There can be a lot of division about how to address the sad current events in our world, but one thing we can all agree on is that mental health awareness is critically important. And developing positive mental health starts young.
Is my child okay?
We’ve all looked at our child at some point in their life and asked ourselves, “Are they gonna be okay?” Whether it concerned eating habits, friend drama, or simply sending them off to school. In this post-pandemic world, knowing how to raise emotionally, behaviorally, and morally healthy children seems to be a bigger and bigger responsibility. One that we as parents do not take lightly. But what can be done? How can we ensure that we are raising healthy kids that will grow into healthy adults? (Spoiler: I DO NOT have the answers) But…
After working in early childhood education for the past eleven years, I’ve learned from the wise people around me that the sooner we start paying attention to the mental health of our children, the better off our future (and theirs) will be. In fact…the younger the better.
Hopefully these nuggets of wisdom will empower you to confidently tackle the task of developing positive mental health awareness in yourself and your children:
Don’t Isolate
For starters, children need community. They need social interaction and they need peers. Not only is socialization important for brain and behavior development, it also gives you (the parent) an opportunity to see how other children their age are developing. It can help you ask important questions and pinpoint any areas where your child may need early intervention. And early intervention. is. everything.
Knowledge Is Power
It is tempting to ignore or wish away troubling signs when children are young. But in fact, the opposite is true. The earlier you suspect that your child is struggling, the sooner you can begin building a toolbox to help them succeed the rest of their life. Seriously! From autism to anger to anxiety: the sooner you know, the sooner you and your team can help support them. What team? Well, that’s another thing.
Build A Team
While culture may be trending towards individualism and isolation, we as parents need to remember that we are not islands. We cannot do this alone. But this will require us to trust each other and communicate honestly about the challenges that our children are facing. It may take time.
Time to find a pediatrician that we trust.
Time to build a group of friends we can depend on.
Time to advocate and communicate openly with daycare, therapists, or teachers.
Maybe even time to open our own hearts to the struggles our children may be facing.
But whatever it takes, it is vital to surround your child with a loving, honest, and supportive team. A team that can help bear the weight of building lasting, positive mental health for your child, and ultimately for yourself. Because…
Covid-19, social media, political tension, current events (must I go on?), have left a lot of us parenting from high anxiety. And the more anxious we are, the more stressed our children will be. Normalizing therapy, or in kid’s terms “asking for help,” is paramount for conquering a mental health pandemic. Whether we have a small group of trusted friends or a weekly therapy appointment, normalizing asking for help can teach our children that it is OKAY to not be okay. And the sooner we strive to build that compassion into our children, the sooner they will become the mentally strong, mentally healthy adults that will change our world for the better.
For more information about children’s mental health, check out the links below:
What Every Child Needs for Good Mental Health
Learn About Children’s Mental Health (CDC)
ETCH Pediatric Psychology and Mental Health
To read more about how our team values positive mental health for both children and families, check out these other great posts:
My Favorite Mental Health Tools For Kids
Understanding And Navigating Early Intervention And Child Find Services
On Parenting And Marriage: Steal-Worthy Advice From Therapists
(Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional. I am a mom of two kids and I work in a school with three-hundred kids. These opinions are my own in collaboration with a group of moms, educators, and church leaders. They are not a substitute for professional mental health advice or early childhood intervention. If you or someone you love is facing mental health or other developmental challenges, we at Knoxville Moms strongly encourage you to seek advice from a professional.)
