As a parent, you work hard to take care of your child’s physical needs. You maintain a place to live, cook nutritious meals, and help your child establish good, healthy habits that will encourage good health; however, your child’s emotional health is just as important as their physical health, so you need to nurture it and help your child grow emotionally, mentally as well as physically.
A Child’s Emotional Needs
There is no child that does not want to have a mother or a guardian that does not make them feel dear or loved, or one that does not tend to what he needs. They all need a close, sensitive and loving relationship with the adults who care for them. Let’s start by exploring the emotional health needs of a child.
The Need For Attachment
It is a misconception that a child at infancy still does not have the capacity to know that love is given or the infant can give love. From the day they are born, a relationship between the mother and the child is established because the infant already has the capability to give and receive affection. This is very important because this becomes the foundation of the inner development of a child that includes sense and security, confidence, and the ability to cope with other people.
A child learns very well from his parents. It is through the parent’s actions and words that the feelings of security, the knowledge about human relationships, and the sense of right and wrong, are learned. Anger and violence in the family is not helpful at all.
The Need For Stimulation
The brain and mind of a child is like a sponge. It absorbs everything therefore it needs something for it to grow. Language, play and love are the food for a child’s mind to grow.
What a child needs are loving words, cuddles, smiles, touch, and encouragement to react to noise and movement, from people. These things stimulate a child and without them a child is unhappy. Growth failure happens when a child loses interest in life, and has less appetite.
When children explore and play, the mind grows and they learn. Play is not senseless, if one thinks that a child should be given less. This is very important for the child’s growing up years. Let the children do what they want and need to accomplish in a play. It will help to develop their mental, social, and physical skills. It builds up the child’s curiosity, competence, and confidence. Play should not always mean solving problems or achieving goals.
One type of play is imaginative play. Imaginative play brings up and develops a child. One type is acting out as an adult and acting out does not have to be expensive. And it helps out a child to be creative. They are challenged to find solutions to problems.
Tips to Nurture Your Children’s Emotional Health and Wellbeing
These are 4 steps to maintain child’s emotional health.
Set good examples
Your child learns how to respond to things emotionally by watching you and they will act the same way when faced with similar situations. Set good examples and teach them the right way to respond emotionally. Do this by controlling your emotions and responding in a positive manner when faced with challenges of your own.
Encourage self expression
Allow your child to express anger, fear, and all other emotions. It’s okay for them to feel sad, lonely, afraid, or even angry sometimes. Without these experiences as a child, they won’t know how to deal with these feelings when they are older. As they go through these emotions, teach them how to cope with them in a good, positive way.
Offer praise and encouragement
Let your child know you believe in her and that you know she can control their feelings and respond to situations the right way. If you trust them to make the right decisions, they will trust their own opinions and grow to be emotionally confident.
Get educated
The best way to know if your child is emotionally healthy is to know what’s normal for children in the same age group, even though they learn at different paces.
Regardless of which parenting style you use, the tips above can help you nurture your child’s emotional health. Be kind, understanding, and always listen to your child when they’re struggling emotionally. Offer encouraging advice to help them find ways to deal with their emotions in a calm and positive manner.
Emotional health is just as important at physical health! You made some very good pointers here and they will indeed help parents along the right track.
I agree emotional health is very important, a child should be praised each day for something they have done, to often they receive negative attention.
Neat effective ways to get the positive side of your child’s emotion at a young age. Discovering all there is to one’s mind is important.
Childens emotional health is so important Thank you for the valuable information
Being in tune with your child, and them knowing they can speak to you about anything is important for their emotional health and mental health.
Being a parent are the best people out there because you are responsible for raising kids