Published at 11:04, Saturday, 19 November 2011

What does mental health mean in early childhood? It is important to think about it in a positive way and it forms part of healthy child development.

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This includes a child’s growing sense of self and their ability to engage in positive relationships with others.

Children should not expect all experiences in life to be happy; every child faces emotional difficulties from time to time, as do adults.

Feelings of sadness, loss and a wide range of emotions are part of growing up and mentally healthy children have enough confidence to believe that problems can be solved.

Early years practitioners increasingly share the care of young children with their parents.

The early years of life is a time of growth and of vulnerability and a setting that develops health and well-being is a place where children are valued and where youngsters know they are valued.

They do this in a variety of ways including having professional high standards, offering challenging and stimulating learning opportunities and encouraging children to assess and take risks. They also seek support of parents, carers and other agencies.

It is usually easy for parents to identify their child’s physical needs – such as healthy food, appropriate clothing for the weather, and bedtime within part of a routine.

It may not be as clear to identify what is good for their positive mental health and emotional needs, but the basics include unconditional love from a family, confidence and high self-esteem, an opportunity to play with other children, encouraging and supportive teachers and carers and safe and secure surroundings.

Some children experience emotional and behavioural difficulties outside of the expected range for their age or gender.

There are a number of factors which can result in them being at increased risk of developing mental health difficulties. They include loss or separation resulting from things such as death, family breakdown, hospitalisations or the loss of friendships.

Major life changes like going to a new school, the birth of a sibling or moving house or traumatic events such as abuse, violence or accidents can also affect children.

Young children may become tearful and clingy, appear very unhappy, lose their appetite, wake in the night or have nightmares.

Their behaviour may become very demanding or destructive, general development may regress (such as toilet training).

Others may lose interest in play or refuse to go to school or nursery.

Other signs may include headaches, stomach aches, and physical complaints that appear to have no obvious cause.

However, remember toddlers usually have a vast range of behaviours considered developmentally appropriate, depending on the individual child.

Sometimes, problems can lead to difficulties in the future.

Children are very sensitive to what goes on around them and can become distressed about situations they find hard to deal with without the right support.

It’s important these difficulties don’t continue for too long. They affect self-esteem and confidence.

Some children talk about their feelings, others may show feelings through behaviour, for example stealing or being aggressive.

Simply talking about the problems is often a significant step towards feeling better, though children might not find this easy at first. It is essential to help them understand why they feel this way, how they can deal with problems and develop a more positive view of their world.

Children can’t just ‘pull themselves together’.

There are lots of types of help available, including individual counselling, family therapy, behaviour therapy, group work, and art therapies, such as music and dance.

If you suspect any child’s unhappiness is more than a passing phase, it is important to get help early.

Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk