Mental Health and Children

“Statistics show one in five children will develop a mental-health problem by age 11,” says The Gazettenewspaper of Montreal, Canada. “Good mental health means balancing the social, physical, spiritual and emotional aspects of one’s life.” According to Sandy Bray, a community-education coordinator for the Canadian Mental Health Association, we should be as concerned about our mental health as we are about our physical health. Bray states: “If we continue to leave mental health last on the list of priorities, that’s when we tend to get depressed, anxious and stressed out.” Parents are encouraged to be more proactive in keeping their children mentally healthy, by scheduling family time into their lives and by eating meals together. Other suggestions to help all to maintain good mental health include getting sufficient sleep, eating well, keeping fit, making time to do the things you enjoy, spending time with friends, laughing, volunteering, giving and accepting compliments, really listening to others, and not being too hard on yourself when you make mistakes.