Mental Health for Kids 101

Mental health? For kids? Kids don't even know what that is.

You're right, but they still do feel. I personally remember my first experiences with deep sadness at age, and simply not having the words to express that. In today's post. I share a few reasons why it's important to teach children about mental health and some resources for doing so.

It helps them manage their behaviors. Kids feel a lot, giving them the resources can help manage acting out behaviors. Things like temper tantrums and behavioral issues in the home and school stem from a child having strong emotions and lacking the words to describe them. Think of anger as a balloon. It grows and grows until it pops unless you let some air out. Teaching kids to name their anger and learn how to manage it can help reduce behavioral issues. Rather than simply telling kids to calm down, take it a step further and teach them how to calm down.

It keeps them safe. Many times, kids experience traumas or abuses that might have been prevented had they knew what they were feeling. They usually know that the feeling is bad, but lack the words to share it. Teaching kids about their feelings and their bodies keep them safe.

It improves the relationship between parents and caregivers. It's no secret that the parent-child relationship shapes a child's future relationships. By creating safe exploration of emotions in the home, we arm our children with the tools for building a healthy relationship at school, and later on in their lives as well.

It creates children with a voice. Many children who learn how to silence their emotions become prone to problems in their adult life. They display issues around speaking up in relationships, at work, and even in friendships. Teaching children to observe, name, and manage their emotions makes them well-rounded and well-spoken adults. They are able to name and maintain healthy boundaries.

As usual, thanks for stopping by. Here are some helpful resources for your review.

See you soon,

Shaday