Adult Wellbeing and the Connection to the Wellbeing of Children

Learning more about mental health concerns can help us to feel more confident when talking about them or listening to someone else. You learned in week 3 that our mental health is influenced by psychological health (this means such a person is in a healthy state of mental well-being, one that they can use to function normally in society and during everyday events) and the close interconnection with the social world surrounding us, for example, interpersonal relationships with our families and communities.

Difficult times, crisis, loss, and transitions affects us all differently. Remember the change clouds in week 4? Changes come in all shapes and sizes. We all go through difficult times, and negative emotions can be a healthy reaction to the challenges we face. Did you know, for many of us, things can become more serious, and each year as many as 1 in 4 of us experiences a mental health concern?

Being aware of what can affect our mental health can make it easier to understand when we, or someone we care about, are struggling and helps us think about what we can do to improve things or where to get support. What affects one’s mental health differs from person to person. Therefore being aware of the stressors in your life and what you can do to take care of yourself are so important. Activities that make you feel relaxed, for example, can help, even if you only do them once a day for five minutes.

Wellbeing of Adults and the Connection to the Wellbeing of Children

The mental health of adults is directly linked to the mental health of children. Furthermore, childhood adversity has a strong cumulative relationship with adult mental well-being. This means that caregivers and other supportive adults such as teachers have a very important role to play in the healthy development of children by staying mentally well and promoting mental health in all interactions. Research shows that caregivers who are mentally well have an easier time bonding, forming healthy attachments and supporting their children’s mental health needs throughout their life course. You’ll learn a few key strategies/tools throughout the unit to support your mental health and wellbeing such as mindfulness activities, seeking social support and problem solving.

It’s important to note that staying mentally well doesn’t mean that you can’t respond to stressors in your life or feel frustrated or unhappy. In fact, it can help your children understand how to cope with difficult situations. As an adult, children mirror our every move and therefore showing how to cope effectively during difficult times is teaching a valuable lesson.

Previously, you learned about social and emotional skills and competencies. Adults are integral to teaching social-emotional competencies to children and modeling them through their own behavior and actions. For example, showing the ability to treat others with respect and kindness, label and discuss emotions both positive and negative and why they are occurring. Furthermore, demonstrating empathy and listening to one another, positive relationships by supporting and maintaining friendships, discussing social cues and norms with children, and demonstrating self-awareness. Practicing these skills can support adults to ultimately teach them to children.