Mental health is something that most people of all ages consider imperative to take care of. While adult mental health is very important, child mental health is equally as important. If you have a child and want to help take care of their mental health, here are some things that you can do to make sure your child is mentally healthy.
Have Conversations
Conversation is key in any relationship, whether between partners, friends, spouses, or parents. As your child is growing up, they are constantly learning new things and attempting to figure out what’s going on in the world around them. In order to nurture their mental health, you should be having conversations with them about the questions they ask and their observations of their surroundings.
Spend Time With Them
Quality time is something that ensures excellent child mental health. In being present and spending time with your little one, you are ensuring that your child is mentally healthy. Whether it’s taking them out for ice cream, going out for a walk or a drive, going to the park or playing with them, spending time with your child is a wonderful way to create a healthy relationship between you two as well as nurture their mental health.
Read to Them
Reading has many benefits, and one of those benefits is that it helps with cognitive development, especially in children. Making sure that you read to your child as well as help them as they learn to read is a great way for their brain to grow and develop, which, in turn, can positively impact their mental health.
Be Intentional
A very important factor in nurturing your child’s mental health is intentionality. Being there for them and being attuned to their needs and wants is a way to ensure that your child is mentally healthy. Because children can figure out from an early age whether or not their parents are interested in them, it is imperative that you create a safe space for your child to be themselves and express whatever feelings they have.
Love Unconditionally
One of the most important things that every child needs as they grow up is to be loved by their parents. In loving your child without any conditions, you are fostering a relationship between you two where your child will feel safe and secure. A child should be able to make a mistake without worrying about whether or not their parent’s perception of them has changed, so make sure to love unconditionally by encouraging and being honest with your child.
Guide and Discipline
As your child grows, they are going to make mistakes and act out with inappropriate behaviour at times, and it is important for you, as the parent, to consider how you deal with problematic behaviour. As you discipline your child, make sure that you are focusing on and denouncing the behaviour rather than your child. Avoid reacting too harshly, and try to teach them that they are not the problem and that, instead, it is their behaviour that is the issue.
Encourage Interactions With Others
Another thing that can help nurture children’s mental health is playing with other kids. Whether at the playground or at school, by playing with others, your child can learn to get along with other kids and make friends, which can be very beneficial for a growing child’s mental health.
There are many ways that you, as a parent, can ensure that your little one is mentally healthy. By being there for them, guiding them, and coming alongside them, you can establish and foster a healthy relationship between you two as they develop.
