Feeling overwhelmed with the lockdown restrictions?
Then you wonder how your child must be feeling. At least I know that my children are tired of homeschooling and pray for some normalcy to return.
Many children have been at home for extended periods of time due to the lockdown restrictions. Some have gone into school with only a handful of their classmates present.
I can only imagine how confusing and mundane this must be for a lot of them.
Children with additional needs have also had to adjust to a change in their routines. Including a withdrawal of some of the support services which they are accustomed to.
We live in unprecedented times, which can have a negative impact on our mental health. Making it important to regularly check up on each other especially our children.
As we all know a sound mental health contributes to positive outcomes for a child.
In this blog post, I will be sharing 9 practical ways to strengthen your child’s mental health.
Love Strengthens A Child's Mental Health
Parents/carers play a big role in supporting a child’s mental wellbeing by making them feel loved and valued.
In addition, ensuring the environment is suitable to harness their potential and bring out the best in them.
Culture, environment and parental upbringing plays a major role in how parents raise their own children.
For example growing up in Nigeria, I knew I was loved by my parents who did not always articulate this because of our culture and environment. However things have moved on from when i was a child.
Showing affection and emotional warmth is beneficial to a child’s emotional wellbeing and provides a secure base for them to thrive.
Expressing affection by cuddles, kisses and providing emotional warmth is important in strengthening your child’s mental health.
Children who are mentally healthy generally meet their developmental and emotional milestones.
When a child’s mental health is stable, they are able to develop resilience against problems.
It boosts their confidence and self esteem which has a positive impact on their overall development.
Communicating With Your Child
Communicate with your child by engaging in open conversations about feelings and emotions.
Use open ended questions to check how they are coping. You can ask questions about their school work, any activities they are involved in or relationship with friends.
Be aware of your child’s verbal and non- verbal cues, and be observant enough to notice any changes in their mood or presentation. And be prepared to tackle any issues in a sensitive way.
In the same vein, listen to your child when they want to talk.
Yes I know children sometimes choose inconvenient times like bedtimes to talk. However hear them out and agree a more convenient time if it is not urgent.
You are your child’s greatest cheerleader so praise and encourage them when they do well.
However be prepared to give them some tough love by laying down the rules when needed.
Encourage Keeping A Diary/ Writing
Encourage your child to keep a diary. A diary can be one way of articulating their thoughts and feelings.
This can be a lockdown diary which they can look at in years to come and reminisce over.
Think about it. Many years after the death of Anne Frank, the contents of her diary are still used to teach and inspire children.
Another way to strengthen your child’s mental health is by encouraging them to write. There are many benefits of writing for school aged children. Such as discovering their creative flair and building confidence. It can also be a channel to reflect on
- What is working well in their lives
- What they would like to change or what is not working well
- Their hopes and dreams for the future.
If they are happy to share what they have written, you can use this as conversation starters or to help them reflect on their thoughts/feelings.
Make House Rules
Children thrive in households with age approprate routines and boundaries. It is best to implement these rules earlier in a child’s life.
For example rules around technology use, bedtimes etc. When my kids were a lot younger they only used technology during the weekends and we explained the reasons for this.
It made it easier for them to comply with no fuss. This rule still applies for my youngest even though her sisters have been given a level of flexibility.
Ensure that your child has a full understanding of what the house rules are and why they are there.
You can do this by getting them involved in making the rules.
Make your house rules realistic so that it is achieveable. For example no TV during the week might not be realistic.
However two hours of TV each day after homework may be easier to achieve.
Physical Excercise
The lockdown and home schooling can leave your child feeling boxed in. You will find that going outdoors to get some fresh air and a change of scenery will help in lifting their mood.
Physical excercise can be in the form of a Joe Wicks workout, going for walks or even practicing a dance routine.
Having a good exercise routine in addition to healthy eating and good sleep patterns is beneficial for your child’s mental health.
I have started going on an early morning run with my oldest daughter Kamsi. This has been so refreshing as it not only offers us a time to exercise but also a time to bond with each other.
Support Your Child To Learn A New Skill
Encourage your child to learn a new skill and celebrate success and achievements while they are doing this.
Face to face activites are limited during the lockdown but virtual activites are still in place.
Engage in activites as a family like playing board games e.g chess, baking a cake or making a meal together. Learning something new will help in boosting their self confidence.
Encourage Service To Others
Teach your child the importance of service to others by encouraging them to participate in charity work or helping others.
They can help out in your local church, help a younger sibling with their homework or teach them a new skill.
Acknowledge their acts of kindness to others. This will help them appreciate the fact that showing care and empathy to others matters.
Support Their Spiritual Growth
As a christian family, it is important that our children grow spiritually. This means that they grow and develop in the way of the Lord.
Practical ways of doing this is by teaching them how to pray. This is done by giving them opportunities to take the lead in family prayers and encouraging them to read the bible.
Support their spiritual growth by teaching them about diversity and how God created us all equal.
It is important that your child understands that God has called us to love everyone regardless of their differences.
Encourage Connection With Friends
Social interaction helps in building a child’s confidence. Face to face interaction is limited due to the restrictions so video calling has became the preferred choice for most people.
Other ways of connecting with friends are by doing activites together online for example baking together, watching Netflix or attending virtual lockdown birthdays.
Whichever way you child chooses to connect with their friends, ensure that the virtual space is safe and supervised.
Conclusion
A sound mental and physical health helps your child to function well and bounce back from any stress or challenges. Use this 9 practical ways to strengthen your child’s mental health in order to help them thrive.
Leave a comment to say what other practical things you do with your child.
We associate mental health with adults and often not think about a young child or teen’s mental health. I think that a parents mental health or state can negetively affect their children mental state. Covid-19 had taxed everyones mental health, especially parents and their new norm of home schooling .Great blog.
You are right Kevin. Child mental health is just as important as adults. Thanks for stopping by.
This is such an IMPORTANT topic, especially right now! Sharing to spread the knowledge. Great advice here!
Thanks for sharing Christine.
These are all such great ideas. Not only for children but for adults as well! I have noticed that when I take time to work out every single day my mental health is a lot better.
Thanks Courtney. A good work out does the same for me as well.
Great post and ideas for those trying to find ways to help their children. It’s important children feel they have someone to talk to.
Thanks Christa. Communication is key.
Very helpful tips.
Thanks Ify
This is something I am trying to really balance with my kids. Communicating is so important. You’ll be surprised how much you learn when you just listen
Hi Femmallure, yes communication is key, especially with the little ones.