National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day (5/5)

National Children’s Mental Health Day was created to raise awareness about caring for children’s mental health. This day is the perfect time to educate, share, and advocate for mental health care for all children. If you're trying to think of how you can participate in this year’s National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, a few options include:

Educating yourself on the symptoms of mental illness in children, mental health resources available to children in your community, and ways to care for a child’s mental health
Spreading the word. It doesn’t matter how you spread the word. What matters is that more people are made aware of how important mental health is for a child’s happiness and development.
Volunteering your time. Many mental health organizations are working to battle the stigma around mental illness. Volunteer your time to help them win the fight.
Taking the steps to prioritize your child’s mental health and wellness.

3 Ways to Care for Your Child’s Mental Health

Most parents will do anything to make sure their child is healthy. They’ll teach them proper hygiene, make them eat all of their vegetables, and show up early to every pediatric wellness exam. One sure way to ensure your child is happy and healthy is by putting in the effort to take care of their mental health. A few ways you can do that are by:

Creating a Safe Space for Your Child to Open Up

Work to create a relationship with your child that allows them to feel safe opening up to you about absolutely anything. Listen to what they have to say. Let them know that they can do nothing to lose your love because it is unconditional. And lastly, don’t leave any topics off-limits. While it may be uncomfortable for a moment, allowing your child to open up about anything and everything to you will be a great way to ensure they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Teach Your Child Good Self-Care Habits

Teaching your child how to care for their health and wellbeing will greatly benefit them as they move through life. It's never too early to teach them:

Good sleep hygiene
Relaxation techniques
How to say “no.”
Ways to care for their physical health
Effective problem-solving skills

Understanding the Signs of Mental Illness in Children

Educating yourself on signs to watch out for issues in your child’s mental health will prove extremely beneficial to their wellbeing. You want to be able to catch mental health issues as they arise so you can get your child the help they need. A few signs you can keep an eye out for include:

Appearing sad or withdrawn for two or more weeks
Attempting to cause themselves harm
Showing signs of intense panic, fear, or stress
Out of control behaviors
Intense mood swings
Severe changes to their behavior and personality
Appearing short-tempered
Acting violently toward others
Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
Immense worrying or fear that is impacting their ability to live a normal life
Struggling to concentrate
Substance abuse

In 2016, 1 in 6 U.S. children had been diagnosed with a mental illness, with depression and anxiety continuing to rise in probability. If you have been wondering how to deal with depression or anxiety in your child, we are here for you. Contact us today, and we will set you up with a mental health professional with experience helping children with anxiety, depression, or any other mental health issues your child may be experiencing.

References

https://www.apa.org/pi/families/children-awareness-day#:~:text=Each%20year%2C%20National%20Children's%20Mental,to%20a%20child's%20healthy%20development.
https://childmind.org/article/11-simple-signs-a-child-may-have-a-psychiatric-disorder/
https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html

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