Children’s Mental health

Give children unconditional love.

Love, security, and acceptance should be at the heart of family life. Children need to know that your love does not depend on his or her accomplishments.

Mistakes and/or defeats should be expected and accepted. Confidence grows in a home that is full of unconditional love and affection.

Nurture children’s confidence and self-esteem.

􀂃 Praise Them – Your attention helps build their self-confidence and self-esteem.

􀂃 Set Realistic Goals – Young children need realistic goals that match their ambitions with their abilities. With your help, older children can choose activities that test their abilities and increase their self-confidence.

􀂃 Be Honest – Do not hide your failures from your children. It can be very re-assuring to know that adults are not perfect.

􀂃 Avoid Sarcastic Remarks

􀂃 Encourage children – To not only strive to do their best, but also to enjoy the process.

Encourage Children to Play

To children, play is just fun. However, playtime is as important to their development as food and good care. Playtime helps children be creative, learn problem-solving skills and learn self-control. Good, hardy play, which includes running and yelling, is not only fun, but helps children to be physically and mentally healthy.

Play for fun. Winning is not as important as being involved and enjoying the activity. One of the most important questions to ask children is “Did you have fun?’’ not “Did you win?”

In our goal-oriented society, we often acknowledge only success and winning. This attitude can be discouraging and frustrating to children who are learning and experimenting with new activities. It’s more important for children to participate and enjoy themselves.

Provide appropriate guidance and instructive discipline

Children need the opportunity to explore and develop new skills and independence. At the same time, children need to learn that certain behaviors are unacceptable and that they are responsible for the consequences of their actions.

As members of a family, children need to learn the rules of the family unit. Offer guidance and discipline that is fair and consistent. They will take these social skills and rules of conduct to school and eventually to the workplace.

Provide a safe and secure home.

It’s okay for children to feel afraid sometimes. Everyone is afraid of something at some point in their life. Fear and anxiety grow out of experiences that we do not understand.

If your children have fears that will not go away and affect his or her behavior, the first step is to find out what is frightening them. Be loving, patient, and reassuring, not critical. Remember: the fear may be very real to the child.

When to seek help

Parents and family members are usually the first to notice if a child has problems with emotions or behavior. Your observations with those of teachers and other caregivers may lead you to seek help for your child. If you suspect a problem or have questions, consult your pediatrician or contact a mental health professional.

Warning Signs

The following signs may indicate the need for professional assistance or evaluation:

􀂃 Decline in school performance

􀂃 Poor grades despite strong efforts

􀂃 Regular worry or anxiety

􀂃 Repeated refusal to go to school or take part in normal children’s activities

􀂃 Hyperactivity or fidgeting

􀂃 Persistent nightmares

􀂃 Persistent disobedience or aggression

􀂃 Frequent temper tantrums

􀂃 Depression, sadness or irritability
　

Where to seek help