Everything that happens around your child can affect their development, from the people they come in contact with to the activities you do together. This is also why you want those everyday experiences to be as positive as they can be. You want your child to learn from them so they can be mentally healthy. After all, mental health is extremely important for leading a mature, happy lifestyle. With that in mind, here are five things you should do in order to improve your child’s mental health.
Let them learn from mistakes
And not just their own but yours as well. So, whenever you make a mistake, use the opportunity to set an example. They need to know that making mistakes is normal, so it’s okay to burn your dinner or be late for work (as long as it doesn’t turn into a habit). Even if you lose your temper and say a bad word in front of them, it’s okay. However, you shouldn’t expect them to forget it; apologise, explain to them why you did it, and tell them how you wish you had reacted, so they know it was a mistake. By doing so, your child will be more likely to accept their own mistakes – and cope with them.
Help them socialise
Everybody has social needs, and kids are not an exception. However, human interaction is a very complex process that requires certain skills. Most of those skills are learned through practice, which is why you should make sure your child gets plenty of it. For example, there is a good education centre in Hong Kong that focuses on developing every aspect of a child’s character, including their social skills. This is done through activities that aim to engage all of your child’s senses. If you’d like your child to be a part of one such playgroup, you should choose a good education centre, where they will be surrounded by kids their age and professionals who know how to help every child reach their full potential.
Praise them for what they do
People tend to remember the bad stuff better than the good stuff. This means that every praise needs to be specific and strong enough to leave a positive mark. For instance, you can tell your child that they are smart, but being smart is very relative and abstract. It doesn’t guarantee anything. On the contrary, it can make your child think that smart means doing something easily. So, when things get tough, they might give up too fast and start thinking they are no longer smart. Therefore, instead of praising their character, praise their actions – praise them for good planning, organization, time management, research skills, etc. That way, when things do get more difficult, they will know that they still have the skills to overcome any obstacle – they just need to find the best way to use them.
Show love
Showing affection is extremely important for your child’s mental health. This means that you should hug them, cuddle them, and kiss them – but not just them. You should also show affection towards your partner and extended family. This way, you’d be teaching your child how to behave when, one day, they have their own family. It also teaches them not to be afraid of physical contact – and physical contact with a person they love can release stress and boost their mood.
Help them control their emotions
The area of the brain that deals with emotional control is very sensitive to parental influence. This means that you should be extra mindful when it comes to reacting to your child’s emotions. So, if they start crying because they want something they can’t have, the solution is never giving them what they want just so they’d stop. This would teach them that crying gets them anything. In other words, they would start crying again whenever they want something, no matter what it is. If you get frustrated, your child will probably imitate that reaction as well. Instead, try to react calmly, and praise your child when they calm down too.
Parents often pay so much attention to their children’s physical health, they tend to neglect their mental one. However, mental health is just as important, if not even more. It teaches them how to socialise, control their emotions, learn from their mistakes, and not give up when things get tough. So, make sure to put effort into improving your child’s mental health, and they are bound to grow up into mature, healthy, and happy adults.
