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children's mental health
The mom of three bonded with kids during her visit to highlight Children's Mental Health Week.
I've spent considerable time reflecting on the long-reaching impacts the difficult news can have on families.
Each one of us knows a child or a teen who is struggling with either depression, anxiety, an addiction or a behavioural disorder like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Mental illness not only causes high levels of distress in children, but can also interfere in significant and real ways with their lives.
“I couldn’t believe it. It was such a kind gesture.”
As children move towards the last few years of elementary school, and especially as they move into high school, many become less and less likely to tell a parent or other adult if they are being bullied or are in over their heads with a peer issue. Often this is because they feel that telling an adult won't help or even that it might make the situation worse.
Like adults, many children might show stress through changes in their behaviour, such as through tantrums, often due to the inability to cope with multiple stressors such as lack of sleep, hunger, or multiple setbacks in a day.
She's hoping to bring more awareness to children's mental health.
When I read Kim John Payne's book, Simplicity Parenting one message leapt off the page. Normal personality quirks combined with the stress of "too much" can propel children into the realm of disorder. A child who is systematic may be pushed into obsessive behaviours. A dreamy child may lose the ability to focus.
"What I try and do most with my kids is instil in them the idea of respect towards themselves."
Parenting expert Alyson Schafer shares five pillars for nurturing mental health in our kids.
