How To Help Keep Your Kids Mentally Healthy Through Adulthood

We all want our kids to be happy but do we ever consider our kid’s mental health? Mental health is just as important as physical health. Not only does it involve emotional health, but it has everything to do with their quality of life and affects their physical health as well. There are some mental health issues that are developed genetically or biologically and certainly can’t be prevented, but the overall emotional and mental health of your child can be nurtured, challenged and developed in a healthy environment. Here are three ways to help keep your kids mentally healthy through adulthood.

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Make Quality Time

Although an obvious method, we tend to overtax our time and miss small chances to develop our kids socially. Schedules are important because kids learn through consistency. Simple things like family dinners, bedtime stories, doing chores together, and lunch dates all have a particularly positive impact on kids. Professionals with a Masters in behavior analysis have discovered that kids that engage in regular family dinners and quality time with parents are more likely to have better grades and are less likely to use drugs.

Monitor What They Watch

Television, social media and music all affect our kid’s mental health in some way. That is why it is important to decrease chances of them viewing and hearing violent media from video games, movies and music. Nudity and lascivious scenes on television can also have negative impacts on the self-esteem of girls. It can also have a negative effect on boys. Playing an active role in what your kids are viewing and engaging in on mobile devices using social media and gaming sites can be a little frustrating. Again, consistency is relevant. Set boundaries and your kids will eventually understand and respect them. As a parent, getting involved with their media exposure is important.

Keep Them Busy

Get your kids in activities that they enjoy. You can help discover things that they are interested in by simply spending time with and talking to them. Try to find at least one activity even if it’s exercise, which is also good for mental health. It’s particularly important to find activities that would involve their peers.

Although there are many ways to help your kids stay mentally healthy, there are never any guarantees that you will do everything right. Consider the facts along with your child’s individual needs and personality. You are their biggest fan!