Childhood is beautiful, full of innocence and wonder. Most children sail through this phase of life carefully guided and protected by parents, siblings, teachers, and other adults. Unfortunately, not every child is as lucky. While some children have a memorable, happy childhood, others don’t, possibly due to a family tragedy or traumatic incident.
Sudden trauma often takes an extreme toll on the child’s mental health since they have no exposure to the harsh realities of real life. Their innocent minds being unprepared for such scenarios render them unable to process the shock and instead allow the seeds of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety to take root.
As a parent or guardian of a child whose mental health is affected, it falls on your shoulders to help the child move past the event and improve their mental health. However, helping a child navigate through something they don’t fully understand can be overwhelming. If you’re in such a situation and find yourself struggling, here are a few carefully selected tips for helping improve mental health in children.
Seek Professional Help
While dealing with a mentally stressed child, your best bet is to get professional help from a psychologist or counselor. Highly experienced mental health professionals specialize in child psychology and counseling and can help you and your child. In these circumstances, counselors can help a person understand their situation better and acknowledge their state.
Counselors with an Online Masters in Counseling with a major in Clinical Mental Health Counselling or Professional School Counselling are who you should look out for. Moreover, ensure the counselor you choose is experienced in dealing with children.
Build their Self-Esteem
Psychology suggests that the little voice in the back of our head that speaks and sometimes argues with us at every step of our adult life is usually the internalized voice of a parent or guardian. That is the impact that we have on the lives of our children.
Children often take it as their fault after their parents separate and blame themselves for their misery. Similarly, during times of loss, children attribute their miserable circumstances to having been caused by their actions. It is a difficult thought process that only strengthens with age. Therefore, expressing love and pride to a child is important. You can help your child resolve internal conflicts and build self-esteem through positive affirmation and appreciation.
Nurture your Relationship
Mental health issues make it extremely hard for a person to connect with others, making one fall into isolation. As a child, this phenomenon is very common after a traumatic event which makes it extremely difficult to build meaningful relationships throughout their lives. In such times, it is essential for you as a parent or guardian to strengthen your relationship with your child.
Make it a point to take time out for your child every day when they have your undivided attention. It will allow your child to feel seen, heard, and prioritized and help them break out of their internal cage. Hence, by spending more time with the child and having meaningful conversations with them, you can solidify your bond and help improve their mental health.
Be a Role Model
The most effective way children learn and adapt to new things is by studying their elders. It will allow the child to observe and adopt healthy coping habits during difficult times. As a parent or guardian of a struggling child, you must lead by example and act as a positive role model.
Chances are that you are also partaking in the same loss your child suffers. In that case, your positive attitude can play a pivotal role in helping your child beat their mental health issues. However, if the negative incident is one that your child experienced alone, the best way to be a role model is to let yourself be vulnerable in front of your child.
Share your past traumatic experiences and show how you dealt with and overcame them. Your vulnerability will inspire your child to beat their demons.
Develop a Relationship of Trust
Trust, for children, is a very complex concept. As adults, we tell children that we trust them and ask them to trust us, yet every time a problem arises, we resort to lying and concealing facts from our children. If your child is struggling due to something and is having a hard time processing an event, the best thing for you is, to be honest with your child and show them you trust them. It will make them feel like they are a part of something bigger and help them overcome the feelings of isolation.
Further, with the positive feeling of having your trust, your child will try to act more responsibly and handle situations more adeptly. It will also foster a sense of independence in your child, which is essential for overcoming mental health issues.
Find an Outlet
For many of us, grief and trauma can be effectively managed through a coping hobby, which serves as a healthy outlet for our pain. Some people paint, some sing, and others run or cook. These hobbies work as a distraction, and with the effort, we put into these activities, we slowly let go of the negativity in our lives. For children, it is necessary to find that outlet or hobby. To help improve your child’s mental health, help them find that hobby.
The best way is to take time and try different activities with them. Take them for runs in the park, or ask them to help you bake your next batch of muffins. When and if your child likes an activity, you will see it in their eyes. Plus, the added time to spend with them will help strengthen your relationship.
Final Words
Mental health issues are a horrible thing to deal with for anyone, but for children, it can be a downright nightmare. Without coping skills and practical life experience, they are caught off guard by negative feelings and thoughts accompanying a mental health illness.
However, with the proper care and attention, children can overcome mental health problems and grow up sound and stable individuals.
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