Take Care Of Children's Mental Health, Parents Should Do These 5 Things

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JAKARTA - Having a healthy mentality during childhood means reaching a milestone in development and emotion, learning healthy social skills, and knowing how to solve problems. In addition, mentally healthy children also have good quality of life and can carry out their duties as individuals well at home, school, and society.

But being mentally healthy doesn't just happen. Parents certainly play an important role in fostering good mental health, seeking support when needed, and guiding their children through life.

If you want to be a parent who is aware of the importance of your child's mental health. Here, VOI provides tips that parents need to do, reported by Very Well Family, Wednesday, June 21.

One of the most important ways to support children's mental health is to show unconditional love, said Jenni Torres, MEd, a senior former teacher and vice president of the curriculum and teaching for nonprofits Waterford.org. Tell children regularly that whatever they face, you love them unconditionally and always be there for them.

Children need to understand that humans make mistakes and should learn from those mistakes. Make sure you frame your child's mistakes as a learning medium instead of communicating this as a failure. Even if you are disappointed with a bad choice, your child should know that the disappointment you feel has nothing to do with your love for them.

Push, praise, and affirmation are ways that parents can not only build child confidence and self-esteem, but more importantly, support their mental health. Research shows that low self-esteem is associated with anxiety, depression, and academic stress, all of which significantly affect the quality of life of children. Low self-esteem can even lead to the idea of suicide.

Spending time together as a family not only strengthens family ties. But it also gives parents the time face to face with their children to learn their children's dreams and what they are fighting for. Spending time together also indicates that children are important and you care about what happens in their lives. You will also be more likely to recognize problems in your child's life if you spend a lot of time together.

Consistent communication can help children solve problems in difficult situations. You can also serve as a soundboard for them to talk about the emotions they face.

"Open communication allows children to feel free to explore their feelings," Torres said.

"Parents are also more aware that things happen to the heart if communication is consistently maintained," said Torres.

"One of the basic needs of children is to feel safe," Torres added.

When children feel safe, they thrive and learn quickly. The possibility of mental health challenges is also smaller and when mental health challenges really occur, they are just a biological consequence.

One way to grow a sense of security and trust is to create a safe home environment for children to discuss their feelings and concerns. For this reason, parents also need to be a good role model for children.

In terms of maintaining a child's mental health, it is important to be a consistent part of children's lives, not only talking to them but also spending time together. Children's mental health can develop significantly through your involvement in their lives, guidance, unconditional love, and support.