Our children’s mental health matters

By Jennifer Decoteau

For Puyallup Tribal News
Published on: May 15, 2008

Emotional strength, self confidence and balance: what we want for ourselves and what we need to nurture in our children. Does anyone remember how they felt as a child or if anyone ever asked you to talk about your thoughts and feelings? Emotional well-being is part of our children’s overall health and should be given attention daily.

Here are some important ways we strengthen the development of strong mental health in all children:

• Love, praise and positive regard from family and community. Children thrive and grow stronger with praise, love, encouragement and attention.

• Acceptance for who they are and the consistent message that they are worthy of love.

•     Encouragement and support to develop their own talents and skills.

• Loving guidance and boundary setting.

• Safety and security so they are less afraid to try new things. Knowing when they fail, they can get up and try again and are secure in knowing you will be there.

• Acknowledging their right to have feelings and to be able to express them without fear. By doing this we model respecting the feelings of others.

• Feeling special, valuing their own strengths and feeling good knowing that they are truly unique in our eyes.

• Support and approval to instill faith and confidence in themselves.

• Time, simply listening and asking a young person “What is happening in your life?”

• Pride, belonging and connection to the community, family and Tribe. Keep reminders of family events and family Tribal history around your home.

• Positive thinking and positive talking – need we say more?

• Hug them and play often. Tell them often – I like you, I love you, I will help you.

To paraphrase a quote from Urie Bronfenbrenner (the psychologist who founded Headstart) “Somebody’s got to be crazy about the kid. That’s number one. First, last and always.”

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