Mind
10 Mental Health Tips
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tart the New Year in the right state of mind. Here from Dr. Tyler R. Black, Medical Director of Emergency Psychiatry at BC Children’s Hospital are the top 10 health tips to help grandparents help their grandchildren navigate the “new normal.”
Connectedness matters more than the medium
While traditions, travel, and gatherings have changed, connections are connections. Communication like video calls, online games together, phone calls, cards and letters, are great ways to keep the connectedness of families going strong. For kids, online connection IS real life connection. Take advantage of this!
Listen without judgment
A struggling child doesn’t need to be told what to do. A struggling child needs to be understood, needs to understand that they are cared for, and it is always better when they are part of the planning to help with the problem. Many grandparents dive into “oh are you sad? you should exercise!” and might not understand that a body problem or an insecurity makes that advice painful rather than helpful. Try this approach: “Thanks for sharing, is there anything you can think of that I could do to help with that?”
Remember “the antenna problem”
Kids are amazing antennas—they pick up on so many emotions, ideas, and challenges. However, they are horrible receivers. They will frequently misinterpret the meaning, overamplify the seriousness of a problem, or just completely get it wrong. When you are feeling something, your child is feeling you feel it! Don’t “hide” your emotions or pretend that it’s not real—you can be transparent, vulnerable and reassuring all at the same time.
This is a great learning moment for taking care of each other
Remind children that the reason things are hard right now is so that other people can be safer—people you and your child care about. Teachers. Parents. Grandparents. Aunts. Doctors. The awesome people at the supermarket. Children understand the importance of helping others. The marginalized, racialized and underprivileged bear the worst of this pandemic—what a great time to model and teach charitable work and efforts.
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