“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
– Frederick Douglass, abolitionist and statesman.
It has been studied and proven through decades in psychology how childhood trauma can change our mental health when we go into adulthood. Childhood is a very vulnerable stage of our lives, and negativity can have a huge impact on its development. Early life childhood problems are a major risk factor for the development of psychological and behavioral problems later in life. Hence why Frederick Douglass mentions how building strong children is easier, children with confidence, self-esteem, happiness, with the hope it will avoid psychological traumas in the future.
How can we contribute to children’s mental health?
According to the National Association of School Psychologists, there are some tips for parents and educators to follow to contribute to children’s mental health.
These include:
- Creating a sense of belonging: Often times, feeling left out can leave a child confused, with a feeling of loneliness, and it might give them trouble to communicate. A sense of belonging can give them strong and positive relationships and help build their self-esteem.
- Teaching them mistakes are okay and how to be resilient: Children might find themselves in difficult situations for them and not know how to react. Successfully facing difficult situations can foster resilience through asking for help, or guiding them to successfully go through it independently.
- Teach and reinforce positive behaviors: Teaching them good habits such as eating well, doing exercise, being kind to others, conflict resolution, are all behaviors that can help their mental health.
- Ensure a safe school environment: Feeling safe is vital to children’s learning and mental health. Promoting positive behaviors such as respect, responsibility, and kindness is necessary to build a safe space between them. Preventing negativity such as bullying and harassment can also make them feel safer. Adult presence can be necessary to ensure all safety guidelines are being followed.
If you are constantly surrounded by children, remember their mental health is vulnerable and important to take care of. This way, they will make great and happy adults in the future.
