Someone who is suffering from depression goes through a very difficult time. But, it gets more difficult when the person doesn’t know what is happening to them and why is it happening to them. Similarly, a child suffering from depression doesn’t understand their own feelings. Hence, it becomes the parent’s responsibility to help the child deal with depression.
Thus, below are few things a parent can do in helping their child deal with depression:
A Nurturing Environment:
It’s very important to create a strong bond with your child. A healthy and strong parent-child relationship creates a space for them to open up. Along with it, it’s important for you to encourage your child to set a routine, with good sleeping and eating habits. Also, encouraging them to enter a physical activity helps them to express better. The child should be encouraged for his/her good behaviour and should be given a space where they can start making friends, in and outside the school and community. But, spending quality time with your child should be the first priority. Most importantly, to create a nurturing environment, it’s important to listen to them empathetically without any prior judgements.
Give them a feeling of Safety:
Mostly a child faces depression due to feelings of insecurity. Hence, it is important for a parent to make the child feel secure. Don’t hesitate to talk to your child; ask what is actually bothering them. If they are facing issues like bullying or stress, if yes, then try to solve the issue. Also, the child could start acting like this as a reaction to a loss or a grief. Thus, it is important to have a heartfelt conversation and connection with your child. Also, try and keep them away from any kind of discord, and if you feel that they are thinking about suicide it’s good to ask them about it. Asking about it will not instigate the thought instead they will feel heard.
Educate Yourself:
It’s very important to educate yourself about the illness. Once you understand the illness and know about the symptoms and how it can be cured you can actively help your child find proper treatment. Also, once you understand the illness, you can help your child to understand their illness and help them stay strong through the situation. Learning about the symptoms of suicide, and talking about it will help you and your child to process the emotions. Thus, making them feel better.
If you think your child is showing the signs of depression, it’s very important to take them to a psychologist immediately.
