The last few years have been really hard on our kids no matter their age. For all too many of them, it can feel like everything is up in the air which can be a combination of scary and stressful. Our kids may not have figured out how to express these big feelings in a healthy way. Sometimes our kids end up acting out in unhealthy manners because they are struggling to process everything that is happening in their lives. As parents, being able to identify when our children are struggling and help them process their experiences can make a big difference in their growth and development.
Signs That Our Kids Are Having A Hard Time
Often our children do not have the language they need to be able to express what they are feeling. They might not be able to say they feel sad or angry or stressed and instead simply say things such as they feel bad or have a stomachache. They might also find themselves acting out as a way to process what they are experiencing. For example, if our children start to become more aggressive, they might be struggling with anger. If our children have a hard time getting out of bed or suddenly struggling with schoolwork, they might be experiencing depression. In general, whenever we see a change in the behavior of our children we should pause and consider what might be going on to cause such a reaction.
Developing Healthy Habits At Home
If our children are struggling it is important that we start by creating healthy habits at home. This involves everything from having everyone in the family get regular checkups at the doctor’s, to making sure we are all aware of our eating and exercising habits. Sometimes we wonder where our kids pick up ideas or behaviors but it often turns out that they pick them up at home. The more our kids see us modeling good healthy choices the more they are likely to become healthy adults. If we develop healthy habits for ourselves, we will both experience better health and know we are doing everything we possibly can for our children.
Asking For Help When Needed
Sometimes even once we have developed healthy habits for our children they still seem to be struggling. In these cases, it is important that we reach out to doctors who can help. It can be useful for a primary care doctor to share foods and exercise routines that are likely to help our kids thrive. On the other hand, it can also be useful to talk to a therapist about different therapy options such as DBT vs CBT if our child seems to be struggling with their mental health. No matter how much we wish we could know everything there is to know about keeping our children healthy we often have to turn to others so that we can support our children in the best way possible.
Taking Care Of Our Own Mental Health
In addition to needing to ask for help on behalf of our children, it is important that we take care of our own health. If we are struggling with the physical or mental challenges of being parents we will find that we are less able to respond to the needs of our children. Taking care of ourselves might look like talking to a medical professional or getting extra support from friends and family members. We often are so focused on those we love that we forget we need to take care of ourselves.
If our children are struggling the first step we should take is to see if we can determine what the underlying issue is. Are our children acting out because they are stressed? Are our children being extra clingy because we have not had enough family time together? Once we can identify what the issue might be we can find ways to incorporate healthy behaviors into our family’s daily routine. Sometimes we will find that we need to ask for help. We often are surprised at how often when we ask for help people bend over backward to help and provide us the support we need in order to be able to take care of our children and families.
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Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
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