The 2015 Palmdale Children’s Health Events focuses on child development. There’s a discussion on how early learning benefits mental, emotional, and behavioral health. But what caught the attention of most parents is the importance of physical activity and how it provides benefits in the overall aspect of children’s growth.

In the event, specialists explained that kids who meet the full activity recommendation within the 24 hours show progress in the cognitive area, brain function, as well as mental health. Physically active children prove to show better performance in areas of reading, math, science, and social studies. Aside from that, physical activities in children also promote focus, attention, and concentration. Compared to other children who always spend time inside their home, kids who love physical activities tend to think creatively. Also, most of them are usually problem solvers.

Some studies show that physically active kids have larger brains compared to those children who don’t expose themselves to any physical activities. That’s especially to significant areas of the brain related to higher level thinking, memory, and emotion.

Better Mental Health

Physically active children have fewer depressive symptoms or feeling of anxiety. Overall, these kids feel happy and fulfilled. That’s because physical activities are associated with better resiliency and lower stress levels. Aside from that, self-concept, self-esteem, and self-worth get improved as well through engaging in different tasks.

With the help of physical activities, children can also boost their social strength. They can engage in a particular task with different kids and learn from them as well. The connection helps in building great communication, empathy, and social contribution. There’s the experience of knowing things based on their judgment and perception.

It is essential to know that kids’ development is a crucial stage. That’s why we need to make sure that they get the right amount of brain and body development they need.

 

Birth abnormalities can affect a newborn’s appearance, brain, and bodily functions, or both. Per statistics, one in 33 babies is conceived with a congenital disability. Some of these are obvious, like cleft palate or cleft lip. Others need to be diagnosed and tested for more confirmation and clarity. For instance, heart defects. The parents and the family are sometimes the last to know about these defects because they are not educated about prenatal care.

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Why We Should Let Our Children Get Dirty

When we hear the words dirt and dirty, the first thing that might always come to our mind is germs. We’ve equated getting dirty with contacting harmful microorganisms that we vigilantly keep our kids from it.

But one expert says our over vigilance isn’t doing our children well. Here are the reasons why.

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It is natural for parents and other adult family members to protect the little ones from the dark actualities about life. That is why it is troubling for them to talk about suicide to kids. But what if they ask about it? Would you spare them the knowledge about a reality that has gotten so common these days? It would seem that while we are protecting them, we are ripping away their chances of healing as well.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 2 out of every one million children ages 5 to 11 will die by suicide. The rate among adolescents (ages 12-17) is about 52 per million. — Eileen Kennedy-Moore Ph.D.

Many parents (including me, honestly) are hesitant to talk about a suicide in the family to their children perhaps because of embarrassment, fear, or confusion. However, when children hear adults discussing this sensitive issue, without a doubt they will form their own version of what happened, which leads to more dangerous outcomes in the long run. It is important, therefore, that information about death by suicide or other tragic causes should be conveyed to them in a manner that is suitable for their age.

 

Simplifying The Explanations

 

To start off, it would be inappropriate to use the phrase ‘committed suicide’ as it may sound like a crime was done and it was successful (giving a negative implication that it can be done even if it is wrong). You can use the phrase ‘died by suicide’ instead.

 

For the younger children, you may need to provide a clearer description, such as:

 

“Dying means that the body isn’t working any longer, and nothing can fix it. Some people are just so hurt and so sad that they think the only way to get rid of their sadness is for their body to stop working. Some people also die this way because they have a sickness that comes from their brain. When the brain is sick, they may feel very hopeless.”

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It can feel scary to talk about suicide, but in my experience it is important to talk directly with adolescents to help them deal with this topic. If you are unsure how to talk with your teen about suicide, connect them with their guidance counselor or a therapist who can help them process any feelings they might be having. — Katelyn Alcamo, LCMFT

Encouraging Questions

Do not forbid your children to ask questions. You will thank yourself in the end for letting them speak their mind. Answer them as simply as you can, with an encouraging note, like:

 

“I know you must be confused or maybe wondering what or why it happened. I may not be able to let you understand fully, but you can always come to me and tell me how you feel. We can talk about it more. Or you can ask other adults about this.”

 

Be as truthful as possible without giving out the horrid specifics. If they ask how it happened, you can tell them that ‘he took pills that were not good for his body. That’s why he was hurt and his body didn’t work anymore.”

 

Supporting Them With Your Time and Presence

 

Sometimes, children blame themselves for the death of their loved one, and it is crucial that you help them get rid of this disturbing thought. Remind them that there are many reasons why people die from suicide, but none of these reasons involve them. Also, do not attempt to take away their sadness but instead listen to them and allow them to share how they really feel. This way they will overcome the process of grieving appropriately.

Grateful parents raise grateful children. Lead by example. — David J Bredehoft Ph.D.

Helping Them Learn Through Modeling

 

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Children mimic the ways of adults. Grieve healthily by showing sadness appropriately, which is through crying and sharing your emotions with others, not through violent reactions. Talk to them and let them see how you feel so that they too will realize that showing one’s emotions is a very effective way of healing. Show them how to acknowledge grief. Let them know that there are nourishing ways to recover, that they are not alone, and that they are loved.

 

The things that children bond over tend to change with time. During pre-school, everything is about toy trucks or doll houses. When they move past the age of nine or ten, that is when they become aware of the opposite sex and gush over crushes and famous celebrities. Once they reach adolescence, you can expect these not-so-little kids to mostly talk about sports, prom, and clubs.

A current trend that worries most adults, though, is the early introduction of some kids to self-harming, addiction, and suicide. Many of them cause damage to themselves because they do not know how to deal with the stress that comes with studying, being a son or daughter, or maintaining friendships. The others try cutting into their flesh merely because their classmates do the same, and it is their way of fitting in.

 

 

How can we rely on these children to make the world a greater place when they are already psychologically unstable at a young age?

If you wish to save your kids from this scary progression of events, you should promote mental wellness at home as early as today.

Help kids understand rules or requests that may seem arbitrary to them and, when relevant, show them the impact of their behavior on others. This step will not guarantee immediate compliance with your requests, but it will show your kids that your requests are reasonable and will also model the importance of using good reasons to motivate behavior. — Erica Reischer Ph.D.

Be Open With Your Children

Regardless of how tight your schedule is at work, you should never let a day pass without seeing or speaking to your kids. You want them to know what you are doing with your life, and vice versa. If they have problems, they should be able to run to you for help or advice. Otherwise, they might try to resolve their issues using harmful methods, e.g., drug abuse, sex, etc.

 

Nurture The Kids

The children who feel neglected by their parents and have had to depend on themselves early want to escape the reality by getting high on illegal substance or self-harming. The ones who receive proper nutrition and support from their family, however, are less likely to have mental instability. They are aware of how great life is and will not want to do something that can ruin that.

When we force kids to eat, bribe them, or create the expectation they must finish everything on their plates for us to feel proud of them, we set them up for struggles later in life. Eating disorders, overeating, and using food as a coping mechanism may develop as ways to self-soothe and cope with stress. — Megan MacCutcheon, LPC

Explain Situations

Some kids cause trouble as well because they have deep questions that the adults refuse to answer. For instance, “Why are mommy and daddy not together?’ “Why does my friend have a new schoolbag, but I have to use a hand-me-down?” Stop assuming that they are too young to understand things like divorce and poverty since children these days are smarter than you think. If only you explain your family’s situation to them, they may know how to act better.

 

Acknowledge Behavioral Changes

When you notice that your kid’s behavior is taking an ugly turn, you should not take it as a mere phase that all children experience. A cheerful child does not become moody or develop a habit of talking back for no reason. There is typically an incident that caused the change, and you have to acknowledge that before their behavioral transformation worsens.

Creating structure and having predictable responses helps teens learn to self-regulate. It also helps them learn from their mistakes.— Katelyn Alcamo, LCMFT

Go Out As A Family

Finally, make sure to get together as a family at least once a week. You can watch movies on Netflix at home or hang out at amusement parks during the weekends. It matters for children to see that their parents have time to be with them. Should they need emotional support in the future, they won’t have to look elsewhere for people who can offer it.

Do not wait for an irreversible incident to occur in your kids’ lives before you invest in their psychological well-being. Promote mental wellness at home now. Good luck!

 

 

Babies are capable of doing things earlier than we think they could. And this study on language development is just one of the many proofs of that.

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Know And Meet Your Children’s Love Needs

Are you meeting your child’s love needs? Are you reaching out to him in the love language he speaks?

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Anxiety is a pervasive problem in autism. This is the case across the full age range including for children and adolescents. — Christopher Lynch Ph.D.

Are there contributory elements that ante up an unborn baby’s risk of having autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?

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Magazine photos and Internet images often picture pregnant women smiling, rosy-cheeked, and glowing as they pat their bellies with such TLC it’s palpable even to viewers outside the screen. These imageries often lead us to believe pregnancy is something borne out of fairy tales with happy endings.  In reality, it’s not. In fact, emotions going out of control are commonplace during gestation. When you’re expecting, you’re undoubtedly in for one emotional rollercoaster ride.  Continue reading →