Kids’ mental health crisis has become a crucial topic in the new normal. Find out if your kid or teenager is suffering due to poor mental health now.
Mental Health Crisis
Mental health crises are often overseen by adults until the condition worsens. Kids on the other hand are unable to express their problem and parents generally wave it off as a temper tantrum. Mental health was given high importance during the pandemic, especially for quarantined patients. Now we have stepped into a new normal and the need for mental health is fading away again.
UNICEF has advised that unattended kids’ mental health crises could pose long-term damages. Children and teenagers are the future generation and exposing them to high stress at a tender age could be traumatic. They should be monitored constantly to ensure good mental and physical health.
Children’s Mental Health
Pediatrics advise that a child should get ample space to play and work out. They also mention the importance of meeting new people in the initial 10 years to grow into healthy adults who are good at socializing.
Everybody cannot afford a spacious house and staying in a cramped house during the lockdown has its own effect on your child’s mental health. Getting your child to go out and play is a difficult task given their routine for the past two years. Doctors advise that children should be taken out as much as possible following COVID-appropriate behavior to get them used to the outside world.
Depression in children and teenagers may not be apparent for parents. Address these issues as soon as possible. Get your child tested regularly, listen to them, look out for red flags, and ensure that they know you are there for them at all times.
Mental Health Crisis for Kids
A child pestering for your phone, hiding behind your leg, or a child that is not interested in burying itself in books may look like a simple thing at first. Get your child to socialize or expose them to the world if the behavior persists.
It is important to understand that children can be introverts too, make sure they are comfortable meeting people or going outside. Take things slow and steady, children need a lot of time to train and understand how things work out. Look out for their friends, a friend with poor mental health could be influencing your kids too.
A happy community is the key to a happy individual. Participate in community activities with your kid, you are their initial role model.
Mental Health Crisis Planning for Kids
Include them in the plan! Ask them what they want to, explain the situation even if they can’t understand. Children are good at identifying body language cues and they will definitely understand a problem if they can’t speak yet.
Look out for symptoms pertaining to ADHD, anxiety, stress, depression, autism, bipolar disorder, low intelligence, eating disorder, schizophrenia, and behavioral issues.
Never brush a probable disorder as a seasonal or just a “lockdown” side effect. Small things can have a huge impact as they age. Take care of yourself in the process, at the end of the day they will always look up to you.
