Three things you can do to support your child's mental health, according to a clinical psychologist:
pandemic. Research studies have found startlingly high rates of depression and anxiety among our youth. Sadly it’s harder than ever to find therapists with openings. In this context, parents and other caregivers have a special role to play in safeguarding their children’s mental health.
The role of parents in their children’s mental wellness took on special significance for me when my own daughter went through a 2-year bout of intense anxiety and panic, which came out of the blue as she started second grade. My heart would break as she faced each school day, often through tears, sometimes begging us to let her stay home. In spite of my training, I felt powerless to stop her pain.
But then I realized that as parents we can draw on anything we have -- even our professional training -- to help our kids. Later she told me that the work we did together was extremely helpful, which is about the nicest thing a parent can hear. I was glad Ada gave me a hug right after she said it, because I wouldn’t have been able to speak through my tears.
Recognizing thoughts as stories that may or may not be true is an invaluable skill for letting go of unhelpful ways of thinking. We don’t have to argue ourselves out of our thoughts. Just realizing that we’re having a thought, which could be false, can make the thoughts less potent.Our feelings often come from the way we think. Thoughts like “I’m no good at this” can make us feel sad; thoughts like “My friend really likes me” can make us feel happy.
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