Bermuda Parent Bermuda Parent Spring 2016 | Page 40

family life
BY BRENDA DALE, AVP Wellness, BF&M Insurance Group
Four Tips for
A
Raising Emotionally
Healthy Children
s parents in today’s world,
raising children can be chal-
lenging. We face a multitude
of ever-changing needs and
pressures, ranging from helping our
children develop healthy eating habits
to helping them with their school work
or teaching them how to be safe. As I
reflect on my children’s life, compared
to my childhood, I realize how impor-
tant it is to look beyond daily tasks and
teaching of skills, and pay attention to
our children’s emotional health as well.
Dealing with our children’s emotions
can seem stressful at times, but it is
important and can be extremely reward-
ing as we connect with our children on
a deeper level. Luckily, it is not that dif-
ficult – all that is required is that we love
our children unconditionally and pause
from the daily stressors of life to ensure
that we are there for them by being a
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good listener and observer, and being
both physically and emotionally present
with them as they grow.
Studies show numerous benefits for
emotionally healthy children; including
better performance at school, the ability
to build lasting and mutually respectful
relationships, and the ability to cope
through difficult times and stressful
situations.
Tip #1: Remember - You are the
Role Model
First and foremost, we must remember
that our children learn the tools for
emotional health by watching us. Every
single day they observe how we cope
with and manage our daily tribulations
and challenges, and how we then relate
to them and to the people we come in
contact with (such as our neighbors,
family, teachers etc.). It is most helpful if
we share our emotions with our chil-
dren as we tackle daily challenges, and
then show them how we manage our
emotions (e.g. frustration, sadness, loss,
anger) and the relationships embed-
ded within. This will encourage them to
share their emotions and struggles with
us. Our children are bombarded daily
with information and local and interna-
tional news that can be both confusing
and frightening, and doesn’t necessarily
provide the best examples for them. We
need to openly discuss what they see
and help them help them interpret the
world around them by avoiding unnec-
essary anxiety, worry, confusion, frustra-
tion and possibly anger. None of us will
handle every situation perfectly; how-
ever, there is also merit in sharing with
our children how we handle our own
short-comings and failures. Consistency
in our behavior brings comfort to our