Growing up healthy and strong should not be limited to the physical health of children. Just as you worry about feeding them well, that they sleep well and have what to wear, it is very important that you are aware that the mental health of your children is essential for them to have a full and happy life. What you can do to support your children’s mental health, in this article…
When we hear that the definitive years of the formation of a human being are the years of childhood, we are sometimes incredulous because it may be that it is just an urban myth. Many people mistakenly think that children do not notice if something is wrong at home, or the shouting and fighting , or the behavior of the people around them. Even if you have a baby and you still can’t express yourself through language , rest assured that you perceive everything that is around you and those emotions leave their mark on your emotional world and on your mental health.
For this reason, it is very important to bear in mind that the childhood years are decisive in forming emotionally and mentally healthy people . It is during childhood that parents and those around children must be more alert to provide them with an environment conducive to their mental health, full of positivism and affection.
What can you do as a father or mother to take care of your child’s mental health?
Here are 10 tips:
1. Play with your child, read him stories, sing songs with him. Do any activity that is fun and allows them to share.
2. Acknowledge when your child is good and tell him or her that you are proud of him or her.
3. Eliminate the combination of television, tablet or cell phone or mobile at mealtime. Teach them that dinner, lunch or breakfast time is a time to talk and share.
4. Do not put a television in the child’s room. Limit the time they spend playing video games and do not think that it is a solution to turn on the television and leave the baby sitting watching anything. Television is not a babysitter. By the way, there is evidence that screens interfere with sleep .
5. Encourage your child to play with children of the same age. Invite them home or make sure they are always supervised by an adult.
6. Listen to your child and reason with him or her. For example, if he wants to do something that you don’t think is convenient, explain why and what would be the consequences of doing otherwise.
7. Design routines to go to bed, and thus promote enough sleep .
8. Motivate him to learn from his mistakes.
9. Make him feel good about himself by applauding his achievements and always paying attention to his emotions: happy, sad, angry. In the case of anger, teach him to channel these feelings without destructive behaviors such as breaking toys or hitting someone.
10. Set a good example. Avoid having discussions and reactions that you don’t want your children to copy. Be aware that there is a time to talk or argue between adults and don’t do it in front of them if you think it might hurt their feelings.
Mental health begins in childhood. Remember that happy children will be happy adults!
