### Every Day Is a Chance to Strengthen Your Child’s Mental Health
As parents and caregivers, each day presents a chance to gift your child the most valuable thing: a solid foundation for their mental health.
### Table of Contents
**What’s Your Wish for Your Child’s Future?**
If you could only have one wish for your child’s future, what would it be? For many, it’s “I want my child to be happy.” But what does that truly mean?
– Does it mean they love and understand themselves, recognizing both strengths and challenges, and sharing their unique gifts with the world?
– Does it mean having the emotional skills to handle feelings healthily and build satisfying relationships?
– Does it involve having the resilience to face life’s ups and downs?
Often, true happiness involves the key elements of good mental health.
### You Have the Power
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed about your child’s mental well-being, especially with worrying statistics. However, remember that parents hold significant power in this area. The environment you create for your child offers many opportunities to nurture their mental health now and for the future.
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**Ways to Support Your Child’s Mental Health:**
1. Love them without conditions.
2. Talk about feelings openly.
3. Listen before you speak.
4. Allow time for play.
5. Use respectful discipline.
6. Ask about their day.
7. Encourage independence.
8. Teach good sleep habits.
9. Model self-care.
10. Let them navigate tasks on their own.
11. Share what you love about them.
12. Be honest at a level they can understand.
13. Apologize when you’re wrong.
14. Allow them to express emotions.
15. Use teaching, not yelling.
16. Foster problem-solving skills.
17. Make time for connection.
18. Ensure physical safety.
19. Ensure emotional safety.
20. Offer nutritious foods.
21. Set healthy screen time limits.
22. Validate their emotions.
23. Build a strong family culture.
24. Stay calm when they’re upset.
25. Teach that mistakes are learning opportunities.
26. Let them face natural consequences.
27. Share personal stories to teach lessons.
28. Give specific praise.
29. Introduce journaling.
30. Play board games together.
31. Encourage taking healthy risks.
32. Reassure them you’re there to talk.
33. Surround them with positive role models.
34. Teach body autonomy.
35. Demonstrate deep breathing.
36. Understand kids will act like kids.
37. Play with them.
38. Get to know their friends.
39. Teach coping strategies.
40. Set healthy boundaries.
41. Believe in them.
42. Have family meetings.
43. Teach goal-setting.
44. Allow downtime.
45. Support them during struggles.
46. Respect their ideas and opinions.
47. Honor their boundaries.
48. Show patience when they err.
49. Encourage trying new activities.
50. Teach a growth mindset.
51. Be aware of your emotional triggers.
52. Establish routines.
53. Use respectful communication.
54. Recognize behavior as communication.
55. Create family rituals.
56. Know your child as a person.
57. Consider therapy if needed.
58. Explore new things together.
59. Show respect to teach respect.
60. Remember growing up is tough.
61. Nurture their talents.
62. Be on their team.
63. Put down your phone and be present.
64. Teach emotional vocabulary.
65. Cultivate emotional intelligence intentionally.
66. Remember they value time with you over things.
67. Be consistent and reliable.
68. Share daily highs and lows.
69. Provide affectionate touches.
70. Engage in acts of kindness.
71. Practice mindfulness together.
72. Show excitement to see them.
73. Remind yourself they’re their own person.
74. Encourage creativity.
75. Promote regular exercise.
76. Monitor electronics and content.
77. Remember discipline means “to teach.”
78. Communicate with their teachers.
79. Use encouragement over criticism.
80. Offer social interaction opportunities.
**Further Reading: Why Parents Should Prioritize Childhood Mental Health**
81. Tell them their strengths.
82. Cuddle often.
83. Allow artistic expression.
84. Expect the best.
85. Teach and model boundaries.
86. Eat together as a family.
87. Try time-ins instead of time-outs.
88. Teach and model self-love.
89. Hug frequently.
90. Maintain a healthy living environment.
91. Notice their interests.
92. Have tough conversations.
93. Welcome do-overs.
94. Create a calm zone (like with a Calm Kids Set).
95. Read books that normalize emotions.
96. Praise effort over achievement.
97. Assign household responsibilities.
98. Do yoga together.
99. Discover and enjoy shared activities.
100. Accept and love your child just as they are.
Supporting your child’s mental health is key to their overall well-being. By doing so, you enhance how they think, feel, and behave, setting them up for success in school, relationships, and life.
### Equip Your Child with Life Skills
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– Protecting your child’s self-esteem
– Gaining their cooperation
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– Disciplining without emotional harm
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### Built with Kit
Join over 30,000 intentional parents who subscribe to our weekly “Parents with Confidence” emails. Sign up to receive a free 5-day course covering:
– How to protect your child’s self-esteem
– Strategies for gaining their cooperation
– The most valuable skills for their future
– Methods of discipline that avoid emotional damage
