Helping Children Discuss Mental Health
Mental health is a huge subject, and there are a lot of things that need to be considered around it. More often than not, you are going to be looking at a lot of different options that you have to determine how to deal with it.
But, if you work with kids, you may have to work out a different approach to all of it. How can you be sure that you discuss it well and that they are going to get the help they need? How can you know that you’re doing what makes sense? And how do you stay on top of it? Here are some tips for talking about mental health with kids.
Be Kind
Kindness should be at the core of every conversation you have with your child, but it’s especially important when it comes to discussing mental health and the issues around it. You want them to know that it’s safe and that conversations about this sort of thing are perfectly acceptable in the situations when they come up.
Have Facts
Kids want to know facts. They’re sponges for learning, so you want to be sure that you have accurate, helpful information that they are going to be able to use in those situations. On top of that, if they know the facts about mental illness and everything that goes with mental health care, it helps them to have the tools that they need to take care of themselves and each other as well.
Take it to Their Level
Don’t put things too far above their heads. Use analogies, comics, toys, and other tools in order to bring it to their level. The easier that it is for a child to understand everything around mental illness, the easier that it’s going to be for them to grasp it. Plus, if they have a basic understanding of it, it becomes that much less scary when they come across it. In those situations, everyone gets the best results possible for the situation.
See what’s out there. With so many available resources, you’re sure to find something that makes sense and allows you to keep communication open with your kids. It takes time to really work out what it is that needs to be done but, in the long run, you’ll see that it benefits your entire family more than you may have realized it could.
