Let's Talk About Mental Health: A Guide for Parents and Kids

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Hey awesome parents and kids! Taking care of our mental health is important, especially when times get tough. Here is a simple guide to help you learn about mental health — what it is, why it matters, and ways we can take better care of our minds every day.

Mental Health: What's It All About? You've probably heard the words "mental health", but have you ever wondered what it really means? Mental health is all about our social and emotional well-being — in other words, it’s how we feel when we’re with other people and when we’re by ourselves. Kids today especially face so many challenges that can impact their mental health. Pressures of school, social interactions, and the digital age can be a lot for kids to process.

Balancing The Stress Bucket: Imagine we each have a stress bucket sitting on top of our heads. School, friends, family—these fill up our buckets with different stressors. As the bucket fills up, it gets heavier and harder to balance, which can make us feel overwhelmed. So, it's important to empty our stress bucket by doing healthy things, like getting enough sleep, eating well, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Of course, stress is a natural part of life. The goal isn’t to completely eliminate stress — that’s not realistic. The goal is to be as healthy as possible so that we can manage the stress that comes into our lives with compassion and resilience.

Mental Wellness Journey: Mental wellness is like a lifelong adventure. It's not about always being happy but managing well in our day-to-day lives. We are all going to have good days and bad days, happy and sad days. Our mental wellness will go up and down throughout our lives, and that's completely normal.

However, While mental health is something we all have, mental illness is just one part of it. Mental illness involves mental health problems linked to high distress or problems in daily life. It's helpful to know that everyone has feelings, but not everyone has a mental illness.

Signs To Look Out For: Recognizing signs of potential mental health issues helps adults step in as early as possible. Experts suggest that adults pay attention to the following indicators that their kids may show:

  • Changes in Behavior: Sudden and significant changes in your child's behavior like increased irritability, withdrawal, or aggression.

  • Difficulty Concentrating: Academic challenges mixed with an inability to focus can be a sign of stress overload or anxiety.

  • Physical Symptoms: Complaints of frequent headaches or stomachaches, which have no apparent medical cause, could be from emotional distress.

  • Sleep Disturbances: Changes in sleep patterns, including difficulty falling asleep or frequent nightmares, are important to note.

Enhancing Children's Mental Well-Being: Adults are important role models to kids when it comes to healthy behaviors and seeking help when it’s needed. Here are some ways we can bring out the superheroes in ourselves and our children:

  • Open Communication: Establishing open lines of communication between parents and children helps create a safe space for kids to express their thoughts and feelings.

  • Promoting Healthy Habits: Encouraging regular physical activity and a balanced diet can positively impact a child's mental health.

  • Limiting Screen Time: Managing screen time is essential in the digital age, and engaging in activities that promote face-to-face interactions.

  • Seeking Professional Help: If parents observe persistent signs of mental health issues, seeking professional help is crucial. Child psychologists and psychiatrists can provide assessments and interventions tailored to the child's specific needs.

Mental Health Practices To Try: Getting into the habit of noticing when our stress buckets are too full and practicing stress-busting activities can be a big help to keep our minds and bodies in better balance. Here are some practices you can try with your kids:

  • Magic Breaths: When things get a bit overwhelming, try taking some magic breaths together. Breathe in slowly, counting to three, and then breathe out counting to three again. It's like a little magic trick that helps calm our feelings and make our nerves feel better.

  • Flip Those Thoughts: If you notice you’re feeling bad about yourself, recognize those thoughts and switch them for positive ones. For example, if you are down on yourself for doing badly on a test, tell yourself you know you didn’t do your best, but you are someone who will always improve and make each new attempt better than the last. Training your brain to let go of the past gives your mind room to welcome in the joy of the present and be enthusiastic about the future!

  • Feeling It Out: Sometimes our feelings just need a little expression. Draw them, dance them, write them, or talk them out with someone you trust — even talking your feelings out in private to your favorite toy can help! Getting your feelings out helps release them from your body. It truly does help you feel better!

Helpful Resources: Here are some great resources you can turn to for more education, tools and specialized help:

Final Thoughts: Mental health is a big deal, but it's not as scary as it may seem. We can all play a part in taking care of our mental health and supporting each other. Remember, you're not alone, and taking care of our mental health is something we can all do together! 💖

The Disagreement Duel: What Can Be Done When We Don't See Eye to Eye?

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There are a lot of things in this world that we all can agree on. We all know how yummy ice cream is. We also can agree that music is fun to dance to. And what about reading stories? Books are always a fun way to spend time together. But what's the best ice cream flavor to eat? How about the best song to listen to? What if I want Mommy to read an adventure book, but my little sister wants to hear a story about a silly pet? There are plenty of times when it can be challenging to agree on something. There is a variety of different things that people have opinions on, and sometimes those opinions can clash. Even with friends and family members you typically agree on everything with, there can be moments where you disagree. So how can you handle disagreements? Is there one right way to make sure you never disagree again?

Knowing how to interact with people who don't always agree with you is a good habit. We might not always see eye to eye with others, but it's important to remember that everyone has their own opinion and that it's okay to disagree sometimes. We all have different points of view and often think there's only one way to tackle an issue.

There are a bunch of ways to handle disagreements productively. It's very easy to slip into an argument when you disagree with someone. When your Mommy tells you and your little brother to pick one cereal at the supermarket, and he wants Fruity Pebbles, but you want Cheerios, that can turn into a disagreement, and you might not be able to come up with a solution. That's okay. Sometimes we are so focused on convincing others that our opinion is better. An excellent first step is recognizing that our opinions on some things might not be the best way to settle a situation. Being respectful is a perfect start to handling disagreements. Even if you disagree with your little brother, it's still important for him to voice his opinion. This means not being rude or saying things like, "That's silly. Cheerios are better!" Like you, your brother has the right to have his own opinion.

We must also listen actively, which is a way of paying attention to what they are saying. Sometimes we believe our opinion is so right that we forget to look at the other person's perspective. Take a moment to consider why their opinion is different by asking questions, being kind, and always saving your response for after they finish talking.

Another way to approach a disagreement is by looking for common ground. Common ground means finding something in their opinion you might agree with. If your little sister wants Strawberries, but you want Raspberries, think about what you like about strawberries. You may like how they taste in a cake. Compromise can be a great way to settle a disagreement.

It's important to take care of yourself and not let an opinion different from yours make you feel upset or angry. But sometimes, when we cannot agree, even after practicing all of our steps, the best thing to do might be to walk away. Take a second to cool down and let the other person cool down too. Remember, when disagreements are little or big, you can't forget to ensure you are okay at the end of one.

Everyone is different and has a unique way of viewing the world. This diversity is what makes friendships so amazing! It's important to respect and appreciate these differences, even when we don't agree. Keep your Super Power of Kindness handy when you have disagreements. You'll be glad you did!

ANGRY! What can I do when my child gets frustrated?

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Life is full of super great moments! Each adventure can bring excitement, happiness, and lots of fun. But sometimes, moments can get us a little frustrated or even angry. An angry mood can sometimes damper the joy of an adventure, and it can be hard to get rid of that feeling. So what do we do when kids feel a little frustrated? How can we recognize things that upset them? And what do we do after they're done being angry?

An important thing to remember is that everyone can get angry. It's a normal emotion that you and your kids feel sometimes. People often get frustrated when things go differently than planned, when something is a little tricky to achieve, or if they can't get something they want right away. These things often lead to angry reactions like yelling, screaming, or crying. The results often create a larger and more stressful situation.

Children require their emotions to be validated, and recognizing anger is essential in resolution. Being angry is a proper emotion kids feel is true and real to their situation. It's often hard to remember that in heightened circumstances. Something to remember, however, is that although that feeling is valid, behavior is something your kids can control. A more likely situation that creates frustration between you and your child isn't their anger; it's the behavior that follows. Being angry is okay. How you work out that anger appropriately is a workable course during outbursts.

A great start to helping your child handle their anger is checking in with your emotional response. None of us are perfect regarding flare-ups and terse situations that can spring up suddenly. An awareness helps diffuse things that tend to escalate into a problem. A child receiving the wrong side at mealtime or bringing the wrong toy on a car trip can sometimes be catastrophic. While these situations seem inconsequential to us, to a child, who doesn't have the life experience to process their emotions appropriately, these moments can cause major upset, which in turn can cause you frustration. 

Remember that not reacting to your child's behavior doesn't mean you've given in. It's important to understand that appropriate disciplining isn't in the middle of a meltdown. Employ methods that work for you and your child. An example, encourage your child to take a breath alongside you or give each other space. Problems are best resolved when tempers are settled. 

Please encourage your child to get familiar with their signs of anger. You can help diffuse a situation by noticing when an eruption can occur. Recognizing physical signals like jaw-locking and fist-clenching can help you by getting ahead of a potential crisis.

Some children tend to feel embarrassed or sorry for their emotional outbursts. A practical way to confront uncomfortable emotions is to approach them calmly and in a way that leads to a productive outcome. A helpful method following an eruption can be discussed openly with your child. Ask them why they were upset, what triggered that response, or how things could have ended differently. Remember that your child can set the tone of what they're comfortable discussing. If frustration remerges, drop the conversation, you can always return to the topic at a calmer time.

Anger happens. It's an emotion that we all share. Although it can sometimes be frustrating, listening with attentive ears, a rational mind, and an open heart can help any little superhero! The best part about the people we love is their varied emotions and ability to compromise when things get rough. 

We found these articles helpful in researching this blog post:

Responding to Anger in Children

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/passive-aggressive-diaries/201402/reponding-anger-in-children

Helping Your Child With Anger Issues

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/children-and-young-adults/advice-for-parents/help-your-child-with-anger-issues/

Angry Kids: Dealing with Explosive Behavior

https://childmind.org/article/angry-kids-dealing-with-explosive-behavior/