Anxiety and Depression Conversations
Join us as Deana and Crystal have a conversation about anxiety and depression. Then keep reading for some invaluable tips on how to positively impact your kids’ metal health too!
How do I teach and nurture my child's mental health?
1. Praise them any chance you get.
This will help them develop positive self-talk and help with their self-esteem. Every kid needs at least one person who thinks the world of them and they know loves them without a doubt.
2. Teach them to see the positive in every situation and within people. Teach them to be optimistic. Teach the metaphor of a glass half full versus half empty.
3. Encourage them to talk about their feelings/emotions and what they go through.
Encourage crying as a way of healthy expression and release of feelings. Look for books to read to them to develop their emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence helps with our ability to recognize and understand emotions in ourselves and in others, so we can use the awareness to manage our behavior and relationships. Here is a link for a few options.
https://www.fractuslearning.com/the-best-15-books-to-raise-childrens-emotional-iq-and-teach-empathy/
4. Teach empathy.
Expose them to other cultures and people who are different than them. Expose them to others who have it worse off than they do. Encourage them to help others.
5. Teach them not to compare themselves. Comparison is a thief of joy.
6. Get them involved in sports and cheer them on.
7. Read the word of God to them.
8. Help them foster positive relationships.
9. Encourage a healthy sleep schedule. Discourage late-night screen time. Discourage unlimited screen time. Control what they watch and what enters their mind.
10. Teach them self-control by being an example of handling your own emotions well.
11. Teach them to respect authority.
12. Limit sugar and caffeine. Encourage healthy eating habits and exercise.
13. Eat meals together!
Sit at the dinner table and ask open-ended questions about how they are doing.
14. Encourage and teach meditation, deep breathing, and mindfulness.
15. Encourage outside playtime.
Take your kids to the park or other outdoor activities frequently. Nature is healing!
16. When they go through their teen years, don't openly share every mistake they make.
Definitely don't let them hear you talking about them and only confide in a few trusted individuals.
17. Encourage hard work.
Children need chores in the home to feel like they are a part of the family and learn to be responsible.
18. Get professional help for them when they have faced traumatic events in life and encourage seeking help.
19. Have talks with them about the differences between healthy and unhealthy ways to cope with their feelings.
For instance, yelling, throwing or breaking things, or using drugs are unhealthy. Some healthy ways to cope include: taking walks, taking deep breaths, being open about feelings, listening to calm and relaxing music, volunteering in the community, enjoying nature, spending time with family, exercising, taking a hot shower, reading God's word, or meditating.