I used to believe loving my kids was enough to keep them safe. I had four kids and a close bond with each of them. I gave them a steady home, my time, and my attention. I believed if something felt wrong, my kids would come to me.
In 2018, I lost my 14-year-old son, Ryan. He was bright, funny, and warm. After losing him, the questions would not leave me. How had I missed the signs in a boy I knew so well?
What I learned from listening
After Ryan, I spent time with teenagers, families, and mental health professionals across the country. They told me the same thing again and again. Young people carry pain in silence. Many stay quiet because they do not want to be a burden. They watch us hide our own hard days to look strong, and they learn to do the same.
The numbers reflect what I hear. According to the CDC, one in five U.S. high school students reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in the previous two weeks. Two in five said they felt persistent sadness or hopelessness in the past year. Behind every one of those numbers is a kid getting through the day.
What struck me most was how ordinary the warning signs look. Depression does not always look like sadness. Sometimes the sign is irritability, exhaustion, or a teen who insists nothing is wrong. Many kids look connected online and feel alone inside. You can be surrounded all day and still have no one to tell.
Many young people never built the tools to sit with discomfort. They do not need rescue. They need practice, and they need adults willing to go first.
Parents told me the same thing, again and again. What they wanted was simple. They wanted to talk to their kids, and they did not know how to begin.
Most parents are not avoiding these conversations because they do not care. They are avoiding them because they are afraid of saying the wrong thing. I have learned that the right words matter far less than showing up consistently. Your child does not need a perfect response. They need to know you are willing to listen.
A simple way to begin
So our team built the Tell My Story Card Game. We wanted a tool any parent could pick up without training or a script. We built it to help families start conversations that might not happen otherwise.
The deck holds 100 question cards across three levels, so families start light and go deeper at their own pace. A pass card lets anyone skip a question and come back to it later. A thank you card closes the game. No winners, no losers, no pressure to answer everything. We made Spanish and Portuguese editions too, so more families can have these conversations in their first language.
The cards make the first step easier, so parents do not have to figure out where to begin. Some open with ease. A family might draw, “If our family had a mascot, what do you think it would be and why?” Others reach for the heart. A later card asks, “Do you feel like you can talk to me about how you’re feeling?” One question opens the next.
Why a game works
Why a game, and not a sit-down talk? Pressure. When a parent says they need to talk, a teen braces for trouble. When a card asks the question, the weight moves off both people and onto the page. The teen answers a prompt, not an interrogation. Trust grows one card at a time.
We see the same pattern at our screening events. After the film, a mental health professional leads the conversation, and rooms that start quiet begin to open up. Since 2023, we have hosted over 400 screenings alongside more than 200 schools and community partners.
At Tell My Story, we want families to talk about mental health the way they talk about physical health, and not only in a crisis. A deck of cards is not therapy, and connection is not a cure. A real conversation opens the door to safety, presence, and the chance to ask for help. Sometimes nothing dramatic happens. Sometimes your teenager simply knows they can come back tomorrow. That is a win.
I have learned conversations save lives. Talking openly about how we feel builds trust. And connecting heals. Time together, shared experiences, and honest words do real good for a young mind.
Start with one question
You do not need to be perfect. You need to be present. Pull one card tonight. Ask one question. Listen, not to reply, but to understand.
The message your child needs is simple: You are here. You will not judge them. They can tell you anything. A card helps you say that out loud and helps them believe it.
You will find the Tell My Story Card Game, also available on Amazon, our film trailers, and more information on our free screening events at tellmystory.org.
Every story told has the power to change another. I want your family’s story to have a place to begin.
About the author
Jason Reid is the founder of Tell My Story, a nonprofit changing the story of youth mental health through film, free screening events, and guided conversation. After losing his son Ryan to suicide in 2018, he set out to help families connect through honest conversation. Tell My Story has produced the documentaries Tell My Story, What I Wish My Parents Knew, and SHIFT: Do What Moves You, in partnership with Oak Hollow Studios. Its newest film, College Unscripted, follows 14 college students through the transition to adulthood and releases in Fall 2026.
