Mental health has been the topic of conversation for the past couple of years. It’s quite an important topic and should be on our minds as adults, but maybe we are leaving out a group of people. Your child’s mental health is important as well. This specific subject might seem odd to talk about, but the reality is that children are going through different situations that ultimately affect their mental health.
Taking care of your child involves taking care of every aspect of them, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Watching out for your child’s mental health might be just what they need from you, even if they don’t let you know. As a parent, you want to do your best for your child, and this is one of the ways you can do just that.
What Can I Do To Protect My Child’s Mental Health?
According to the CDC, positive mental health is visible in the life of many children. This alone has a long-lasting effect on a child’s mind and overall development. Even if your child is at home 24/7, there are things they are being exposed to that affect their mental health. Your responsibility is to let them know that you’re there for them. That brings us to the first thing you can do to help protect your child’s mental health: show them unconditional love.
Showing your child unconditional love makes a difference and can improve their mental health. This gives them the indication that they can talk to you about the way they feel. Additionally, it can help positively change their mental health.
The next thing you can do is encourage them to speak to you, but when they do, make sure you’re listening. There is a difference between hearing your child and listening to them. You must take note of what they are saying and put it into context. As they are doing that, you can give them needed feedback lovingly. Make sure to validate their feelings and let them know that it’s okay to feel the way they feel, but there are things they can do to feel better.
The last thing that we will suggest is modeling self-care. Children are sponges, and they watch the way we act and react. By showing yourself self-love and involving them in the process, they learn to do the same for themselves. This may help input positive mental health into their minds and, over time, improve their overall mental health.
Signs & Symptoms You Can Look For
ADHD, anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems are the most common mental health disorders among children in the United States. Most of these disorders often happen together. 1 in 3 children with anxiety will also have behavioral problems, and 1 in 5 children with behavior problems will also have depression.
Just like any other disorder, if symptoms are caught on time, it’s easy to get a diagnosis and proper treatment. Often, signs and symptoms are ignored or even go unnoticed, which prolongs the time that a child receives the proper treatment. The average delay from noticing mental health symptoms and getting treatment in children is 8 to 10 years. As a parent, you know your child better than anyone, which is why it’s important for you to notice the signs and symptoms on time. Look at the list of signs below and keep your child in mind.
General Signs and Symptoms
General Signs and Symptoms
- Extreme fear about a thing or situation
- Being afraid to go to school or social functions
- Being anxious about bad things happening in the future
- Having anxiety attacks or panic episodes
General Signs and Symptoms
- Frequent feelings of sadness
- Lack of interest in fun activities
- Change in eating & sleeping patterns
- Feeling worthless or useless
- Self-injury or self destructive behavior
- Difference in energy level
Child Mental Health Awareness
This week let’s spread awareness for child mental health. Encourage your family, friends, and those around you to talk to their children about their mental health. Then speak with your child about their mental health. Explain what it is, how it involves their everyday lives, and how it’s important to speak up when they feel different. Let them know that mental health is something positive that they can talk about with you at any moment. Changing the statistics on children’s mental health starts in the home.
If you feel like you’re doing what you can, and you’re not seeing positive changes in your child, then speak to their pediatrician about it. This is a great start to ensuring that your child gets the proper treatment if needed. This can also be a great introduction to therapy and counseling for your child. Child therapy has proven effective for children of all ages with behavioral and mental problems.
Let’s change the view we have on children’s mental health and work towards positive child mental health changes.
Resources
CDC: Children’s Mental Disorders
CDC: Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health
CDC: What is Children’s Mental Health
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): Mental Health Facts Children & Teens
