Parenting and Mental Health: Supporting Your Child's Development

Parenting is a lifetime responsibility. You are to care for your kids and their wellness, including their mental health. You might find it complicated to navigate how to provide that care, but it's an absolute necessity given how the current state of the world can easily overwhelm your kids even at a young age. As a parent, you are their haven and need to build them a safe space where they can be themselves and feel that they have an ear to hear them anytime they need it. By creating this space, you're both strengthening the bond between you and your child and their development to become the best version of themselves.

Explaining Mental Health To Your Child

As a parent, you play an important role in supporting your children's mental health needs.Photo byNational Cancer InstituteonUnsplash

When one is parenting, they are constantly learning. To be able to explain mental health to your kid, you also need to understand it so you can approach it in an unbiased way. Many people think that mental health is limited to struggling with mental illnesses only, but that is far from the truth. Mental health is as crucial as physical health for your well-being. It affects the way you feel, think, and behave. People who maintain good mental health can move through their day-to-day lives in a healthy, productive, and peaceful way, whereas people who struggle with it often face difficulties in doing that.

Good parenting includes perceiving your kid as a human being who deserves to know the truth. You should answer your kid’s questions straightforwardly; you should also try to simplify any complicated information and make it appropriate for their age. Moreover, do not shy away from talking about mental health and dispelling the stigmas and stereotypes around the topic. Be honest, clear, and respectful of the people who struggle with their mental health, and teach your kids to be too. If they do not learn this from you, they might end up learning about mental health struggles from other sources that portray false, harmful ideas of mental health and mental illnesses.

Supporting Your Child's Mental Health

Lead By Example: When you're parenting, your kids are looking up to you. Especially during their first years, they will mimic anything you do because you are their idol. To help your kid develop healthy coping mechanisms, you need to practice that in front of them. Certainly, you can guide your kid and explain to them how to deal with their emotions healthily, but watching you do it is the most ideal way for them to learn.

Keep A Close Eye On Any Behavioral Changes: Kids go through a lot of transitions as they grow and change, and that includes their behaviors. When parenting, you must keep a close eye on any pivotal changes in their behaviors, since they might result from feelings or experiences that your kid is having trouble dealing with or processing. Approach them and let them know you're there and will do your best to help them solve whatever is weighing on their mind.

Be Open And Non-Judgmental: You cannot expect your child to trust you with their feelings if you do not build them a safe, non-judgmental, and healthy zone where you can discuss them. Good parenting requires you to not only tell but also show them that they can express themselves openly. Your kid must know and feel that you are their biggest cheerleader and that you will accept and support them regardless of what they share with you.

Set A Quality Time Routine: As your kid grows up, their interests change. They might not be into the same things both of you enjoyed when they were younger; however, that does not mean you have to completely retreat from your parenting role and quality time with them. Your kids want to be respected and loved, and downplaying their interests pushes them away from you. Try to approach them for suggestions and outline plans together. This will make them feel that you are ready to put an effort to share their interests and also trust them to plan activities with you. It will strengthen the bond between you.

Encourage Them And Give Positive Feedback: People of all ages like to be complimented and praised, especially kids. The greatest gift you can offer your kid when parenting is to instill in them the belief that they are capable of doing great things. It will boost their confidence and help them to build strong, daring, dedicated personalities. Acknowledge their efforts in all fields and treat them with respect and pride.

Seek Professional Help: Your kid must have someone to talk to at all phases of their life. If you find that you are not equipped to deal with certain situations that might require professional intervention, opt for that assistance. In parenting, you show love and care by offering your kids an outlet where they can express their feelings and learn how to manage them with the assistance of a professional. It will do you and them a great favor in the long run.

Final Thoughts

Your parenting responsibility does not stop at providing for your kid physically; you should also offer bountiful care, love, and acceptance. Their mental health is as crucial as their physical health. If one of the two is affected, they will have trouble leading a fulfilled and happy life. In parenting, you are your kid's companion and should be the person they trust the most. If they are ever lost, they know they can always go back to your arms and be welcomed with support and affection.

Disclaimer: This article is intended simply to provide information. It does not replace the medical advice of a physician. Please speak with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

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Article originally written by Fatima Tabti.