Life consists of pleasant surprises and unpredictable twists. No matter our best efforts to shield them from every little pain, life can and will throw them curveballs when they least expect it. So it’s essential for parents to prepare their children on how they can cope with disappointments and failures.
How to do this? Start by acknowledging that your child’s mental health is as significant as their physical health. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “being mentally healthy during childhood means reaching developmental and emotional milestones and learning healthy social skills and how to cope when there are problems. Mentally healthy children have a positive quality of life and can function well at home, in school, and in their communities.”
Support your child’s mental health through any of the following ways:
1. Create a sense of belonging.
When these tiny humans feel a sense of identity and belonging, they feel safe, secure, and motivated to succeed. They need strong and positive relationships—within the family, at school, or in the community—that make them feel there are people who care about them and believe in them. This gives them the confidence to take risks, learn more, and aim higher.
2. Acknowledge their emotions.
This is one of the most important things we can do as parents. There’s so much going on in their own little world, and our kids need our help in dealing with all these emotions, big and small. Ensure that your little one knows that all emotions—the good, the bad, and the ugly—are valid. They need to know that being happy is not the only acceptable emotion, that it is totally fine to feel mad and sad. When they feel heard, they feel loved and understood.
3. Empower your child through positive affirmations.
Give your little one’s confidence a boost by speaking powerful positive words to them. Verbally acknowledge their efforts and tell them specifically what made you proud of them. Kids need to hear what makes them special and amazing. When they know their worth, it will be hard for people to tear them down or make them feel incapable.
4. Do not spoil your child.
We do not want to raise kids who feel entitled, so be careful not to overindulge your little one. Children who are used to getting whatever they want when they want it miss out on learning important life skills, including self-discipline, hard work, and patience.
5. Take an interest in their interests.
The things you love doing now mostly stemmed from your childhood experiences. It will be the same for your little one, so wouldn’t it be a great feeling to have their parents support what they like? Encourage them to explore and discover activities that spark joy in them, and support them in endeavors that get them excited. Not only are you cultivating a love of learning, but also teaching them to be independent and confident in their choices.
6. Promote positive behaviors and model them.
People kids look up to while growing up can create lifelong impressions on them, and affect how they tackle difficult situations in the future. So it’s important that they have good role models who they see practice positive behaviors such as respect, sincerity, kindness, compassion, integrity, and accountability. Simply put, they serve as examples to these young ones on how to live a meaningful life.
7. Do not expect perfection from your child.
Our quest for perfection can sometimes cost us our relationships. You are in no way a perfect parent, so why expect your child to be one? Trying to exceed expectations can cause stress on your kid and destroy their self-esteem. Allow them to make mistakes as it can be a great learning opportunity to become a better version of themselves.
