Develop Mental Resilience in Order to Have a Happy Home
How to Help Children Develop Mental Resilience in Order to Have a Happy Home?
World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10 every year with the goal of raising awareness of mental health concerns throughout the world. The theme for 2018 is Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World, which is an extension of the previous theme.
According to the World Health Organization, half of all mental illnesses begin before the age of fourteen years. Adolescence is a turbulent period in a person's life when numerous changes are frequently occurring in their lives, and stress due to school, relationships, and family concerns may be at an all-time high. Modern worries, such as our increasing reliance on technology, might add to the already high levels of stress experienced during this sensitive period between childhood and adulthood.
However, while we cannot eliminate all of the stresses and challenges of modern life, we can assist young people in dealing with stress and adversity by fostering mental resilience. Building mental resilience in children from a young age can help them cope better with their feelings and external stresses, and it can also help them regulate mental health issues such as sadness and anxiety, which are common among youngsters.
The desire of every parent is for their child to grow up happy and healthy, yet the importance of mental health and resilience is often underappreciated. Here are some suggestions for how you might assist your children in developing this critical life skill at home.
1. Provide a nurturing and stable environment for your relationship.
According to the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child, supportive adult-child relationships are one of the most essential variables in helping children develop resilience.
In addition to providing children with a safe and secure environment in which to grow, a nurturing relationship with their parents or other caregivers serves as a model for future interactions with other people.
It is simple to foster a positive relationship with your children by spending quality time with them. Put your phone down to demonstrate that you are fully engaged in their lives and inquire about their day, or spend some time with participating in a fun activity.
2. Encourage your own initiative.
From a young age, you may assist your child in developing autonomy and independence by encouraging them to complete simple chores without your assistance, such as feeding themselves or getting dressed themselves.
As your child grows older, you can entrust them with greater responsibility and more difficult responsibilities, such as allowing them to assist you in the preparation of a family dinner or performing little household chores.
To encourage free play and the ability for your children to make their own decisions, simple, open-ended toys such as blocks, scarves for dressing up and building dens, and craft tools should be available. Avoid screen time and allow children to feel bored on occasion — finding something to do is a necessary part of learning to be self-sufficient in the long run.
3. Emotional Intelligence and Self-Management Training for Children
The ability to control one's emotions is a skill that few people have mastered, therefore it should come as no surprise that most youngsters struggle to control their emotions.
You can, however, assist your child in thinking before acting, even when they are experiencing powerful emotions, so encouraging self-control and preventing impulsive behavior.
Ensure that your children have plenty of opportunity to play with others so that they can learn how to cooperate and communicate with one another is a big part of this. Maintaining consistent discipline and assisting your child in dealing with frustration and anger in healthy ways, such as by talking about how they're feeling, should also be priorities.
4. Children Should Be Taught to Deal with Difficulties
It is crucial for your child to learn how to deal with and overcome obstacles from an early age. Your child's life is unlikely to be smooth sailing from beginning to end.
Resilient people possess strong problem-solving abilities, which are essential for their survival. You can assist your child with this by providing goals and tasks for them, assisting them in brainstorming possible answers, and enabling them to try, fail, and try again at their own pace, among other things.
Investigate whether you can involve your children in the everyday problems your family faces and see what ideas they come up with. For example, "we're late for school almost every day — what do you think we can do to improve this situation?" ”