Is Your Child Getting The Right Mental Health
Mental health is regarded as the state of mind and is related to the behaviour, thought process and functionality of the brain. Mental health is directly related to the physical health of the human body, and it gets affected as soon as mental health is affected. Emotions like stress, anxiety and depression affect the mental state badly, and it starts to show on the body. A grown individual can understand these issues and work on them to make their body feel at ease and their brain calm. But when it happens to a child, it gets hard for the child to recognize the issue and express themselves. As parents, it often gets busy, and the mental health of the children is affected. Very close and careful observation can let parents know if their kid’s mental state is right and being nurtured in all environments.
The importance of Mental Health Education in Primary
It is very crucial for the kids to get the right mental health training at home and at schools they attend. This is the very reason institutions have added this as part of the curriculum to give regular therapy sessions to kids so their brains are nurtured. Where institutions are playing a secondary role, as a parent, the primary role lies with you. It is very important to observe the child’s behaviour and the thought process in all situations.
A child’s brain absorbs things differently as it is developing. It catches all the information and critically analyzes it, and if some of it is unnecessary, it disrupts their thought process. And that reflects in their behaviour pretty fast; it just takes an eye to observe. The right counselling and communication can prevent an issue from arising. Now it all sounds very complicated, but it can get under your fingers pretty quick if you see the signs right away.
For a parent, it gets difficult to know what their child is feeling and how they are processing things daily. We are going to mention a few things that will help you identify if your child is ever experiencing disruption. And if it is affecting their mind and, eventually, their mental state and health.
1. Changes in Communication Patterns
Carefully observe the communication you have with your children on a regular basis and observe if anything changes in that any day, ask them about it politely and talk about it. Conversing with your child and exchanging feelings will let them know that they can share with you. Keep the fences open with them and make them at ease while you converse with them.
For example, if your child talks to you before bedtime and they suddenly stop, ask them about it and know the reason behind it. Find solutions for them and let them understand that there is a solution to every problem that their mind highlights. Let them know that it is alright to feel all emotions, but it is equally important to talk about it and get it resolved by either talking to a parent or confiding in a sibling etc.
If the child gets angry easily, seems annoyed on little things, stops responding in the same ways they usually do. Then the situation is alarming, and you should never brush it away.
2. The appetite of the Child
Food and food choices explain a lot about a human. Similarly, appetite tells a lot about the overall mood of the body. A child can easily develop an eating disorder if their mind is affected by a negative thing. They either start eating a lot or eat very little. In both situations, you need to ask them about it and try to find out what are they are thinking.
Furthermore, if the kid gets stubborn about a certain choice of food or gets cranky about what you serve them. It reflects that their mind is suffering. And they are letting it out through this behaviour. If your child eats at a certain time and stops eating their meals at that time, there are chances that something disrupted that pattern. So, observe your child is having a good appetite and eating right at home and at school as well.
3. Behaviour at Home
The behaviour of a child at home and with their siblings and parents tells a lot about their mental state and their feelings. If a child misbehaves at the dinner table, that tells a story. If the child usually talks a lot and doesn’t talk someday, that tells a story too. In case the child stops talking at all, that again tells a story. It just has to be in you to find out that story. Make your dinner table conversations productive, progressive and full of positive energy.
Also, make your children feel at home and at the ease of sharing as well. Make this time a priority and make it the epitome of conversing and communication. Moreover, if the kid is feeling some internal stress from external sources, the chances are high that they will reflect this in their behaviour. Anxiety from outside is often reflected in the behaviour at home because it gets hard for the child to process the feelings. Also, they don’t know how to let it out, unlike other grownups.
Conclusion
It is very crucial to observe every pattern of your child. Whether it is their behaviour, way of talking, tone, leisure activities, and participation at home and at school. It is very important for you to be in the loop. You should be the key person in their life who they should confide in and share whatever they feel.
Keep the boundaries maintained, and the barriers lifted as well. It is just the middle ground that you and your kids need to be at. Wherever they go, and whoever they meet, they should always keep you on the hook and tell you about it. Just be that friend who they always want to share with.
