Hey, it’s your girl Mary here. How have you been? As you know, this week is Children’s Mental Health Week and to celebrate this week, I thought I should share what I do with my adorable girls to support their mental health and well-being.
For some of you that do not know me yet, I have 2 beautiful queens who are 7 and 3, see their picture below:
But first, why are the Mental health and well-being of our children so important?
Mental health and well-being are critical for children's overall development and future success. When our children have good mental health and well-being, it allows them to handle the daily stresses of life, build healthy relationships, and succeed academically and socially. Therefore, promoting and supporting mental health and well-being in our children is essential for their growth and happiness.
Here are some ways I support my girls’ mental wellness:
I Listen to them: I encourage my girls to express their thoughts and feelings and listen to them attentively without judgment and distraction. I am not at the level that I want but at the same time, I am not where I used to be. I have had to be intentional about this aspect of my life where I am not distracted by work or business. When is their time, it is their time. I especially love our ride to and back from school because I get first-hand what their plans for the day will be and how their day went.
I validate their emotions: I used to snap and quickly tell my first daughter to stop being a cry-baby about every little thing but now I allow her to express her emotions the way she wants, and we then talk about what she is feeling and why she is feeling the way she is and what can we do about it. It is ok not to be ok, it is ok to cry about it and whatever emotion they are feeling is valid and important. This is the message I pass across to my girls.
I encourage healthy coping mechanisms: I teach my kids healthy and kind ways to deal with stressful situations through being kind, trying to understand why some things happen, and engaging them in creative activities such as painting, coloring, writing, word search, and puzzles. These sets of activities help calm their nerves.
I help them build resilience: I am now getting into the habit of teaching my oldest daughter how to bounce back from setbacks and challenges through positive self-talk and goal-setting. I do not take my children’s affirmations for granted. Every morning on our way to school, we share affirmations and our goals for the day and at the end of the day, they can tell me if they achieved their goals and how. If they did not, why not, what happened?
By providing a stable and supportive environment: Hubby and I try our best to provide and create a stable and supportive environment at home for the girls, we make sure we relate with their school to make sure they are in an environment where they can thrive and make them be part of communities that they can thrive.
All the above points are not to say I am a perfect parent in fact, I am far from that however, what I know is I try my best to be intentional about being involved in my girls’ lives.
So, what about you? How do you ensure the mental health and well-being of your children if you have any? I would love to know.
Please do not forget to like this post and share if you find it useful.
Love,
Mary