Contributed Collaborative Post
It’s easy for a parent to spot the physical needs of their children, from making sure they have plenty of nutritious food every day to seasonally appropriate clothing, adequate sleep and keeping them active.
But mental health can be more of a struggle and it’s not always as easy to spot the signs of a problem. Your child’s mental health is just as important as their physical health, allowing them to develop social skills, communicate effectively and think clearly, as well as boost their confidence and self-esteem. Here’s how parents can support their child’s mental health as they grow.
Nurture their confidence
Growing up can be tough and it can knock a child’s confidence and self-esteem, but having nurturing parents can help with this. Encourage them as they learn and grow, praising them when they do things well or make a big leap in skills and development. It’s important to let kids explore safely and learn for themselves, but when they do, assure them that they’re doing well and give them your attention. Being an active part of their growth is the key to boosting their confidence and their ability to try new things as they get older.
Be honest
Honesty is really valuable to a child’s mental health. While you might want to only dish out praise, even when they mess up, the reality is that they will make mistakes and so will you. So, don’t hide your mistakes from them. Be honest when you make a mistake and they’ll be less inclined to panic when they make one themselves. It’s reassuring to kids to know that parents aren’t perfect, as it reduces the stress on them to aim for perfection too.
Open up
Kids should be taught from an early age the importance of emotions and not feel as though they have to bottle everything up, whether it’s good or bad. A good way to do this is to talk through why you’re feeling the way you are, whether you accidentally lose your patience and get angry or upset, or if you’re excited and happy. Teaching kids how to express their emotions in a healthy way will help them as they get older and identify their own feelings in different situations.
Encourage play time
Kids need to be kids – they need to have time to play, explore and be creative. It’s something that can really improve their mental health and their self-esteem, as well as help them develop their own identity. Playtime for kids is a great opportunity for them to problem-solve, learn self-control and build their social skills, and all of these skills are essential to fostering positive mental health as they grow up.
Spot the signs of an issue
It’s worth noting that being able to spot a problem is just as valuable as knowing how to avoid them. Anxiety in children, along with other mental disorders like depression, can be hard to spot but there are some tell-tale signs that parents can watch out for so they can seek treatment early on. 
Just as you’d take your child to the doctor if they had physical symptoms, knowing what to look for when they suffer with a mental illness can really help parents understand what’s going on. For example, anxiety and depression can manifest as not eating properly, having difficulty sleeping or concentrating, always crying or being clingy, feeling tense or irritable, or worrying or having negative thoughts regularly. They might not want to meet up with friends or go to school when they once did or complain about feeling sick or unwell a lot.
Final thoughts
Mental health can be tough to manage in ourselves, but it can be even trickier to handle when you’re raising a child. Kids are resilient and learn fast, so it’s important to start their learning early on so that they understand how to manage their mental health in a healthy way as they age. From being able to spot emotions to knowing no-one is perfect and giving them chance to explore on their own, there are various ways to foster positive mental health in kids and to avoid problems arising in the future.
This is a contributed collaborative post.
