Nowadays, the onset age of mental illnesses is getting younger, and children’s psychological issues are receiving increasing attention.
From birth to 6 years old, at every stage of infant and toddler development, parents and caregivers should have corresponding strategies to help children establish a solid foundation for mental health.
01
0-1 year old, establish attachment relationships
During the newborn period, parents should have more contact with the baby, such as talking, smiling, and embracing.
Learn to identify the baby’s cries, soothe emotions promptly, and meet their needs. Besides physical touch, babies should also be exposed to colorful toys, pleasant sounds, music to promote sensory development.
As the child grows, parents can engage in more parent-child games with the infant. Create a rich language environment by talking to the baby, imitating their sounds to encourage speech development, aiming for “communicative responsiveness.”
After 6 months, under safe conditions, expand the baby’s activity range appropriately, encouraging interaction with the external environment and people.
If the child displays negative emotions like anger, irritability, or unhappiness, try diverting their attention to assist in managing these feelings.
02
1-2 years old, guide exploration and expression
Parents should provide opportunities for toddlers at this stage to explore the environment and express wishes and emotions.
Regularly engage in parent-child interactions, telling stories, singing nursery rhymes, teaching toddlers to identify pictures in books and body parts, linking language with objects, encouraging conscious expression of needs and basic dialogues.
Additionally, parents should maintain consistent child-rearing attitudes and behaviors.
Allow toddlers independence in tasks under safety considerations, providing encouragement and praise for their efforts to foster independence and confidence.
03
2-3 years old, encourage making friends
During this stage, parents should encourage children to do manageable tasks, enhancing problem-solving awareness and capabilities.
For example, let them assist with simple chores, tidy up toys, sweep the floor, help with fetching items, promoting self-confidence development and sparking enthusiasm.
When inappropriate behavior like tantrums occurs, methods like ignoring or redirecting attention can be used.
As children are about to enter kindergarten, parents can provide more opportunities for them to play with peers, encouraging the development of social relationships, learning to take turns, wait, cooperate, assist, and share, fostering empathy, compassion, and self-control.
Furthermore, gradually cultivate children’s habits, learning basic life skills like washing hands, eating, dressing, and using the toilet.
04
3-4 years old, cultivate role awareness
At this stage, as children mostly start attending kindergarten, parents need to address separation anxiety and appropriately guide its expression while handling environment-related negative emotions.
Engage in conversations with children using rich words and storytelling, patiently listen to them and let them recount stories, encourage them to ask questions and provide earnest responses, maintaining eye contact during communication.
Enhance children’s attention and observational skills toward objects, guiding and nurturing interests.
Allow children to make mistakes in their growth journey, letting them learn from errors.
Assist children in adapting to group environments, gradually fostering positive peer relationships. Group games like themed role-playing can help cultivate role awareness.
05
4-5 years old, clarify gender differences
At 4-5 years old, parents need to focus on nurturing children’s independence and self-care abilities, such as organizing and managing their toys and books. Encourage children to express feelings and desires verbally, gradually learning emotional and behavioral regulation.
Encourage children to interact with society, abide by various rules, and reinforce a sense of helpfulness.
Through games like riddles, children can exercise abstract thinking, or categorize items based on shape, size, color, nature, and use, aiding in understanding patterns and connections.
Moreover, parents should help children correctly grasp gender differences, fostering acceptance and identification of their own gender.
06
5-6 years old, practice attention
Concentration is crucial for a child’s growth and development. Parents should encourage children to observe their surroundings and interrelations carefully, promoting attention development.
Communicate with children about kindergarten activities and events, actively respond to their questions, and avoid neglecting or dismissing them.
When children are playing or engaging in activities, refrain from excessive interference or interruptions to avoid disrupting attention formation.
As children are about to enter primary school, parents should establish appropriate behavioral norms, guide compliance with societal and family rules and requirements, and promptly acknowledge children’s efforts and progress.
Guide children to gradually understand others’ feelings and needs, learning tolerance, humility, sharing, and cooperation for social interactions. Teach children to organize their backpacks, stationery, and books, preparing adequately for school entry.
Young parents
Despite being responsible and passionate about raising children
It is never an easy task
Because raising children
Is not just about responsibility and passion
Parents’ anxious and irritable emotions often unintentionally influence children. Children are often mirrors reflecting parents’ psychological difficulties.
To raise a mentally healthy child, parents need to begin with adjusting their own mindset.
♥Grow Together
Children are not accessories to parents but partners in growth. After a child is born, parents must continuously learn how to parent, acquire new skills, while the child gradually gains more knowledge.
Throughout this process, parents broaden their knowledge, and the child’s perspectives also expand, showcasing mutual growth.
♥Emotional Control
When parents feel the urge to shout, it’s best to keep a distance from the child, calm emotions, and avoid losing control to prevent scaring or hurting the child. Once emotions stabilize, provide education and guidance to the child.
♥Learn to Let Go
In most cases, children crossing what parents deem as “boundaries” are generally high demands imposed under strong controlling desires. For instance, not stepping on water, not sitting on the floor, not playing with mud, coming home immediately after school, avoiding wandering around…
It’s the urge for parents to have children act according to their thoughts that lead to countless “emotional outbursts.”
Children are not parents’ accessories; they should have free thoughts and will. Parents allowing some freedom aid children’s freer growth, dissipating feelings of fatigue.
♥No Need to Insist
There are no perfect children; hence, there are no perfect parents. Therefore, there’s no need to insist on children always being well-behaved and sensible, neither should occasional parental exhaustion lead to guilt and self-doubt, thinking they aren’t fit parents.
♥Dad Shares Responsibilities
In parent-child education, a father’s involvement injects unique elements that a mother may lack.
The World Health Organization points out that children spending over two hours daily with their fathers exhibit higher intelligence.
If children’s inner expectations of their fathers remain unfulfilled for a long time, they might suffer greatly, possibly leading to psychological drawbacks like being timid, lacking confidence and determination.
This doesn’t mean fathers must be with children every day; the quality of companionship matters more. No matter how busy work is, it can’t fill the full 24 hours. Fathers should have the awareness to spend time with children, ideally carving out dedicated “dad time.”
♥Take a Short Break
When driving and suddenly noticing a yellow “slippery road” caution sign, what do you do? Slow down, drive carefully.
Parenting can be likened to driving; when encountering “yellow caution signs” such as nervousness, irritability, headache, sleep problems, children reluctant to communicate, remind yourself to take a break, giving yourself a short respite – only by caring for oneself better can one nurture children effectively.
END
Source: Life Times
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