Just like adults, children’s mental health also takes a toss during testing times. A child can be worried for various reasons such as low self-esteem, disagreement amongst parents, exam pressure, bullying, and various other reasons. It has been noticed that the most common reason for a child to be depressed is his parents. Therefore, happy parents can raise happy children.
However, the mental health of children can promote a shift in mood, change in eating habits, fatigue, etc. Therefore, it is essential to take care of your child’s mental health. As a parent, nothing can be more disturbing than seeing your child depressed. So act before it’s too late.I thought to aware you of the issue as I was facing the same at my home.
My daughter was giving up her interest in activities, which she would rather enjoy. The reason was obvious, the global pandemic outbreak.
As we are unable to go out even her school is at a halt the meanwhile, she was mentally disturbed. At first, it was not easy to spot her mental health issue as there are no signs of health problems, eating disorders, or anything of that sort. But with time, I understood it’s high-time that we as parents should help her come out of her mental agony.
Even as adults, we face repeated sadness as we feel that we are trapped at home. With no options to travel or to go out, it becomes really difficult to keep mental sanity in place. But my first responsibility as a mother is to take care of my child both emotionally and physically. And this is what I could do for her. Hope this will help you as well to promote good children’s mental health if you are facing similar issues with your child.
The reason for depression can be several but the steps taken to control depression in children remain more or less the same. Here is what I have done to keep my child out of depression during testing time.
Ways to protect children’s mental health during testing time
Check your sanity parents!
As per the famous saying of Benjamin Franklin, “Well done is better than well said”, as a parent you must work on your happiness. Unknowingly, we influence our children in various ways. Our repression can lead to poor mental health in our children. So the first step towards promoting good mental health in children is to work on your mental sanity. Come out of the depression and lead the way for your child. I know it is difficult, but for a mother, it is hardly difficult when she is doing it for the sake of her child.
Find happiness in small things and take one step at one go. There are various reasons to be happy, find one for you. If still, you cannot convince yourself to be happy then turn to your child. Nothing can be much fulfilling your child. Therefore, help yourself to help your child.
If you are interested to know how to balance work from home as well as home schooling, read here.
Say "it is alright to be anxious" to your child
There are situations that you cannot ignore completely. For example, bullying, exam tension, depression due to seperation, situational depression, and so on. So what should you do as a mother? Tell your child that it is ok to feel anxious about the situation at hand. We have to face a certain situation in life that is hostile. Give them mental support to fight the situation. Tell them how you would fight the situation boldly. Believe me, this will go a long way.
It is also essential to make them feel that they are not the only one who is facing such issues. It is normal among humans and we all go through testing times once in our life. And those who keep strong willpower get over the difficulties fast.
Distraction helps in keeping children’s mental health in good shape
First, you have tried to normalize the situation and now it is time to divert their approach into something fulfilling and engaging. This will help your child to focus on something they like and thus keep anxiety away. It is a life lesson to teach your child that we must look forward to what’s coming next after a problem. This will help them to look forward to a problem and remain happy irrespective of tension.
Give your child, a reason to involve in some activity, hobby, or learning a new skill. An occupied mind will keep anxiety away.
Whenever my daughter feels anxious about the fact that she is getting bored at home all time, I tell her stories, what other kids are doing to enjoy at home and what we can do as well. During such time I willingly spend more time with her to make her feel that I am with her irrespective of anything happens.
We also indulge in activities that interest her and keep her engaged during the day. I have personally noticed that when children involve in more physical activity, they tend to sleep early at night, which is good to fight anxiety and keep good mental health.
Find a way out by looking forward over the problem
Tell your child, that tomorrow will be a better day and we will overcome the dark phase together. You can help your children’s mental health by showing them a family bond that becomes more significant during a difficult time. While you teach your child to look over a problem, he practices this in his real-life experiences. This helps him to bring a smile on his face by thinking he can overcome any problem situation in life.
You can start by planning what you would rather do when the difficulties are over. If your child is bullied at school, tell him how his life will be when all this stops and he leads a good life. Hope this will help your child overcome mental agonies.
Conclusion
So, these are the real-life experience which I think is important and these are the essential teachings in life that you should inculcate during the early years of your child. And never forget to be happy yourself.
Happy motherhood! And write back to me if you along with my thoughts or my writing have helped you in any way.
