Mental health is a massive problem in today’s world, especially for children who have debilitating diseases. But don’t worry because there are certain steps you can take as a parent to help your child through any tough time.
Luckily for you, I’ve put together this list to help you help your little one with their struggle. Please read on as I go over ten ways to protect your child’s mental health.
1. Know the Stats
First, it’s best to know the stats behind your child and what many other children will experience during tough times. Nearly five million children are diagnosed with a mental illness yearly.
This staggering statistic means that a mental episode can happen to anyone in the world, even your child, so always pay attention.
2. Manage Pain Immediately
Painful episodes will only lead to anxiety and depression because children won’t know when the next flare-up will happen. Manage painful episodes immediately with either medication or natural home remedies, depending on the severity of the pain.
3. Make Contingency Plans
Sometimes your children won’t be able to participate in certain activities because of the pain flare-ups, which can be isolating and traumatizing. In times like this, always try to give them a backup plan, like card games or lower-impact sports.
Once the flare-up subsides, they can return to their intense activity, knowing there are contingencies.
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4. Monitor Sleeping Habits
Sleep is often the first thing to go when your child has painful episodes with their illness. Unfortunately, since sleep is so essential to humans, your child is much more likely to develop a mental illness if they are sleep deprived.
Set strict bedtimes and be by their side when they have night flare-ups to avoid losing too many Zs.
5. Look Out For Weight Gain
Weight gain is another factor that leads to mental health breakdown because it impacts
