How to Speak to Your Teen about Mental Health |
Posted: June 13, 2018 |
As parents, it is difficult to think about yourself first before considering wholly of your children. You want to take care of the aspect of their physical health to make sure they are on track for educational and developmental milestones. However, it is easy to forget too that while our teenage children are rebelling against us and the world, they are not free of mental health issues despite their age. It is crucial that you speak to your teens about mental health. When you speak to your teens about mental health, be genuine. Do not fake it and try too hard - your children can sense that and will close up even more. It can be challenging to speak to teens as it is, so only approach a conversation with potentially sensitive and personal content with your heart on your sleeve. Do not put all the difficulties on your side - it will also be hard for your child. You may want to enter this conversation at your teen's level that is good on a genuine note. However, do not proceed to use slang and other ‘cool' phrases with them merely to show them that you can be young, too. It isn't a good strategy because this is not the kind of connection that your teen needs to take with you. You want to work toward building resilience, not merely trying to be cool. Let there be silence. If you pose a question to your teen, let them think about it and do not assume they are obstinate by taking their time to answer. They may be deciding whether they would opt to tell you what is on their mind, or how to say it. Be patient with them, as it is vital for people with mental illness or emotional issues to be patient with themselves - this is a valuable lesson to teach. If you are concerned about your teen’s mental health issues or potential substance abuse, do not make it evident by setting up a super-serious environment. You do not want this to seem like a lecture or a lesson to your teen, but only as an opportunity to open up about their emotional health. Go out for lunch, ice cream, to the mall or their favorite place. Make the conversation comfortable for both parties. Do not make the mistake that many adults do, especially when we assume that children and teens' issues are lesser. Mental health issues occur at any age, especially if trauma or bullying are involved. From 5 to 55 to 105, people can experience emotional pain. Even if your teen is anxious or sad about a crush, take them seriously, and they will see how genuine you are.
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