3837
There is a silent tragedy that is unfolding today in our homes, and it concerns our most precious jewels: our children. Our children are in a devastating emotional state! Over the past 15 years, researchers have given us increasingly alarming statistics about an increasingly sharp and constant increase in childhood mental illness that is now reaching epidemic proportions:
The stats don't lie:
• 1 in 5 children have mental health issues
• A 43% increase in ADHD has been noticed
• A 37% increase in teenage depression has been noticed
• There has been a 200% increase in the suicide rate among children aged 10-14
What is going on and what are we doing wrong?
Children today are being over-stimulated and over-gifted by material and technological objects, but they are deprived of the foundations of a healthy childhood, such as:
• Emotionally Available Parents
• Clearly defined limits
• Responsibilities
• Balanced nutrition and a proper sleep
• Movement in general but especially outdoors
• Creative play, social interaction, gaming opportunities and spaces for boredom
Instead, these last few years have filled the kids with:
• Digitally Distracted Parents
• Forgiveness and permissive parents who let children "rule the world" and be the ones who make the rules
• A sense of right, to deserve it all without earning it or to be responsible for getting it
• Inadequate sleep and imbalanced nutrition
• A sedentary lifestyle
• Endless stimulation, technological nannies, instant gratification and absence of dull moments
What to do?
If we want our children to be happy and healthy individuals, we need to wake up and get back to basics. It is still possible! Many families see immediate improvements after weeks of implementing the following recommendations:
• Set boundaries and remember that you are the captain of the ship. Your children will feel safer knowing that you have control of the wheel.
• Offer children a balanced lifestyle full of what children NEED, not just what they WANT. Don't be afraid to say "no" to your children if what they want is not what they need.
• Provide nutritious foods and limit junk food.
• Spend at least one hour a day outdoors doing activities such as: cycling, hiking, fishing, bird/insect watching
• Enjoy a daily family dinner without smartphones or technology distracting them.
• Play board games as a family or if the children are too small for board games, let them be carried by their interests and allow them to be the ones in the game
• Involve your children in some homework or household chores according to their age (folding clothes, sorting toys, hanging clothes, unpacking groceries, setting the table, feeding the dog etc.
• Implement a consistent sleep routine to ensure your child gets enough sleep. Schedules will be even more important for school-age children.
• Teach responsibility and independence. Don't overprotect them against all frustration or all misunderstanding. Making mistakes will help them develop resilience and learn to overcome life's challenges,
• Don't carry your children's backpack, don't carry their backpacks, don't take them away the task they forgot, don't fight them bananas or the oranges if they can do it themselves (4-5 years). Instead of giving them the fish, teach them how to fish.
• Teach them to wait and delay gratification.
• Provide opportunities for “boredom”, as boredom is the moment creativity awakens. Don't feel responsible for always keeping kids entertained.
• Do not use technology as a cure for boredom, nor offer it to the first second of inactivity.
• Avoid the use of technology during meals, in cars, restaurants, malls. Use these moments as opportunities to socialize by training the brains to know how to function when they are in mode: "boredom"
• Help them create a “boring jar” with activity ideas for when they’re bored.
• Be emotionally available to connect with children and teach them self-regulation and social skills:
• Turn off phones at night when kids have to go to bed to avoid digital distraction.
• Become an emotional regulator or coach of your children. Teach them to recognize and manage their own frustrations and anger.
• Teach them to greet, to take turns, to share without being left without anything, to say thank you and please, to recognize the mistake and apologize (don't force them), be a model of all those values you instill.
• Connect emotionally - smile, hug, kiss, tickle, read, dance, jump, play or chat with them.
Article written by Dr. Luis Rojas Marcos Psiquiatra.
No comments:
Post a Comment