Parenting is hard, and no one will argue with a parent about that. Parents spend lots of energy tracking their child’s physical and developmental milestones, but what about their mental health milestones? What skills and milestones do you want to see your child achieve or accomplish as they grow up? As our children journey to adulthood, we want our children to walk and talk without delays, watch them grow tall, and gain a healthy weight, but what about their emotional and mental well-being? Strong mental health skills can be demonstrated in many ways. Some include learning to emotionally regulate, manage anger or anxiety, and developing compassion or empathy for others. These can be the building blocks of managing positive mental health outcomes.
As the years pass from the pandemic, mental health for children has been in the spotlight more than ever. Pew Research cites children’s mental health as a top priority for parents.[1] The pandemic not only exposed what had been brewing under the surface in many families for years, It triggered a mental health crises that now leaves parents and providers struggling to grasp the magnitude of the situation. Children that had few to no mental health concerns prior to the pandemic emerged with depression, anxiety, and adjustment problems. They also struggled with low motivation for activities they previously loved and began to have poor academic outcomes. Many children had to relearn some of their social skills because they had become accustomed to wearing masks and meeting friends online. Socializing in person was difficult following the pandemic and some children are still working to get back to normal.
With lockdown happening in the middle of children’s formative years, the damage is still unwinding for many children years later. Thus, protecting our children’s mental health became a top priority to parents. However, how do parents protect their children’s mental health? We can’t shield them from the world entirely, and isolating them, as the pandemic taught us, isn’t the solution.
There are many complexities to raising children and caring for their mental health in 2025. For example, parents work hard to navigate limits with screen time and social media and both can be at the heart of poor mental health outcomes due to bullying, comparison culture, and loneliness. Screen time specifically receives an urgent warning about the impact of excessive screen time has on the behaviors of young children.[2] In the same way we look for physical symptoms if something is physically wrong with our child there are ways to gauge your child’s mental health as well.
How can parents effectively navigate the mental health challenges their children face? Here are some key takeaways to consider:
- Set Limits. Children need boundaries on what is and isn’t good for them and parents are key in setting limits for their children.
- Delay Social Media. It is hard to say no to our children, but once social media is given to your child, it is very difficult to take it back. Delaying the impact of social media on your children should be a high priority.
- Monitor sleeping and eating habits. Children that have healthy eating and sleeping habits tend to do well so help make sure your children get the rest and resources they need.
- Encourage in person relationships and socialization when possible. In an online and digital world in person relationships can seem old fashioned. However, with so many teenagers sharing about their loneliness, in person relationships and connections can go a long way.
- Explore extracurricular activities. This can be an important outlet for socialization. They serve as an opportunity to build self-esteem away from family and school.
Concerned about your child’s mental health? Our behavioral health care teams are here to help you and your family—every step of the way. Schedule an appointment with one of our behavioral health providers at 877-800-5722.
Blog post written by Jered Benedick, LCSW
Lone Star Circle of Care at Harker Heights
References
[1] Rachel Minkin and Juliana Menasce Horowitz, “Parenting in American Today” (Pew Research Center, January 24, 2023), http://wwwpewresearch.org/soical-trends/2023/2023/01/24/parenting-in-america-today/.
[2] Guangbo Qu et al., “Association between Screen Time and Developmental and Behavioral Problems among Children in the United States: Evidence from 2018 to 2020 NSCH, “ Journal of Psychiatric Research 161 (may 2023): 140-49, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.03.014
