National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day: Taking Care of Your Child’s Mind
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1 in 6 U.S. children aged 2-8 years (17.4%) had a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder in 2020.
Every year on May 7th, National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day reminds us how important it is to look after kids' mental well-being. From social media and technology to the aftermath of COVID, children face lots of challenges, which makes it even more crucial to understand and help them with their mental health.
This day shows that it's okay to talk about mental health and that we need to help children who are struggling. By learning more, we can stop kids from feeling ashamed and get them the help they need. New research is also showing that the earlier we talk to our kids about mental health and normalize it the better they handle struggles in life as well as navigate mental health issues throughout their lives.
Here are some simple ways we can help kids with their mental health:
Talk and Listen: Make sure kids know they can talk to you about anything. Listen to their feelings without judging them.
Stay Healthy: Eating well, sleeping enough, and getting exercise are good for both the body and mind.
Deal with Feelings: Teach kids that it's normal to have different feelings and show them ways to cope with tough emotions.
Get Help: If a child seems really sad or anxious for a long time, it's important to talk to a doctor or counselor who can help.
Be a Friend: Being kind and supportive to others can make a big difference in someone's mental health.
The biggest impact we can make in the next generation is by supporting their mental health and their ability to cope with the ever changing world around them. It is our responsibility as their role models to make sure all kids have a chance to grow up feeling good about themselves.
Whether you have little ones or teenagers, NCCC has several children and adolescent therapists on our clinical team - find them here and reach out to us today!
