TUNE IN: APPLE PODCASTS | GOOGLE PLAY | STITCHER

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Homeschooling and Loving It podcast. Today we are talking about How to talk with kids about the tough stuff along with staying in touch with your child’s mental health.

Have you noticed your children getting quiet when adults talk about recent events? Have you noticed them get a little irritable after they’ve heard the news? All of those are telltale signs that your child may not be handling these difficult situations well. Many children just don’t have the ability to verbalize how they feel. So with that in mind, it’s important for us to observe them carefully. They may be struggling with how to process what they perceive is happening in the world around them.

These are times that are difficult for us as adults to process and understand, even more so for our children. I know I’ve been personally scared and emotional when watching the news of late. But most importantly, the way we as parents respond to these issues and our children’s concerns will help them be able to process these concerns. 

First, I want to encourage you to be aware of the physical signs of distress in your children. 

Everyone deals with anxiety to a certain extent, and at a healthy level, it is an important warning sign for us. However, sometimes, situations can cause our anxiety to rise to unhealthy levels. If you’re concerned your child may be struggling with anxiety, here are several signs of unhealthy emotional stress.

If we determine that our child is indeed struggling with stress or anxiety we need to help our children right away. Don’t pretend the situation will go away on its own, but do make sure that you have your thoughts and feelings straight before you start. But, it’s vital that we step up and have those tough conversations and help support our child’s mental health!