Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

The human mind is very strange. Mind enables people to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think and reason, to perceive, to judge and to feel. It is the faculty of consciousness and thought. Human being is controlled by its own mind. Hence taking care of one’s mental health is a priority. Mental health is an essential and important component of a person’s total health status. It includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being of an individual. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as “a state of well being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”. Human life is full of stress and strain and individual needs vary from person to person. Thus it is important to follow principles to keep the mental health intact. Mental health principles guide people to make adjustments in different situations during different stages of life. Emotional emancipation from parents with opportunities for emotional expression through conversation, arts, music, play, games etc. is essential to make a child happy and keep troubles away for maintaining good mental health of the child. One of the greatest comedians of all times Charlie Chaplin, once quoted:

I have many problems in my life. But my lips don’t know that. They always smile.

Charlie Chaplin

Mental Health needs of children:

Child population of India is 13.12% out of its total population (as per census report of India 2011). The prevalence of mental health problems among Indian children aged 0-16 years has been found to be 12.5% in a study conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Children need special care for their holistic development as they are the assets of the nation. They are vulnerable to problems relating to physical, mental and social health. Although physical health problems can be observed from outside, mental health problems may not be noticed unless one is aware of the signs which indicate the need for professional help. .Parents and family members need to be aware of any change in behavior of their children. A child’s socialization process takes place through the influence of the family, neighborhood and community. According to Karl Meninger- “What is done to children, they will do to the society.” Parents need to practice self-control and self discipline so as to expect the same from their children. Children follow the adults. They learn by observing the behaviors of their parents and other family members. A child’s health depends upon family’s health, lifestyle, culture, customs, traditions, taboos, rituals, religious practices, habits, child bearing and child rearing practices, social relationships, socio-economic conditions, environmental conditions, etc. A child can learn different life skills and gather knowledge in a healthy environment which is beneficial for normal development.

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

Nelson Mandela

Parents, teachers and caregivers need education and training regarding mental health needs of children because maintaining good mental health of children is a cooperative and collaborative work of a family, school and community.

A child can be made mentally healthy by developing a positive mind since his early life. The family has to play important role in preparing a child to be a mature, responsible and well-adjusted individual. Parents, teachers and caregivers can help children to adjust in different situations of life. They are the persons who usually are first to notice if a child has emotional or behavioural problems. Children’s mental health problems are real and common which can disrupt their functioning at home, school and in the community. These problems are treatable. Although one in five children has a diagnosable mental health problem, nearly two-thirds of them get little or no help. Children with untreated mental health problems are at increased risk of school failure and other psycho-social problems. School environment which is free from unhealthy comparison or discrimination in religion, caste, social status, etc. is necessary for child’s positive mental health. Provision of vocational and psychological counseling, early interventions of childhood and adolescent behavior problems must be available for children at school. Therefore, appointment of school psychologist in every school is of utmost importance. School psychologists can help children develop a healthy pro-social behavior (Pirta, 2013). School health records must be maintained regularly along with cumulative record which is helpful to keep continuity between home, school and community.

Children with sound mental health can think clearly, develop socially, adjust emotionally and learn new skills. Co-curricular activities help children to develop creative thinking, good interpersonal relationships and effective communication. Good friends, guidance from parents and other senior persons, in addition to love, affection, kindness, encouragement and support from family members are helpful for children to develop self confidence and self-esteem. So, the role of parents, teachers, and caregivers is very important in providing a safe and secured environment that is free from fear and anxiety, which is favourable for development of a good mental health of a child.

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Encouraging the Child Development

Parents need to understand the behavior of the child during different stages of their development and it is extremely important for them to not compare their child to other children. Their child may be colloquial, normal, but they should understand that each child has their unique qualities and recognize them. Parents need to also understand that education is a part of their child’s life, not their whole life. The children may be allowed to select the discipline for higher education and the subsequent profession following their aptitude, interest, and feasibility. For children with a disability, their functional needs, and education should be taken into account.

Also Read: Parenting with Neurodiversity: Nurturing Diverse Minds

In addition to this, personality development and independence should be a priority for parents rather than keeping the property for their future. It is also essential to maintain a good parent-child relationship, one in which both parties are comfortable communicating their feelings to each other. Taking note of the environment around the child, their food, and other habits, is a key factor adding to the children’s emotional and overall, holistic development.

Foundations of Positive Parenting

When it comes to positive parenting, refers to teaching the child any activity by showing them what, how, and why to do it. Children learn from their experiences with their parents and also model their behavior after their caregivers, so parents should be careful of how they behave with and around children. Positive parenting is a continual parent-child relationship that includes caring, teaching, guiding, leading, communicating, and empowering. It also includes meeting the needs of the child in a consistent, non-violent manner. It is warm, thoughtful, and loving, but not permissive.

Also Read: Permissive Parenting: Its Approach and Impact on Child Development  

The need for positive parenting starts right from the birth of the child. Attachment with both parents is equally important. Several types of research over the years, like Coleman’s (2003), have shown the positive impact of secure attachment with parents on developmental outcomes and social self-efficacy. This benefit extends towards mitigating the negative impact of multiple familial risk factors like a socioeconomic disadvantage, family stress, single parenthood on children’s behavioral problems in the subsequent years. When children, including those who begin their life with significant disadvantages, experience positive and supportive parenting, they thrive. Positive parenting also minimizes health and opportunity disparities by armoring children with large stores of emotional resilience.

Parenthood: Strategies and Styles

The mechanisms of positive parenting consist of several aspects that include, but are not limited to emotional regulation, teaching and leading, positive communication, warm and democratic parenting, parental supervision, autonomy-promoting parenting, supportive and optimistic parenting, and providing the children recognition. The authoritative and developmental styles are specifically associated with positive parenting. There are also various programs available for positive parenting like Parent’s Circle Program, Home Visiting program, The Early Head Start home-based program, Raising Safe Kids Program, New Beginnings Program, Family Bereavement Program, Incredible Years Program, and many others found all over the world. Positive parents support a child’s healthy growth and inner spirit by being loving, supportive, firm, consistent, and involved. Such parents go beyond communicating their expectations but practice what they preach by being positive role models for their children to emulate.

Also Read: Impact of Hostile Parenting on Child’s Mental Health

Another important aspect is maintaining a proper work-life balance. It benefits parents as they can give children time, but also motivates employees to work better, give them enough leisure time, and develop a healthy lifestyle. Respecting their time, shutting off electronics, learning to say no are just a few ways towards a good work-life balance. Also, working parents need a ‘posse’ or a group of similar parents to engage with, learn, get and offer help.

Balancing Parenthood and Professional Life

It is also important that parents understand that a child needs both strictness and warmth for balanced growth. Both spouses need to work collaboratively, never speak negatively about each other in front of the child and handle a situation one at a time.  This can be done by dividing departments between the parents equally and knowing that adjustments can be made along the way of development. The parents have 5 core challenges to deal with, when it comes to balancing work and child: Transition, identity, loss, practicalities, and communication. The transition to work after pregnancy, juggling identity as a parent and a manager, communicating their mixed feelings with the spouse, deciding who gets to stay home to take care of the sick child, and dealing with the loss of missing important milestones like the child’s first step are few examples of such challenges.

Dealing with these challenges can be difficult for parents but they should understand that not everything is solvable and they have to do whatever they can then. Still, Auditing, planning, rehearsing, and framing can prepare the parents beforehand for the transitions in their life that are to occur with their responsibilities as parents as well as in balancing daily hassles. In the long term, using today, plus 20 years of thinking for the child’s future can aid as well. Lastly, revisiting and recasting can help in understanding that it is a learning process as parents can go back and learn from their past mistakes.

Also Read: Let’s Understand the Difficulties of Step Parenting 

The Power of Positive Parenting

To summarize, the base is that parents are never alone. Positive parenting begins early, applies to all developmental periods, and empowers the children to reach their potential as resilient and fulfilled individuals. It is an effective, evidence-based approach that is not punitive or permissive. It applies to a vast array of challenges, and the solutions are both abundant and accessible. Working parenthood is not easy. It is big, complex, emotional, chronic, and sometimes an all-consuming struggle. But as with any challenge, the more one can break it down, the less daunting it becomes.

The post Positive Parenting for Working Parents: Skills and challenges appeared first on Psychologs Magazine | Mental Health Magazine | Psychology Magazine | Self-Help Magazine.

Importance in development

Play is defined as any activity freely chosen, intrinsically motivated and personally directed. According to Stuart Brown (2009), a famous psychiatrist, play is the basis of all art, games, books, sports, movies, fashion, fun, and wonder – in short, the basis of what we think of as civilization. Children play by themselves without being told by adults. They play instinctively and in their own way. They love to play with their own ideas and interests, and gain knowledge of their own world and the world around them.

Parents need to provide their children required facilities and opportunities as per their abilities. Some parents provide play materials to their children and encourage playing. On the other hand, some parents do not understand the role of play in child’s life. Play and study should be well balanced for school going children. For Children, play acts as a medium to express their feelings and thoughts. Play activities are pleasurable which make the players mentally relaxed. It can stimulate imagination and also help children develop creative mindset.

Also Read: Training is important for parents of children with behavioral issues

Play can be used as therapy to help children to deal with problems relating to adjustment. Group play aids in language development in children, as they verbally communicate with each other. It also stimulates their moral development as children learn about good and bad. They learn that good activities bring happiness and bad activities hurt others. Children learn about human activities & behavior through play in groups.

Nurturing Minds and Bodies

Children learn to experience and organize different sensory stimuli during play. In this way, concepts are formed along with enjoyment. Play activities are helpful for development of motor functions and sensory-motor coordination too. It promotes good general health and increases metabolic rate. So, it is effective in reducing obesity in children. It also has the potential to reduce anxiety, depression, aggression, and sleep problems. Play helps children to develop many good habits necessary for living a healthy life. It reduces negative emotions, improves emotional flexibility, increases adaptability and ability to face the sudden changes in the environment appropriately.

Children acquire socially acceptable qualities through play activities that develops their self-confidence to participate in social activities in the community. Play improves quality of life of children. Children show gender preferences in playing and possess an interest in certain types of toys, certain specific color, etc. Children should get equal opportunity to play.

Child Engagement, Preferences, and Supervision

Types of play should be based on the needs of the particular child. Infants play solitary, whereas toddlers like parallel play. Gradually, as the child grows, they likes to play with others in a cooperative manner. Some children are very imaginative. They imagine life in inanimate objects and can make themselves busy. School children like to play in groups. They like to interact with each other in group play. Some children like solitary play; drawing and painting, making models etc. Many new play materials and gadgets for solitary play, are entering the market which is the result of scientific and technological development.

Also Read: How trauma affects emotional development in children?

Small children should be allowed to play under adult supervision to prevent accidents. Adolescents need proper guidance and supervision as well. They can be given opportunity to learn games and sports systematically under specialist coach as per their needs and interests. There is individual difference in needs, interests, and special abilities of children regarding choice of sports & play materials.

Play is beneficial for children. It sharpens their intelligence and make them more disciplined. Children learn to be social by observing behavior of others. Through group games, they develop different group behaviors & soft skills. They also learn socio-cultural norms through group activities. They feel happy as they enjoy with playmates.

Play in Pediatric Healthcare Settings

Certain developments cannot occur due to play deprivation in children. Children sometimes play roles of adults as they observe in day to day life and learn to take decision in some conflicting situations, learn to control own behavior and solve problems they face while playing with peers. It is essential for children to become mature adult in later life.

Also Read: How to Raise Emotionally Resilient Children

Children need facilities for playing, for healthy development and growth. Play is very essential for holistic development of children. Children who are hospitalized also have the right to play. They should not be deprived of it. Every children’s hospital or children’s ward in any hospital needs to have play room or sufficient space for playing. Hospital environment itself is a stress for small children. Recreational activities help these children to adjust in the hospital environment. Age appropriate play should be provided to the sick children if they are ambulatory and if they are not suffering from contagious disease.

“Play is the royal road to childhood happiness and adult brilliance.”

Joseph Chilton Pearce

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