Mental health problems are getting more common these days, and they can start to develop in childhood. Therefore, it can be essential to improve your children’s mental health and help reduce their potential for anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.
Here’s how you can help your child with their mental health and how to spot the signs that something may not be quite right.
Triggers for mental health problems
Some of the common triggers that can affect your child’s mental health include:
- Changes in their day-to-day life and routine, such as starting school for the first time, moving house or to a new school, or the birth of a new sibling
- Traumatic situations involving bereavement, long term illness, parental separation, abuse, bullying, and caring for a relative
- As they get older, issues around identity and working out who they are can become an issue.
Tips for encouraging better mental health for your child
Please encourage your family to speak about their emotions. Kids can be less likely to experience mental health problems if they grow up in an environment where they feel comfortable discussing their feelings and emotions. It can also help if you lead by example and openly discuss your feelings with the family’s younger members.
You could even introduce it as part of a mealtime ritual.
Let them get used to sharing what’s on their minds rather than trying to bottle things up. And if things do get on top of them, they’ll know that they can turn to you for support. Finally, don’t feel disappointed if you don’t get a response; it may take kids a while to feel comfortable enough to open up about how they feel or think.
Don’t hide your failures. We’re all human, and we all make mistakes at some point. Being open about setbacks and failures can help children see that it’s okay if things don’t always go right. Being scared to mess up can put a lot of pressure on young minds, and it can help a lot to know that failures are just an opportunity to learn from the experience.
Limit their media use. A lot of screen time can affect well-being. Still, there’s a lot to be said for minimizing your family’s general use of media. This includes watching television and films, accessing the Internet, and playing computer or online games. Ideally, you’ll want to keep a close eye on how much media they consume, what is being accessed (especially in terms of content), and who they may be interacting with.
According to studies, significant amounts of screen time are linked to poor brain connectivity concerning language and cognitive control, especially compared to reading.
Set time aside for the physical activity. One of the ways to cut screen time is to replace it with physical activity. Exercise is proven to have a positive effect on well-being and mental health. Bonus points if you can make it a family activity. Any form of physical exercise counts for this, but you could try to make a game out of it, depending on age.
Doing things as a family is an excellent opportunity to bond together and ensure that you’re present as a parent. This can be more challenging than you think, especially if you’re a working parent juggling home and work life.
Nurture creativity too. In particular, for younger children, fostering their creative skills can work well. This can help them express themselves, especially if they aren’t comfortable talking about how they feel.
Teach relaxation techniques. They are working with your children on ways to relax when they feel stressed or upset. This can help them to deal with their emotions positively and healthily.
Spotting the signs of mental health problems
Some of the signs that your child may be struggling with their mental health include:
- Becoming more negative about themselves
- Having trouble concentrating
- Falling behind at school
- Seeming unhappy, worried, angry, irritable, hopeless, or lonely
- Isolating themselves
- Getting tearful, especially over situations that aren’t that significant or seem out of proportion to their reaction
- A lack of interest in things that they used to love, especially if this has happened very suddenly
- Problems sleeping
- Spending lots of time daydreaming
- A lack of energy
Suppose you start to notice these behavioral and emotional changes in your child. Get them to do any exercise they would love to do. Get them into sleeping better. Please give them a healthy, complete, balanced diet. Then, please speak to your doctor to see what they recommend. If a mental health condition is the culprit, it can be the first step toward helping them to get treatment and get back on track.
