Taking Time for Your Kid's Mental Health

Creative Commons / Kristina Alexanderson - Flickr

Hey, Friends. 

Normally, every year about this time, I'm raving about avoiding the summer slide and sneaking in a bunch of learning with your kids.

But I'm not doing that just yet this year because I honestly have not been doing that with my kids. This year has been rough on all of us and I think our kids need a break. They need time to just be with you without pressure or stress. I know, I know... easier said than done. But I do think it is critical for us to spend a few weeks focusing on our kids' emotional health. 

In fact, I feel this is so important that I wrote about it for PBS SoCal. Hop over there and read about the different ways that you can focus on their mental health by helping them let their worries go and feel a sense of security.

Anxiety manifests itself differently in children. They complain about their stomach. Or they have "bad attitudes." Or if they are younger, they start crying or whining a lot more than usual. If your kids seem mad or difficult or argumentative, maybe that's their way of asking for help. They need reassurance from us. They need to know things are going to be okay. Even if you think they won't be, you need to provide that sense of love and security that your kids need from you.

So don't worry about what they're learning - or forgetting! - right now. Focus on comforting and creating as peaceful a home environment as you can. Help them learn to face difficult times and survive the storm without sacrificing their emotional well-being.

I'll be providing resources soon for summer learning. But before you worry about that, take care of this.