Supporting your Child’s Mental Health

Helping your child navigate life’s challenges is a difficult task. The way children perceive the world and their experiences is drastically different from how adults experience the world. Sometimes it can be hard to remember that the smallest things can be significant to a child, making it difficult to support their mental health. While it may be a difficult task, it is important as caregivers to find ways in which you can support your child’s mental health. By establishing a supportive environment for your child not only do you create an environment that is comfortable for them but you also allow the bond between you and your child to flourish. While it can be difficult to establish this environment for your child, there are things you can work towards to make progress in supporting your child’s mental health. 

Ways to create a supportive environment for your child: 

Create A Safe Space for Communication

Offer your child encouragement to express their thoughts and feelings. Allow them to voice their thoughts in a way that feels right for them, even if you do not fully understand their concerns. It is important to refrain from pressuring them to speak about something when they are not ready to do so. 

Practice Active Listening

When your child is expressing their thoughts and feelings to you, ensure you are truly listening to them. Offer them validation in what they are feeling, whether it is excitement or distress. Don’t forget, small things can be big things to a child! Take a moment to try and understand their point of view. 

Regulate Potentially Damaging Content

You may have heard the saying that children are like sponges, they absorb everything around them. Due to this, it is important to be aware of the media they are being exposed to. Try and regulate any content that may provide them with unrealistic expectations for their body image and be cautious of excess exposure to poor behavior, children have a tendency to model what they see. 

 Adopting Healthy Coping Mechanisms

Remember, children learn from us and model their behavior after the behavior they see around them. So, try modeling healthy coping mechanisms for them. Equip them with healthy ways to express their emotions and normalize seeking help and support in times of need. 

As children grow and navigate the world around them it is crucial for them to feel heard and understood by the adults in their lives. Having a supportive environment allows for a child to develop a deeper understanding of big emotions as they come up in their lives. This deeper understanding helps them to learn how to handle the emotions they experience in healthy ways which contributes to their overall mental wellbeing. As they become equipped with healthy coping mechanisms and are able to recognize their emotions they will experience healthier relationships with those around them throughout their lives. So, while it may seem like a difficult task, striving to support your child’s mental health can have a significant impact on how they navigate the world throughout all stages of their life.

-Written by Joanna Simms, Undergraduate Intern