Do The Best That You Can When It Comes To Taking Care Of Your Child's Mental

Posted by govardhan on May 20th, 2021

Mental health awareness is as important for children as it is for adults. In fact, neglecting mental health in children creates a negative impact on the child's development. The way in which a child learns to deal with emotions is what lays the foundation for how he deals with circumstances in his life.

The number one factor that is known to negatively affect mental health in children is the usage of devices. Due to the advancement of technology, children now have access to various kinds of devices, unlike the previous generation. It is thus a no-brainer that the mental health of children has become an issue to be concerned about. 

With the increased usage of devices, the amount of daily screen time is going through the roof. On top of that, with the current lockdown, there is more personal time in hand. The majority of the children thus end up grabbing the nearest device that they can get hold of. It might begin with just five minutes of screen time but ends up extending for hours.

Thus, it is important to put a cap on the amount of screen time spent in a day. Before one does that, it is important for you to also know how exactly mental health awareness comes into the picture in regards to your child's development. 

Relation Between Mental Health Awareness And A Child's Development

The brain of a child is at adeveloping stage. So, whatever the child faces during their childhood is recorded in the brain. The presence of a healthy environment is crucial for the mental health of a child to develop rightfully. But, the child might come across some experiences that can have a negative impact on their mental health. 

When a child experiences any kind of stress or trauma early in his life, it creates an impact on his mental health. But if the coping mechanism of stress or trauma is right, then the child eventually learns how to face any kind of situation in life in the right way. The major causes of stress or trauma early in a child's life are usually a parent's divorce, financial problems, the passing away of a dear one, or school bullying. 

Parents, peers, and the people that a child is surrounded with early in his life have a great impact on the child's development. Thus, it is crucial that you as a parent take heed of your child's needs whenever necessary without neglecting them.

Tips To Improve The Mental Health In Children

Here are some tips for beginning with to make sure that you do not regret neglecting your child's mental health later.

1. How you speak to your child matters a lot more than you think. Try to always give positive and constructive feedback whenever it is needed instead of reacting harshly to situations. 

2. It is important that you show affection to your child. Many times parents hold back in showing affection freely. It is about time to shed your old habits and practice new habits for the well-being of your child.

3. Normalize talking about emotions freely. It is important that you share both negative as well positive emotions freely. It is important to let them know that it is okay to feel what they are feeling and that they are there for them.

4. Inculcate healthy food into your child's diet. Food plays a major role in maintaining sound mental health. 

5. Make sure that they do not use any kind of devices a few hours before they sleep. This is because the radiation emitted from a device gets in the way of good quality sleep.

6. Teach your child to involve in any kind of physical activity that they like, at least for some time on a daily basis. It can be cycling, swimming, dancing or playing any kind of sports. 

7. It is essential to put limits to the screen usage by putting fixed time slots. The child can use the device only during the allotted course of time. 

8. Following a routine has been proven to help a great deal in maintaining a sound mind. When there is no routine, people tend to feel stressed with the uncertainty of the day. Thus, make sure that you set a proper schedule for your child that they can follow every day.

9. Teaching your kids how to cope with stress is half the battle won when it comes to maintaining sound mental health. But, it is important that you teach them the right ways to overcome a problem or a situation. 

10. Monitor the kind of content that they consume from devices as well as from the books that they read. It is one's duty as a parent to let your child watch content that will help them grow. 

Mental health awareness goes a long way in the well-being of a child. With these simple yet helpful tips, you can be assured that your child develops the right mental attitude.