools that may help with stress and anxiousness. Sleep Stories by Disney Princess characters also help make bedtime easier and more restful for kids and adults alike.
Stress, anxiousness, and resilience tools for kids’ stress relief
Kids’ stress and anxiousness were high even before the pandemic, with approximately one in five children and adolescents experiencing a mental disorder such as anxiety or depression each year. Add the pandemic into the mix, and that’s why it’s more important than ever for organizations to provide tools to help parents manage their kids’ stress and anxiousness on a day-to-day basis.
In Calm’s new Disney Collection, beloved Disney Princess characters guide kids through imaginative breathing exercises to help calm their nerves. Resilience-building tools help kids develop positive thinking and confidence. The new Disney Collection includes all of the following:
- Breathe like the Ocean with Moana: Soothe worries and feel more peaceful with this breathing exercise from Moana
- Feel Rooted and Strong with Rapunzel: An imaginative breathing exercise led by Rapunzel from Tangled eases nervousness and promotes stability
- Let Your Light Shine with Tiana: Discover a fun way to brighten up your inner spark with Tiana from The Princess and the Frog
Sleep Stories
Sleep boosts resilience, focus, and creativity and eases the negative effects of stress and anxiousness. To help kids and their parents fall asleep and stay asleep, the Disney Princess collection features three new Sleep Stories:
- Rapunzel shares the story of the new observatory she wished for in Starry-Eyed Quest
- Moana recalls the wisdom of her ancestors and saves Fonu in a storm in The Ocean Guardians
- Tiana from The Princess and the Frog shares the memory of her father and finds a special way to honor him on his birthday in Daddy’s Front Porch
Soundscapes
Soundscapes are a great way to soothe the nervous system and find focus. Calm is introducing six new soundscapes as part of the Disney Princess collection, including these:
- Raya’s River Boat Ride: Journey to the lands of Kumandra and take in the calming sounds of Raya’s river boat ride from Raya and the Last Dragon
- Aurora’s Forest Cottage: Venture into the forest and experience the magic of Aurora’s cottage from Sleeping Beauty
- Merida’s Mystical Scottish Forest: Traverse Merida’s mystical forests to discover the will o’ the wisps and the wonders of Scotland from Brave
Organizations benefit from cultivating healthier, happier families
Employee stress can take a significant toll on the health of the organization by lowering productivity and increasing absenteeism and turnover. In fact, more than 20% of workers spend at least five on-the-clock hours a week thinking about their stressors, including the mental health challenges of their children. Unfortunately, kids are often left behind when it comes to mental health resources and important conversations about mental health.
With Calm, organizations can provide employees and their kids with proactive tools that may help support stress, anxiousness, and sleep while building self-care skills, confidence, and resilience. According to a survey of nearly 2,500 Calm subscribers, 87% of parents using Calm with their kids said that Calm helped their child sleep. Sixty-three percent said that Calm helped their child to manage emotions, such as feelings of anxiousness. [Insert internal link to customer story or evidence page]
By bringing together two reputable, well-known brands, the Disney Collection in the Calm app can help break down the mental health stigma and inspire engagement with mental health.
FAQ: kids stress relief and family mental health at home
What does “kids’ stress relief” mean in a workplace benefits context?
For many working parents, kids’ stress relief refers to age-appropriate tools—like guided breathing, bedtime routines, and calming audio—that can support children’s day-to-day stress management and make it easier for parents to stay focused during work hours.
How can organizations support family mental health alongside an EAP?
Many organizations already offer an EAP and other mental health resources. App-based programs can complement these offerings by providing on-demand, self-guided support for employees and their families between appointments or as an additional option in a broader benefits ecosystem.
