By admin 
Mental health is a popular term. Lucky for us, today, there is much talking about emotional well-being among the youth, grown-ups, and seniors. But it is a topic that should be vital in one’s life since childhood. Indeed, children experience stress, behavioral disorders, and even depression. With this in mind, how can we help care for the mental health of children? Discover it below!
Why discuss child mental health
These early years are the foundation for the acquisitions the brain will be making in the subsequent years. Thus, provision for children’s mental health is a manner of taking care of our future young people, adults, and seniors. And in this manner also becomes one of the ways of our taking care of the communities.
In many instances, the first manifestations of mental illnesses occur quite early in life and increase much more rapidly in intensity in adulthood. The World Health Organization notes that about half of all mental health conditions begin by the time one is 14 years of age. This way, the debate and awareness over the subject matter also contribute to an early identification of mental health conditions.
How to take care of children’s mental health
Therefore, to care for your child’s psychological health, you first need to focus on the children themselves . A nervous or a aggressive child can also represent the situation that surrounds him or her.
Hence, one must be aware of the settings in which they are engaged. Anyway, most causes of mental disorders in children are bullying , too many screens in the hands of children, lack of love, excessive expectations from family and even traumatic and violent experiences .
This happens because children do not yet have the emotional skills to manage unpleasant experiences. And so, negative experiences can be related to their mental illness.
How parents can contribute
During childhood, adults are largely responsible for the emotional well-being of their children. To this end, it is important that they are alert to signs, represented by behaviors that are different from the child’s normal habits. Aggression , pessimism, difficulty concentrating or remembering, complaints of pain and lack of appetite are some examples.
Furthermore, it is important that caregivers are committed to promoting children’s mental health. In other words, creating healthy structures for them to grow and express themselves. Therefore, it is essential that parents are always close by , supporting each new stage of child development.
Just like adults, children need to talk about their anxieties and dissatisfactions. They need space to communicate. They also need to do physical and cultural activities to avoid mental overload and stress.
Finally, don’t forget to always reinforce that the child is capable. Build new possibilities together and show interest. With all these initiatives, it is possible to improve the quality of life of children. And, most importantly, contribute to their self-esteem and personal satisfaction .
When to seek professional help?
In general, it is necessary to observe children and pay attention to symptoms that persist for two weeks or more. If changes in behavior persist during this period, it is advisable to seek medical help, such as the support of a psychologist or child psychiatrist.
It is important to remember that diagnosis should be made exclusively by professionals. Instead of labeling, the only intention is to help with child development.
In fact, other situations in children’s lives can also motivate them to seek professional help. This is the case with school problems or changing schools, parents’ separation and even the arrival of younger siblings. After all, all of these issues can trigger stressful situations.
Here, the idea is to work with children through play and games . In other words, the issues are addressed indirectly by psychologists and psychiatrists. In addition, they respect the age range of each child.
Literature and children’s mental health
Sometimes literature addresses sensitive and delicate topics . And children’s books are also great allies for discussion and reflection with children.
In some cases, books help adults to illustrate real-life situations. In others, they awaken feelings. In this way, they work on empathy, respect, collaboration and many other topics. Issues such as bullying, friendship, homesickness, fear of the dark and the first day of school can be explored through children’s literature .
With this in mind, establishing a reading routine with children is a tip for parents or guardians to create moments of listening, dialogue and connection . Shared reading is an important way to encourage reading and help children deal with their emotions in a light and fun way.