Chaneil Imhoff Launches Innovative Mental Health Coloring and Activity Book for Children

1. Congrats I guess. What is Ms. Imhoff’s qualification to teach children about mental health though? Honestly, I prefer politicians to spend their time fixing the many substantial problems that exist within the community. Leaving people to suffer and then expecting them to be happy with perfect mental health in spite of the challenges might be a bit out of touch.

   • If Ms. Imhoff really wants to make a difference in the lives of the nation’s children and improve mental health, she needs to fight for Family Friendly workplace policies that permit parents to be there for their children when they need them, affordable housing developments with basic modern amenities (not unnecessary high-priced luxury features) based on the actual needs of families with child-friendly community greenspaces, the development of wholesome child-friendly entertaining media content of local relevance, wholesome child-friendly entertainment venues and activities, and accessible talent developing after school programmes such as music and art classes, sports programmes, entrepreneurship clubs, and outdoor clubs. Children are bored out of their minds and they don’t all like to colour… We need to do more as a society.

     • I would like for you to point me to where you have started any of the activities you have listed here.

       I’d also like to invite you to actually take a look at the policies and activities that I have been promoting and even implementing in Antigua and Barbuda. I am a mother of 3 children, I think I am adequately equipped to know what children like but I digress.

       Before even taking a moment to appreciate something that is small step towards a more holistic program and approach, your first instinct is to talk about all what YOU think has not been done or advocated for.

       I hope that some day, people in this country can have an appreciation for Mental Health Awareness and its importance. All the things you’ve listed will not thrive if person’s mental wellbeing is in jeopardy.

       • Thanks for taking the time to reply Ms. Imhoff. I didn’t mean to rain on your parade.
         Some of us are not in a position to start programmes, but often those with the positions, resources, and connections spend those on things that are a lesser priority for the public because they do not adequately consult with the public first.
         Case in point, being a mother of your own family does not mean that you automatically know what children of other families need without consulting them.
         My comments come from my experiences of having several children in my community from families experiencing difficulties coming to my home to find useful activities to occupy their time because I have always tried to have a variety of wholesome resources available for my own child. But, it’s never enough. There are too many children needing the attention and resources so they ended up fighting each other for stuff and trying to engage in other negative behavior because as they told me “they were bored” while their parents were out all day coming home late at night from minimum wage jobs. Their dysfunctional behaviour took a toll on my own home and child so I had to stop them from coming around.
         So, it’s not simply what I think. It’s what the children TOLD me when I took the TIME to LISTEN to them along with what I observed about which toys and activities they enjoyed and caused good behaviour. Hint: They did not care about cheap plastic toys donated to poor kids at Christmas time. They were most engaged with creative toys such as Art and Craft supplies (not just crayons), quality blocks, musical instruments, sports toys and even books.
         As I said there were not enough resources or space in my home to accommodate all the neighborhood children, and I witnessed and had to stop some very disturbing behaviour by neighbour’s kids when they were not suitably occupied which they said was BOREDOM, and I believe them. E.g. playing chicken with cars in the road. I am not a hater just frustrated by the lack of useful resources for the children in our society.

     • Wow it’s giving hater. Someone does something you don’t have tge talent or skills to do and all you can do is be negative and tell them what you think they need to do? It’s giving weird cause I’ve been folloing this woman’s work in Mental Health since 2019 or so and she is always consistent.

       If you’re a hater, JUST SAY THAT!

       Buying a copy for my daughter who LOVES to colour btw right now.

       Please seek help.

       • It’s nice that you’re getting one for your child who probably doesn’t even need it. The kids with the real issues are not always rich enough to be on the internet, and their parents may not be ordering anything from Amazon. How are the ones who might need it the most going to access it anyway?

   • Good Afternoon. Do you not think that Mental Health specifically in children and young adults is a significant problem that is plaguing our communities? We have children who don’t know how to regulate their emotions and have no safe spaces to express themselves or seek help.

     This book is not apart of any political platform. Elections are ling over but our systemic problems like lack of proper mental healthcare and lack of support for the professionals at Clarevue still exist and will continue to exist if they are constantly ignored and put on the back burner for more “important” things.

     This activity book was put together with the input and feedback of Mental Health Professionals locally, regionally and internationally and contains ALL references used for definitions and activities in the activity book. You don’t have to be a doctor to be able to understanf and implement a self care routine. The change that we all want to see lies within us.

     If you don’t like me or my politics, that’s fine but do not ever fix your mouth or hands to discredit the importance of mental health awareness especially when it comes to the most vulnerable among us.

     Stop being apart of the problem.

     • Well, I am not an expert in mental health theories about regulating emotions. I am just a concerned neighbour who has literally had to intervene MULTIPLE TIMES to save the lives of DIFFERENT neighbour’s kids engaging in harmful and destructive behavior because they had nothing interesting to do while their parents were gone all day. Perhaps learning to regulate their emotions will help with that, but from my lived experiences more is required.

   • Why not celebrate her accomplishment and the genuine attempt to do something good instead of finding something negative to say. Ms. Imhoff does not occupy a seat in parliament, thus cannot directly affect the change a politician would be expected to at this time. This is an opportunity for her to do something positive for the youth of the country using her talent as a designer. Maybe if she ever topples the incumbent, Asot Michael she will be able to do something about the issues in the constituency, but we all know that may not happen anytime soon. I think any expectations for an unelected MP to fix substantial issues in the community especially when the sitting government isn’t is a bit out of touch with reality as this would require some serious funding.

     • Yes, I guess it’s unrealistic in Antigua to expect people to try to solve community problems unless they are in government since we seem to enjoy waiting on and blaming governments for everything. But, I disagree that it’s impossible for people in the private sector to get together and organise solutions. After school programs just need volunteers to teach art and music classes etc. a couple of days a week in the afternoon at school plants already in existance. Anyone can donate supplies to keep the programmes going. Local contractors can come together and create a housing company and build affordable row/town houses on a piece of property. They just need to leave out the luxurious finishes that they put in for rich expats and build something local families can afford instead. Tech savvy young people can start a local media production company. Lots of things can be organised without government involvement, but I’m not sure that we care enough about the youth here to make the effort. So, we focus on solving problems like mental health issues after the damage has already been done instead of preventing them by creating a functional society for family life.

2. Ms Imhoff…Thank you and well done. Discard the negativity coming from negative people who only seek to tear down but do little to contribute to any meaningful progress. Perhaps hat is all they are capable of viz being part of the problem as opposed to being part of the solution. Please indicate how I and other grateful persons may purchase your book.

   Once again, thank you 🙏🏽🙏🏽

3. Marning! Marning! Ah wah ah guarne?

   In 1996, Hillary Clinton wrote her version, of “It Takes A Village,” and the reason was clear and as white, as snow in salmon; since, she knew, that she would need the support of the African American/Black Community and its votes, to advance her political career.
   She used our fore-parents way of life, culture, to make us think, that she understood the plights which today’s generations and those which came before were suffering from, simply because, we had abandoned the cohesive mechanisms which held us together as a People.

   One problem with Our Culture in Antigua, we are not even certain, as to what our culture is, and what holds it together. One’s Culture is like the root of a tree which stabilizes, nurtures and holds the truth, of said tree for generations to come.
   Can we, in Antigua honestly say, that our Culture has a strong root?

   Next, education not only plays a significant role, in developing the psyche of a child, it’s the mold which creates the truth which any child or even adults is desperately trying to understand about themselves. In my opinion, the EDUCATION SYSTEM, to some degree is failing the children. Note: EDUCATION begins in the womb and last a lifetime. Therefore, since, EDUCATION begins at this early stage of life, changing the NATURAL PROCESS of learning habits, by separating the and categorizing the SENSES, will cause confusion in the child. Our Education System, MUST stop separating the arts and sciences which coexist together like life’s ying and yang, positive and negative, up and down etc., they need each other naturally to have the natural balance which nature intended.
   HUEmans are no different, therefore separating the natural flow of the ether, will most definitely cause confusion, especially the developing thought processes of a child/children!

   …habits, become Norms!
   …norms, become a Way Of Life
   …a way of life, defines a People!
   …a people, defines a CULTURE.
   …this culture will predicate,
   …said culture, shall dictate
   …the directions, said People take
   ..,for life’s cyclic, as time is left in its own wake.

   Many of the psychological problems being exhibited by children and adults, as well are firmly embedded in one’s culture, the HUEman mold.

   Ras Smood aka Jumbee_Picknee
   De ‘ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Garrat_Bastard

   Vere C. Edwards

4. I know a woman who was brought into a political party at a young age. She was spoonfed and had all the support she needed from the leaders who saw here as going some place. She was made a youth leader and her star was rising.

   But she exploited her pride of place and became very swell headed. Was rude to some of the leaders, even gave the head some good choice words. Still she was allowed to compete in the primary of a constituency. She did not win, so all hell broke loose. She told them all off, then went her way to join another party.
   The members of the party she left were convinced that she had some mental problems.

   So who is best to write book on mental problems? I guess she is, provided that she solved her problems first. And from some of what we are reading that she is saying in the blogs here, it doesn’t look so.

   • Her arrogance knows no bounds, so I doubt there is any hope. It’s also alleged that she has another book in the works titled “Couldn’t turn a Ho’ into a housewife”.

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