How to Instill Healthy Habits Early in Your Child’s Life
How to Instill Healthy Habits Early in Your Child’s Life
May 9, 2022
|
Every parent’s goal is to raise their child into a happy and emotionally healthy adult. But tragically, many adults struggle with lifelong inadequacies that stem from unhealthy habits instilled in them when they were children.
The march to successful adulthood starts on the day a child is born and continues long after that child’s eighteenth birthday.
The best way to encourage healthy adulthood when your children mature is by teaching them healthy habits in their childhood that they can use their entire lives.
This starts with proper hygiene and sleeping habits and continues with self-love and emotional management.
In this post, we will tell you about a few mental illnesses that your child may be susceptible to later in life, as well as some habits you can teach them right now to reduce the risk of emotional struggles later.
Illnesses Your Children May Face in their Teens and Adulthood
Many parents don’t like to think of it, but the truth is that many children will face some type of mental illness at some point in their development.
Genetical predisposal plays a big role in whether your child will develop mental illness, but in truth, it can be entirely random. Because of this, all parents should be familiar with common mental illnesses that children face.
ADHD, anxiety, and depression are the most commonly diagnosed mental illnesses for youths and teens.
Below are some statistics from the CDC.
- 4% of children aged 2-17 are diagnosed with ADHD
- 4% of children aged 3-17 are diagnosed with a behavior problem
- 1% of children aged 3-17 are diagnosed with anxiety disorder
- 2% of children aged 3-17 are diagnosed with depression
These statistics may seem insignificant, but the National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that 1 out of every 5 teenagers between 13 and 18 years old will experience at least one severe mental disorder during their life. So will approximately 13% of children aged 5 to 15 years.
Instilling Healthy Habits in Your Child
While the statistics may be startling, there are things you can do to give your children the tools to succeed in life.
The following information comes from Parents with Confidence: 100 Everyday Ways to Strengthen Your Child’s Mental Health by Angela Pruess.
- Love your child unconditionally
- Encourage your child to talk about their feelings, and validate them when they do
- Listen first, then talk
- Allow plenty of time for play and fun activities
- Discipline with respect and by teaching lessons, never through shame or humiliation
- Ask your child about their day
- Teach good sleeping habits
- Encourage healthy foods
- Model positive self-care
- Let children be independent when possible
- When sharing information be honest with your children (at an age-appropriate level)
- Help children develop problem-solving skills
- Make time daily to talk with your children
There are many ways to help your children succeed in adulthood whether they struggle with mental illness or not.
A Brighter Future Stemming from a Better Childhood
The best thing you can do to ensure that your child has healthy adulthood is to teach them the necessary skills they will need while they are still children.
While it is every parent’s goal to raise an emotionally happy and healthy adult, many parents fall short for lack of knowledge.
If you want to ensure that your child has the best life possible, then you need to give them all the resources available to you.
Child Focus offers all the tools you need to help ensure that your child succeeds at every level. From early learning to behavioral health, to education and training, Child Focus can give you the assistance you need to be the best parent you can be.
Discover what you can do to give your child the advantage with Child Focus.