How Parents Can Improve Your Children's Mental Health: Tips From A Child Psychologist

How Parents Can Improve Your Children's Mental Health: Tips From A Child Psychologist

What are our children so stressed out about? Why have rates of depression, anxiety and even suicidal ideation skyrocketed in the last two years? A recent study by the CDC revealed shocking statistics regarding the youth mental health crisis.

Recent studies show:

37% of high school students reported experiencing poor mental health last year.
44% reported they persistently felt sad or hopeless during the past year
55% reported they experienced emotional abuse by a parent or other adult in the home, including swearing at, insulting, or putting down the student.
11% experienced physical abuse by a parent or other adult in the home, including hitting, beating, kicking, or physically hurting the student.
29% reported a parent or other adult in their home lost a job. That is a lot to deal with for any family.

What Should Parents Do?

What we see is that our children are hurting because we are hurting as parents. This world is hurting. So, we must be our children's psychologist at times by managing their emotions. Emotions are the gateway to the soul and how we make sure our children are seen, heard and (most importantly) felt.

Parents are the primary anchors when it comes to our children's well-being and self-esteem. In order to be a great parents, we must be in tune with and respond appropriate to our children's emotions so that they can be well. In order to do that, you must coach your child towards managing their emotions.

Here are the five keys of emotion coaching to help your kids have better emotional and mental health.

1. Be aware of your child's emotions.

2. Recognize emotion as an opportunity for connection and teaching.

3. Help you child verbally label their emotions (use an emotion wheel).

4. Communicate empathy and understanding.

5. Set limits and help solve the problem if you can I pray this helps and drives your children towards better mental health, happiness and better family dynamics.

I pray this helps and drives your children towards better mental health, happiness and better family dynamics.