Childhood is that time of life when one is truly carefree. Even as adults when we look back at those tender memories, it’s often with affection. A child always approaches everything, be it their homework or a game of peekaboo, with positive emotions and ideas. For children, mental health and wellbeing is in the way they think, feel emotions and act upon them.
Children are highly receptive to the skills and lessons they imbibe in everyday activities, regardless of their engagement being active or passive. Cognitive and emotional development depends a great deal on the mental health and well-being of children because childhood is when they are their most impressionable selves. A sound learning and growth atmosphere plays a key role in enabling your child to reach the right emotional as well as developmental milestones.
Your child depends upon you for getting this ecosystem. Home is ideally where they should be given the space to be carefree, allowed to have meaningful experiences and form their individual opinions. Even UNICEF upholds that it is imperative for parents to foster tender relationships with as well as around children, to make their child feel the warmth and safety. This also helps your child grow knowing that they’re safe, cared for and are an integral part of the family. All this together culminates into an essential cornerstone for the sound mental wellbeing of your child.
Curiosity is essential for the growth and development of young minds. Children are mostly bubbling with curiosity, always ready with tough-to-answer questions even about the most obvious or vanilla matters! Children need assurance from an adult they trust and love, to be able to understand the world around them and as their parents, you play an instrumental role in providing them a nurturing and conducive environment.
Here are a few tips to help you become your child’s sounding board:
Make this impressionable time a memorable experience for your young ones!
1. Assist them in learning how to form solid and caring relationships.
Children should have trustworthy connections with their relatives and friends. Make sure you have valuable discussions, be it the dinner table conversations every night or during car rides.
2. Aid them develop self-confidence techniques
Children should feel welcome in their family and always surrounded with love and respect. In order to bolster their confidence, praise them when they succeed and equally support them through their failures. Encourage them to try new things and come up with innovative ideas.
3. Acknowledge their feelings and pay attention to what they say
When your kid feels sad or furious, correcting them shouldn’t be your go-to response. Urge them to express their thoughts and feelings and assure them it’s alright to feel what they’re feeling. If they don't feel safe opening up to you, assist them to find someone they can, maybe an aunt/uncle they love, or a specialist.
4. Promote a positive and safe atmosphere at your home
The nature of media that your kid consumes along with the screen time they have, should entirely be under your control as they have a major impact on what your child picks up on and imbibes. Be cautious when talking about matters that your child might be young for, because of the impression it might leave on them.
5. Assist them to solve their issues
Teach your kid how to navigate situations, through puzzles, games and other techniques that will connect with them. Meditation and fast yoga postures or relaxation techniques can also help them deal well with overwhelming feelings of stress and anger. Discuss suggestions or potential remedies under different circumstances and how to materialize them.
Lastly, always remember that your child relies on you for a safe and sound environment for a sound development of their mental wellbeing. Make sure to build a healthy and strong foundation for your child and more importantly, don’t forget to take care of yourselves too!
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