5 Things You Can Do Today To Support Your Teens Mental Health

5 Things You Can Do Today To Support Your Teens Mental Health

teens-mental-health

Did you know that the teen suicide rate has skyrocketed during quarantine? As the isolation has affected every adult, teens, tweens, and kids are suffering too with one in four of our kids in the USA having thought about suicide since the onset of the quarantine. It is heart breaking to read the statistics on suicide rates, it is brutal when I hear about another mom returning home, thinking their child is ok, to find them passed.

So, as we talk about depression, trauma, PTSD and other things mental health related, we must remember to consider our kids, at every age especially our teens mental health. As conscious parents, we strive to support our children in the best way possible, both mentally and physically. A strong, conscious relationship between parent and child does have a direct and positive impact on the child.

5 Things You Can Do Today To Support Your Teens Mental Health

  1. Be a positive role model. It is no secret our children mirror our behavior. Teaching them self-love by practicing self-love and modeling healthy, conscious habits each day will show them you love and support them. Practice kindness, understanding and patience as much as possible to help your teens mental health.
  2. Encourage them to share their feelings. Initiate conversations and invite them to tasks with you like cooking dinner, grocery shopping, yard work or changing the sheets when you can share how you are feeling and ask how they are feeling, how their day was, what is new with their friends or online.
    • Be sure to periodically remind them that you are there for them, no matter what emotion they are feeling, you will be there to talk them through it. It is important to talk about emotions with them even if it is uncomfortable, facing the uncomfortable is better than bottling them up and letting them explode. So, take a breath and be open and understanding of what they are feeling or experiencing.
    • Include praise along with things you see that they could be doing better. Keep it positive!
  3. Work through conflict together. Listen and try to understand when your child is going through something while looking for ways to calmly sort it out. Remember that everyone gets stressed. Avoid power struggles with your teen by being honest and transparent with your teen. If emotions run too high, take 15 minutes for you both to calm down and try again to discuss it. Set boundaries about communicating together. Teens are way smarter than we give them credit for so treating them as such with open, honest communication is always best.
  4. Take the time to support them. Kids need our time, our eye contact, our direct attention. Work together with them to set attainable goals that create an environment for them to become more independent while being supported, heard, and understood. Help them stay physically fit as well as they learn about their bodies.
  5. Keep the lines of communication open and do your research. Keep the conversation going, even if it gets awkward – especially if it gets awkward!! You know they will tell you fine and nothing the first few times you bring it up but keep trying! Your teens mental health counts on it.

If you have concerns about your child’s mental health, I have found this website to be a wealth of information. Learning, sharing, and talking about it can help to save our kids, so let’s keep talking about it. Share your great tips in the comments and be sure to come back for more posts on conscious parenting soon!

Malibu Mama Loves Xx

Author: malibumamaloves

I am a conscious mama, a dv survivor, a conscious trauma informed life coach who has overcome trauma and helps others turn their pain into purpose in facing their unhealed traumas.

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