Learn more about our resident mental health expert and author of Mental Health Mondays, Jade Savage.

Hi Moms!

I hope everyone is doing ok! The last couple of weeks we have focused on you mommas! Because you deserve it and motherhood is complicated! Also when we focus on ourselves, it shows our children healthy habits and mental health expression. We lead by example, because trust me, those littles are watching! But turning the wheel, today we are talking about our kids and their mental health! Let’s dive in.

Tips for the Kids

It can be hard to navigate our kids’ mental health and their big emotions, and how we help them through it. I am going to go over a few tips that you as moms and with your partner can help set in your homes to help those kiddos be effective with their mental health.

1. Talk Openly About Feelings – One big way to help your children with their mental health is to always be in communication with them. Keep the channel open so that they feel comfortable talking to you when/if they need to. A way to do this is to reassure them that you are a safe space for them, and no matter their feelings you will be there for them. Be present with their feelings, and make sure that you don’t rush over them. Give them the space to feel them and understand them, and then talk about moving forward.
2. Simple is Best – Sometimes you might be thinking “How should I talk to him about this?” or “How am I supposed to tell her this news?!” Keep it simple. Whatever you might feel you need to talk to them about, make sure you put it in terms that are easy for them to comprehend. If you are worried about overwhelming them, don’t use big words or explain every detail because that will result in feeling overwhelmed. Understand what needs to be expressed and how simply you can express it.
3. Turn off the News – Of course, you can do whatever you want in your own home. However, I would like to advise you to pay attention to how much the news is on and how much they might be listening to. There is something about educating our children, but also allowing them to continue to be children without having to hear negative and complex situations. We don’t get to be kids for very long, so cherish that time and keep them young without bearing any unnecessary weight of what’s going on around the world. Which brings me to my next tip.
4. Prioritize Play – Making sure that your children have time to play and be children is going to be very helpful in regard to their mental health. Our children’s lives can be so busy with school, after-school activities, family activities, activities with friends, sports, music, and so forth. Allowing them space to be creative, play, and be comfortable will help balance their days and schedule, where they are able to decompress and be in touch with themselves.
5. Movement – Just as I recommended movement for yourselves, movement for our kiddos is just as important. Especially today when technology is all over the place, making sure that our children have time away from screens and moving their body is going to be essential for their mental health. Moving their body is healthy for their physical body and their mental health. Kids are so active, so it can be easy to notice when they are not. This is where you can step in and encourage them to go for a bike ride, shoot hoops, go play volleyball with friends, go play tag, and so forth. And join in with them! Getting movement and quality time, even better!

Here are five tips for you as parents to help your children with their mental health! I plan to continue to grow this list and offer more tips that will help you help your children’s mental health and setting them up for success! A great way to encourage and practice these tips with your children, is doing them for yourselves as well! They will watch you and pay attention. Make sure we are showing our children health and positivity!

Thanks for chatting with me today! Your kiddos deserve to be children and to effectively manage their mental health! You are the biggest role model for them, so I encourage you today and every day to take care of yourself, because it directly affects your family! Always remember to be kind to yourself. You deserve love and happiness. See you next time!

Reminder: this is not a form of therapy/counseling. If you are experiencing negative mental health symptoms, I encourage you to reach out to a local mental health professional so that you are able to get direct help.