The ManicaPost
Dr Mazvita Machinga
FAMILIES and communities spend a lot of time concerned about their child(ren)’s physical health.
Are they eating the right foods? Are they not sick? Staying active?
That is all fine and in order.
But how often do we take proactive approaches to children’s mental health? The mental health of our children is more important than ever in the face of new challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and other economic challenges.
We should bear in mind that children’s sound mental health is an important part of healthy child development.
Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioural and emotional well-being.
For children, mental health is all about helping them reach developmental and emotional milestones, learning healthy social skills and being able to cope with problems.
Sound mental health enables children to build positive social, emotional, behaviour, thinking and communication skills.
It also lays the foundation for better mental health and their well-being later in life.
I call for everyone to take part in protecting children’s mental health. We all have a responsibility.
So how do we promote sound mental health of our children?
a) Be supportive, caring and nurturing to your child. This will help to build their confidence and self-esteem.
b) Persistent episodes of sadness, helplessness or hopelessness may be signs of a mental health issues, so please engage your children, have an open-door policy so that children can share what there are experiencing.
c) Help them to manage emotions and improve self-regulation — Talk about how feelings can be expressed in a healthy manner. The best way to teach your children to express their feelings is to set a good example yourself.
d) Praise your child’s appropriate expression of feelings and emotions.
e) Children who have had negative experiences early in their life (eg, trauma or maltreatment) may have trouble dealing with emotions, so please help them seek emotional support.
f) Help them improve independence and let them believe in themselves.
g) Help them manage stress in healthy ways and grow to their full potential.
h) Help children work through challenges and be able to make good choices, for example saying no to peer pressure, early sexual activities, substances, and drugs.
Remember mental health is as important to a child’s safety and well-being as their physical health and let us protect our children.
Let us help equip our children with abilities and skills to boost their resilience and other internal factors and to find appropriate ways of meeting their needs.
While it can be hard for adults to recognise when a child needs support with mental health issues, please know that help is available. Seek professional help where your child can speak out about the challenges they are facing.
Children can thrive and benefit from counselling and psychological support.
Everyone needs to help children and adolescents to cope with difficult and painful situations. So let us act now, our children are our greatest treasure.
Investing in our children today means investing in the future of our African continent.
Do not forget to wear a mask as you leave the house and maintain physical distancing.
Dr Mazvita Machinga is a qualified psychotherapist and mental health specialist based in Mutare. For Counselling and Psychotherapy services call 0771 754 519 / 0778 83 84 10 Toll Free Helpline 08080482
