KID'S MENTAL HEALTH IS AS IMPORTANT AS PHYSICAL NEEDS

almost 2 years ago

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog at this hour. Most parents or guardians are good at ensuring that their kid's physical health is top-notch from feeding them with nutritious meals, taking them to standard hospitals, spending time with them at the amusement park and so on. But, most times little attention is dedicated to how these kids feel, that is, their emotional and mental health. Emotional and mental health of a kid is as important as physical health. Well, sit back, relax and enjoy all that I have packaged for your reading pleasure.

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The emotional and mental support you provide to your kids is going to help them to grow into an adult that is mentally sound who can face the challenges of life with full confidence. The mental health is the nucleus of the general well-being of humans. In other words, if a person is not mentally sound it will affect them physically, emotionally and spiritually. This is because these areas of our well-being are intertwined and one may be negatively impacted if the other is affected. A child that has sound mental health will be able to do things with ease compared to one who is troubled mentally.

When you see a child that is able to carry out tasks smartly, think clearly, and possess the ability to catch up with learning new skills, then be sure that the child is mentally sound. This is the reason why you see that some kids speak like adults when you have a conversation with them. They have been groomed from a tender age and they also groom themselves as well. Kids like this have high self-esteem, high confidence, success driven, and they can make decisions on their own. It is not easy for a child to possess these qualities especially if they are faced with mental issues like social anxiety or depression.

Mental health issues can affect the lives of children negatively if it is not addressed as fast as possible. It can affect their academics when they do not attend classes regularly or even get them suspended or expelled from school if they engage in unlawful activities. In addition, a child that have mental health issues may be exposed to drug abuses, bullying, sex abuse, etc. Therefore, the same way parents ensure that their children wear the best clothes, eat the best foods, spend quality time at recreation centers, they must also pay attention to their mental health as well. These issues can be curbed or prevented if they are detected by parents or guardians before they get out of hand.

Parents are saddled with the bulk of the responsibility to ensure that their kids are mentally healthy. Healthy kids are a blessing to their family and to the community at large but it won't be possible without the parents playing their role to the fullest. Parents must make sure that they shower their kids with so much love. Let them know that you will always be available for them no matter what they go through in life and that you'd not forsake them when every other person does. Even when you scold your children for their wrongdoings let them understand that you still love them unconditionally but you are not pleased with their actions rather than instilling fear in them.

The quality of a child's mental health can be affected when they suffer from low self-esteem resulting from depression, loneliness, anxiety. The best way to boost a child's self-esteem is to praise, encourage and motivate them at all times. Children feel more motivated when you praise them for their good character or performances. Rewards their could also be a way to boost confidence and self-esteem. I remember how my dad use to leave some of his food or meat for us to eat when we were growing up as a way of showing us love. These little gestures can make kids active and smart in the house, school and anywhere they go.

All contents are originally written by me, @williams-owb

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Williams Oluseyi is a Linguist by discipline from one Africa's Most Prestigious Citadel of Learning, Obafemi Awolowo University. He developed interest for blogging at very early stage which motivated him to study English Language in College. He is a prolific writer, an inquisitive and judicious reader, to say the least. To get his daily bread, he is currently working in a Logistics company in Nigeria.