Most people don’t want to just exist to get through life – but rather, they would at some point like to thrive, a notion that is explored in the latest Thriving Kids podcast.
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Psychologist Alfiee Breland-Noble, PhD, MHSc, has spent years studying what gets in the way of thriving for young people and what helps. One of her key takeaways is that the way we care for our own mental health teaches children how to care for theirs.
On the latest Thriving Kids podcast, Dave Anderson, PhD, senior psychologist and vice president of public engagement and education for The Child Mind Institute, joins Breland-Noble, founder of the mental health nonprofit The AAKOMA Project and author of “Rise and Thrive,” to discuss this topic.
The discussion focuses on what her research reveals about the pressures on young people – including the nonstop news cycle – as well as why social media can be a risk and, for others, a genuine lifeline. They also discuss how trusted voices and community can chip away at stigma.
Some of their tips on how to support a child’s mental health and one’s own include:
- Get children used to talking about feelings before there is a problem; talking openly and regularly about emotions helps to normalize mental health, so it feels less scary or shameful when something harder comes along.
- Show children how to cope and don’t just tell them what to do; children pick up coping habits by watching the adults around them, so name your own feelings and what you do about them aloud.
- Taking care of your mental health is part of parenting, not a luxury; managing your own stress is one of the best ways to keep children from absorbing it and tending to your own well-being shows them that practicing mental health care is something grown-ups do.
- When upsetting news comes up, help children process it; if something is frightening in the news, it’s better for children to hear it from you – calmly present the facts – so you can set the emotional tone.
- Take their online life seriously and stay curious about it; rather than dismissing social media’ impact, check in regularly and ask children about notice how particular apps, feeds, and comments make them feel.
For more information, listen to the Thriving Kids podcast.
