As a parent and Guardian your child looks up to you for your guidance. You play an important part in their life; with that you contribute to their mental health. Things you do and say can promote good mental health but also some things can negatively affect mental health. Most parents are aware that their behavior has an impact on their child’s mental health but do their best to make the positive behaviors outweigh the negative. Although some parents simply don’t think about the outcome of their actions. Some parents don’t even realize the effects until it has already happened.
Parenting styles
Parents have different views on how they parent their children, there are a few different parenting styles. There is no right or wrong way to parent, each parenting style has its own challenges. Parenting can be hard as you don’t want to under-parent and neglect your child but you also don’t want to over parent either.
Being overprotective because you think it’s the best way to keep your child safe can also be damaging to their mental health. This can cause them to have limited understanding of how to deal with stressful situations. This is because you’ve been preventing them from experiencing them. Not being able to deal with stressful situations can lead them to developing anxiety. Not only that but it can be quite the opposite to what you’re aiming for. Being overly protective for instance not allowing them to go out late or drinking can also lead to them doing the opposite. It can leave them feeling curious and wanting to do the things you’ve never allowed them to do.
Parenting with an unconcerned manner can negatively affect your child’s self-esteem which then leads to anxiety and depression. Children need positive and uplifting sensations to help them grow self-esteem and confidence. Parents can be damaging without even realizing. Pointing out their insecurities for example body shape or size. Even if it is not meant in a malicious manner can affect self-image causing not only confidence issues but can lead to depression.
4 types of parenting styles
Parents mental health
Mental health problems tend to run in the family. When one or both of the parents struggle with mental health it puts the child’s mental health at risk. Although it is important to remember that this isn’t always the case.
Not all children are negatively affected by their parent’s mental health; it is unpredictable how it may affect them. Some parental mental illnesses do not affect their parenting but in some cases it can. For example, some parents going through a depressive state may have lost interest in daily activities and chores like cleaning or taking their child to school. A child living in an unclean environment can pose a risk on not only their health but also their mental health.
Children look up to their parents and their behavior is molded from their parents. Therefore, parents with social-anxiety may not allow themselves in social situations giving their child less opportunity to socialise. This can lead to them developing social-anxiety themselves. Although it may lead them in a different direction where they want to be more sociable.
It is important that if you suffer from mental health issues you show your child positive ways to look after their mental health. This will teach them how to cope if they have mental health problems in the future. Showing your child for example that you can seek medical help if you’re struggling or practicing different coping mechanisms so they have some understanding. If you show your child you’re struggling and don’t do anything about it this can affect them if they do encounter mental health problems. This will lead to them having no understanding of how to cope.
Life experiences
Negative life experiences you allow your child to have an impact on your child’s mental health. Some things you wouldn’t even think would have an effect on your child’s mental health, like moving house and changing schools. For some children this can be unsettling and moving schools frequently can cause self-esteem problems. It can also put a downfall on their social skills.
Along with moving house some parents struggle to pay bills which then may lead to homelessness. This is not a good environment for a child and can cause unnecessary stress and worry, things a child shouldn’t have to worry about. This can affect them in the long run causing depression and anxiety. Now although this is something that does happen and occasionally it is not the parent’s fault, parents should try their best to avoid their child being in this situation. It is good to be open and honest to your children but to a certain extent. Children don’t need to have the worries that adults face.
Some other life experiences that can affect children’s mental health are,
Children need positive experiences and environments to help promote a healthy mental health. All parents should try their best to provide this for their children. If you feel you are struggling, ask for help, everyone needs help once in a while. This could just be someone to talk to or seeking professional help for your mental health if you feel it is affecting your ability to parent.