Every parent wants their children to be happy and healthy. As far as our children’s health is concerned, we keep no stone unturned in this regard.
When it comes to keeping your child physically fit by exercising often and eating well, how can you improve their mental health? It is of utmost importance to us that our children have good mental health.
Many techniques exist for parents to boost their children’s mental health, including showing healthy coping mechanisms, encouraging open and honest communication, and being alert to any behavioural changes.
The Importance of a Child’s Mental Health
A good mental health child can think well, make friends and learn more. Moreover, they aid in building self-confidence, nurturing self-esteem, developing perseverance, mastering goal-setting, refining decision-making skills, learning effective coping mechanisms, navigating difficult emotions, and fostering a positive emotional outlook on life.
Acquiring these skills isn’t an easy process and needs consistent practice, especially if a child is struggling with mental health problems such as depression or anxiety. It is essential to realize that mental health problems are not an uncommon thing.
Nonetheless, if these mental health issues are not dealt with, they can have a devastating effect on a child’s future. Elementary school children dealing with mental health problems are at a higher risk of absenteeism and are three times more likely to face suspension or expulsion than their classmates. In addition, we have to think about the long-term consequences like the development of other mental disorders or chronic medical conditions.
How Parents Can Support Their Child’s Mental Health
Parents and caregivers are the ones who play an important role in helping mental health to grow in the right way, providing necessary support, and helping children to overcome their challenges in life. Here are ways to bolster your child’s mental well-being:
1. Embrace Unconditional Love
Showing unconditional love is crucial to support your kid’s mental health. Re-affirm to your children often that no matter what, you will always be there for them in good times or bad. Stress that mistakes are a pathway for learning instead of a measure of incompetence. Even through times of dissatisfaction, vow your love will never fade away.
2. Portray Healthy Coping Strategies
Parents can teach their children to manage stress and emotional issues at home by modelling healthy coping skills. Do coping activities together or help them in the practice of these skills on their own. Methods such as deep breathing, practising with stress-relief tools like stress balls, engaging in creative pursuits, including painting and colouring, or going for a leisurely walk can help in the processing of emotions.
3. Alleviate Stress Together
Set aside quality time for relaxing activities you love and your kid loves. Whether it is a sweaty exercise in a garden or park, family trips to museums, or collaboration in learning a musical instrument, writing, reading, and cooking, these activities not only reduce stress but also develop stronger emotional ties and increase mental health.
4. Foster Independence
Build your child’s confidence by giving him age-appropriate tasks to accomplish on his own. Celebrate their achievement to foster a feeling of pride and confidence. If they face obstacles, take into consideration their efforts, provide them with assistance, and tell them how to approach similar problems differently next time by giving them feedback.
5. Promote Emotional Communication
Try to talk to your child often about feelings and emotions. Children learn by watching their parents, including how to manage and control their emotions. Rather than simply describing your day as “good” or “OK,” sort out the feelings you experienced and how you dealt with them. Talk about times when you are stressed or frustrated at work and how you deal with those feelings. This will normalize their emotional experiences, give them instructions on handling feelings and widen their emotional vocabulary. Invite talks on mental health even with older kids and teenagers.
6. Recognize Their Character
Supporting your child’s mental health is critical, and it can be done by offering encouragement, praise and affirmations that will boost their self-confidence and self-esteem. Studies show that low self-esteem is associated with anxiety, depression, and academic pressure, all of which can adversely affect a child’s overall mental health. Positive reinforcement strengthens good behaviours like kindness, empathy and altruism, thereby influencing the child for the better and developing a healthy self-esteem.
7. Establish Trust
Providing children with a safe space where they can feel secure is the basis of their healthy development and learning. When kids feel safe, the risk of mental health issues is reduced, and if they occur, they are usually simpler to deal with. Another effective method of creating this feeling of security and confidence is by promoting the open discussion of feelings and problems within the family. By being positive role models and showing children that sharing problems is okay, parents can help children to talk to them.
8. Promote Physical Activity
Realize the direct link between physical health and mental health. Urge your child to pick activities that aid in their physical health, e.g., getting adequate rest, drinking enough water, eating right, exercising frequently, and spending time outdoors. These practices are the energy boosters as well as the mood and mental health enhancers.
9. Engage Them in Decision-Making
Although parents are generally the ones who make the final decision, giving children a voice in the decision-making process instils a sense of empowerment and value. Simple things such as allowing children to participate in the decision-making process by asking them about their choice of meal or other household decisions will encourage them to express their views and build confidence that they can contribute to the household in a meaningful way.
10. Seek Professional Help if Necessary
Recognizing when professional help is needed is one of the most important parts of intelligent parenting. It is important to recognize that managing a child’s behaviour or responding to their emotions can sometimes be tiring and difficult. Engaging the help of an experienced child psychologist will not only alleviate the burden on parents but also help the development of their children healthily.
