May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Atlanta Innovative Counseling Center is here to remind you that mental health is not only a priority for adults: mental health should be a priority for our children. Childrens mental health is something to consider sooner rather than later in a child’s life. In fact, you can practice “mental health hygiene” with your children from a young age.

In this article, we will discuss children’s mental health, especially as it relates to child health awareness; mental health hygiene in children; and mental health awareness month activities for youth.

Read on to learn more about mental health hygiene and strategies to help establish good mental health hygiene habits in children!

Childrens Mental Health

Children’s mental health may go unnoticed until an adult—a parent, relative, coach, or teacher—notices a problem. In other words, you might not think much about your child’s mental health unless something seems “off” or unless he or she has a traumatic experience.

Signs that your child is experiencing a mental health issue might include:

Trouble focusing
Shortened attention span
Obsessions
Compulsions
Stress
Worry
Loss of a loved one
Self-injury
Disruptive behavior

As mentioned in our previous blog post, “Signs Your Child Needs Counseling,” society tends to idealize childhood as a time of great joy, but it can also include events or problems children cannot cope with on their own.

What if we aimed to be more proactive about mental health interventions for children? Instead of waiting on signs your child needs counseling, what if your family made “mental health hygiene” a priority in your child’s life?

Mental Health Hygiene for Children

Mental health hygiene is associated with taking preventative measures to protect one’s mental health.

Just as we brush and floss to protect dental health, there are habits and behaviors we can prioritize to protect mental health.

We all know brushing our teeth, bathing daily, and basic grooming are essential functions, and we teach them to our children. We also know the consequences of not practicing good physical hygiene: most of us want to avoid bad breath, rotting teeth, body odor, and gnarly nails.

So why don’t we work to maintain our mental health in the same way we work to maintain physical hygiene? As Julie K. Hersh notes on the Psychology Today website, “Mental illness…is invisible. Humans have a long history of disregarding what they can't see.”

Parents, however, can work to become role models for good mental health hygiene themselves and to help establish these habits in their children.

So, which habits are associated with mental health hygiene? While this is not an exhaustive list, Jessica Dreistadt notes the following:

Express gratitude
Make time for play
Let it go
Nurture connections
Write it down

Encourage kids to practice these healthy habits and engage in them yourself to set a good example and to take care of your own mental health.

You can encourage children to express gratitude by talking to them about what they are thankful for each day. As part of a nightly bedtime routine, ask your child what he or she is grateful for and name some things yourself.

If your child is too young to talk, you could work to establish this habit by openly discussing gratitude in your own life in your child’s presence. You could also teach older children to keep gratitude journals, even if they just write a line or two each day.

According to Harvard Medical School, “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

These are exactly the traits most parents want to develop in their children!

Making Time for Play

Making time for play is another important element of mental health hygiene. For children, making time for play is literal: children should have time in their days to play.

Unstructured play time is a great way for kids to express themselves, develop creativity, and make discoveries.

Parents can also play with their children, which is a way to spend quality time and connect on a deeper level. In the age of digital distraction, prioritizing play time with your child for even short amounts of time can bring you both relaxation and joy.

Letting Go

“Letting it go” can be a harder concept for children to grasp. Without the benefit of much life experience, children cannot always appreciate that bad feelings or feelings of disappointment in day-to-day life do not last forever.

Parents can help put these feelings in perspective by using analogies and metaphors children can understand. For example, pointing out concrete images—water droplets rolling off a duck’s back, clouds passing by in the sky—can help children understand that things happen and then we move on.

For older children, play the five minutes, five hours, five weeks, five months, five years game.

Does (insert name of terrible experience here) matter in five minutes? How? What about in five hours? What will this be like in five weeks? In five months? In five years?

Of course, we’re referring to relatively “small” negative experiences here: persistent bullying, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and any potentially traumatic experiences should be brought to the attention of a health care provider right away.

Nurturing connections

Nurturing connections is another important way to practice good mental hygiene. This aspect of mental health hygiene has been difficult to achieve during the COVID-19 crisis. When social distancing is no longer recommended, you can plan play dates, movie nights, volunteer opportunities, and other outings for your family.

If your child loves nature, head to your local nature center or park. Walk in the woods and name the animals and insects you see. Even now, Zoom, Duo, and FaceTime offer a way to connect with friends and extended family. Virtual story times and camps are offered online, too!

Pay attention when your child seems lonely, and brainstorm ways to connect them with the people, places, creatures, and activities they love.

Writing about feelings

Writing about feelings is another great way to practice mental health hygiene. As children grow, encourage them to keep a journal, even if they only write a few sentences per week.

When they experience “big feelings,” help your children name these feelings and write about them or dictate words for you to write down.

If your child can’t write yet, encourage them to draw their thoughts and feelings. If your child is older, suggest writing a letter they don’t mail to work through their sadness, anger, or frustration.

For older children, writing poetry or stories can also be ways to cope with uncomfortable emotions.

Mental Health Awareness Day Activities

Like many health and social issues, mental health awareness is observed during a specific time to call attention to the ways it impacts all of us.

In your area, you might hear of Mental Health Awareness Month or a particular mental health awareness day and wonder what this means for your family.

Demonstrating Mental Health Awareness at home means talking with your children by introducing the concept of mental health to children and working to help them establish good mental health hygiene from an early age.

In addition to being a good role model and teaching healthy habits, there are other activities to engage in with your family to highlight the significance of mental health. Here are some resources for Mental Health Awareness that would work well in a classroom or at home:

· Activities and lesson plans for younger children

· Introducing mental health concepts to younger children

· A TED talk on “mental first aid” to watch and discuss with teens

Don’t forget that your child’s school counselor or your therapist can also be great resources for raising mental health awareness with children!

Atlanta Innovative Counseling Center is also here to help. We offer a selection of specialties and clinicians ready to support you as you parent and your children as they grow. Please visit our website and reach out to let us know how we can help. We are here for you!

Mental Health Awareness Month: Helping Children Develop Healthy Mental Health Habits