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Mental Health Killers for Children – What Not to Do

stressed teen

Mental health is important to everyone. It controls every aspect of our life, how we see the world, how we interact with it and other people, and how we see and feel about ourselves. This also includes children, apart from children having the rough end of the stick, managing their mental health at the same time as they develop into young adults.

If you want to make sure your children are on the right path to mental wellness, here are a few things they should not be doing that can impact them in a negative way if excessive.

Put Too Much Pressure on Themselves

It is a difficult time growing up in the big, wide world. Trying to fit in, learn, prove yourself and make others proud is nothing short of tiring and can feel like the be all end all when someone is young. Make sure your children (or you) are not putting too much pressure on themselves to be or to attain a certain something, especially if the standards in their mind's eye are unattainable or unwavering. It is healthy to want to strive for goals, but having unrealistic expectations of themselves or being hard on themselves will only lead down a negative path. This can be especially detrimental if you have set the goal post for them.

All Work and No Play

Getting an education is important, as well as learning new life skills and trying out new things that could be of use in the future. However, not stopping to do the things they enjoy regularly will lead to burnout. You might want your child to get the top grades in school and have an idea about what you want their career to be, but stop for a second and think about what they might want and what not allowing them to be children will rob them of.

Make sure they have plenty of time to see their friends, explore their own interests, and have time to just relax and watch tv if they want to – this is much better for a mental wellness balance for both children and adults!

If you feel like there are expectations and pushback, it might be worthwhile to have a professional intermediate these strong emotions to help everyone find balance. Consider taking a look at Little Otter digital mental health solutions for children, an interactive family therapy service for everyone.

Not Enough Sleep

Children and teenagers need a lot more sleep than adults, and their circadian rhythm also changes to a different pattern, meaning they stay up later and need to sleep in more. While we are waiting for schools to catch up, it is worth letting your children sleep in on the weekends and whenever they are able to, as it usually means they need it. Not getting adequate sleep can be disastrous for anyone's mental health, so dispel the myth that sleeping in is lazy and let them regenerate and recuperate in peace.