How to Teach Your Kids Healthy Mental Habits

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How to Teach Your Kids Healthy Mental Habits
Here are 4 easy concepts to get your child to tap into and understand their emotions at an early age.
BY KYLA STELLING

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Good mental health habits can be taught at a very early age.

“ It is important that emotions don’t run your actions, but instead you have an understanding and a plan for the regulation of your emotions.”

You are your kids’ most impactful teacher. You teach them how they should brush their teeth, put on their clothes, ride a bike, tie their shoes, carry on a conversation and wash their hands. Your teaching is accomplished through explicit, intentional efforts and also through modeling by example. But how are you modeling habits and lifestyle choices that send a message about mental health? Here are some ways to model mental health habits and show your child that everyone has their own path toward a healthy mind.

Emotional Awareness and Regulation

The daily struggles and setbacks in life have an emotional toll on your energy and mood. It is important that emotions don’t run your actions, but instead you have an understanding and a plan for the regulation of your emotions. When you are with your child and an inconvenience causes you to be emotional, think aloud through what you’re feeling so they can hear and see you acknowledge, process and regulate your emotional response. It is important you identify the particular emotion that you’re feeling, and then talk through the strategies you will use to make you feel more calm and in control.

For example, you would say, "I notice I am feeling frustrated that I can’t find what I’m looking for. I am going to take a break before I look again for the item, so I feel a greater sense of clarity. I will also take some deep breaths right now in order to bring my energy down." This kind of cognizant processing is related to Dialectical Behavior Therapy, which provides strategies and tools that support the management of emotions.

Mindfulness Exercises

Emotional awareness and regulation can also be mastered through preventative measures. For greater control over emotional regulation, you must regularly engage in mindfulness exercises. You and your child should engage in meditation for at least 10 minutes a day. Use a guided meditation app, like Calm or Headspace, which has sessions specifically designed for kids. The app will send you a daily reminder, which will help you and your little one stick with the healthy mind habit. Since everyone’s mind is unique and may need a different exercise, the app offers a variety of exercises designed to support anxiety, relationships, meeting goals, sleep and more.

Fuel for a Healthy Mind

Teach your child that a healthy mind is strongly connected to a healthy body. This concept may be a bit abstract and difficult for them to understand, unless they are able to feel the benefits. Go on jogs or bicycle rides with your child, and then ask them afterward how they feel. They’ll likely feel energized from the endorphins and be in a positive mood. Always ask them how they feel after they complete a physical activity, as that is a way for them to register that body movement has big benefits for the brain. You should also show kids that mental health is connected to whatever they put in their body. Eat well-balanced meals and buy healthy supplements that are designed to be mood-boosting, brain food. Look for information on healthy lifestyle products and supplements that will support strong mental health on Amway’s health-focused blog.

Fostering Relationships

Healthy, loving and enjoyable relationships are vital for a healthy mind. You teach this lesson to your children every day, when you show them acts of love and support. Your child also learns how to interact with others when there is any kind of tension or conflict through your interactions. When your child gets upset over sharing his or her toy or not having control over a situation with another person, model how to negotiate the situation with others. Their ability to work through arguments will help preserve their relationships with others and create greater opportunity for them to feel cared for.

Whether it’s group meditation or talking through emotions, there are a number ways you can show your child how to build healthy mental habits. The more you focus on healthy habits of the mind, the more your child will understand the importance of mental health and develop tools that will support their happiness, resilience and success.

Kyla Stelling is enrolled in the Master in Teaching program at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Previous career roles have entailed everything from design and event planning to public relations and child care. In her spare time, Kyla hikes the Cascade Mountains, designs elaborate cakes, and writes alongside her cuddly cat, Wellington.

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