HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S MENTAL HEALTH One of your main jobs as a parent is to ensure your child is in good mental and physical health. You’re probably already trying to encourage them to get plenty of fresh air and exercise. Ensuring they go to bed at a reasonable time each night, and providing them with three nutritious meals a day, but what are you doing to support their mental health?
Mental health is complicated, and it can be quite difficult to support a child’s emotional wellbeing, but here are some tips on questions about mental health from an independent prep school in Surrey. Talk About Mental Health Having questions about mental health is a great place to start to get the conversation started. Make sure your child understands what mental health actually is and why it is so important. Talk to them about their emotions and how they can manifest in different ways. Even now, there is a certain stigma around mental health, even though sadness, anxiety and stress are nothing to be ashamed of. Provide A Safe Home Environment Parents have little control over what goes on in our child’s life when they’re at school, but you can change what goes on in your home. Try and create a home environment in which your child feels safe and comfortable; a place where they can develop their sense of self without fear or judgement. Make sure they know you love and support them no matter what and are there to provide a listening ear should they need one. Promote open and honest communication.
Avoid Harsh Punishments Try and avoid harsh punishments, as these will have a negative impact on your child’s self-esteem. Instead, place a stronger emphasis on what they’re doing right. Praise them when you see them working hard, rather than punishing them when they’re not. Let them know you’re proud of them when they play nicely with their friends, or if they offer to help you with the housework. If they fail an exam, try not to show disappointment, and remind them that you are pleased with how hard they tried. If your child shares an opinion that you don’t agree with, try not to shut them down or respond in a judgemental way. Instead, ask them how they came to that conclusion and encourage them to think about it on a deeper level. Their home should be a space in which they feel comfortable voicing their opinions. If they don’t feel they have a safe environment to express themselves, they will struggle with their mental health. Promote Optimism Your child’s outlook on life will alter their state of mind. With this in mind, try and help your child adopt an optimistic attitude. If they view the world as a scary place, they will suffer with stress and anxiety. So, try and help them focus on the good in life and put things into perspective. Perhaps you could encourage
