Supporting your child with their mental health

This is a collaborative post

Your child will encounter many challenges as they grow and mature, so it’s important they have good mental health in order to cope with whatever life throws at them. Of course if children are suffering mentally you should seek professional support for them, but as a parent there is a lot you can do to build the foundations of good mental health for your child. Read on to learn more about this from a private school in Dublin. 

Demonstrate how to deal with emotions

Children learn a lot from watching how their parents behave, so make sure your child sees you deploying healthy coping strategies when life gets tough. You could get them involved in helping you practise deep breathing, using exercise as therapy or writing in a journal, and encourage your child to try these calming activities themselves when they experience challenging feelings. Other ways to deal with stress, anger, sadness or frustration include making art, doing something relaxing like taking a bath, or spending time with friends and family. Your child will learn that these are healthy ways for them to manage difficult emotions. 

Encourage them to communicate

Talking about how we feel does us the world of good. Keep an eye on your child and look out for any signs that they’re withdrawing from life or getting increasingly anxious about it. Ask your child open questions that encourage them to express how they feel freely, but don’t interrogate them or they might feel threatened and clam up. Make sure your child knows you’re there for them whenever they want to talk (and that you won’t judge them), or if they just need someone to vent to. Often having someone simply listen to us relieves some of the burden and makes us feel a lot better.

Make sure they stay well physically

Physical and mental health are inextricably linked, and one impacts on the other in many ways. Encourage your child to get regular exercise, preferably outdoors in the fresh air, and eat a varied and nutritious diet (while avoiding sugary and fatty foods). Sleep is also of paramount importance when it comes to good physical and mental health, so help them develop a good sleep routine that ensures they’re getting enough good quality sleep. Your child will probably have homework to do regularly, and of course they must prioritise this, but make sure they’re spending time relaxing and socialising with friends as this is also important for optimum mental health.