Emotional health is just as important as physical health. It is important for kids to realize their abilities, learn to cope with emotions, and develop healthy social skills. To develop these positive traits, kids need a supportive environment. Adults have the responsibility to cultivate positive behavior in children and help them develop a positive perspective in life. The emotional needs of children shouldn’t be overlooked, as emotional health is vital for a child’s healthy development.
Children with good emotional health are able to
- Face and overcome challenges positively
- Have healthy relationships
- Manage their emotions and responses well
- Have good self-esteem
- Grow into self-reliant and cheerful adults
- Learn new skills
Sometimes, children learn certain things from parents that they don’t mean to teach the children. This happens when our children learn by watching us and imitating our behavior. To nurture the emotional well-being of our kids, we must first focus on our own emotional health. Have you seen toddlers pretend to talk like their parents on the phone using a toy? They observe everything we do. It is essential to be careful about the way we respond to situations and people in life so that we don’t give a negative message to our growing children.
Listening to your child and taking his/her feelings seriously is important. Spending some time with kids every day helps you learn about how they are feeling. Ignoring their feelings could lead them to frustration or withdrawal. It is also important that you don’t repeatedly force a child to open up but be patient and let the child feel comfortable.
A positive relationship with parents promotes the emotional well-being of children. The right support from home, school, and community fosters their emotional health and empowers them. Helping them learn from mistakes, accepting them for who they are, and correcting them gently are the building blocks of emotional health.