Eight Essential Ingredients for Developing Good Mental
Health in Children
Love
Every child needs to feel:
- Loved and wanted
- That she matters very much to someone
- That there are people near her who care what happens
to her
Security
Every child needs to know:
- That his home is a good, safe place he can feel secure
about
- That his parents or other protective adults will always
be on hand (especially in times of crisis when needed
most)
- That he belongs to a group; that there is a place where
he fits in
Faith
Every child needs to have:
- A set of moral standards to live by
- A belief in t he human values of kindness, courage,
honesty, generosity, and justice
Acceptance
Children need to believe:
- That they are liked for themselves, just the way they
are
- That they are liked all the time and not just when they
act according to others’ ideas of they way a child should
act
- That they are always accepted, even though others may
not approve of the things they do
- That they will be able to grow and develop in their
own way
Control
Every child needs to know:
- That there are limits to what he is permitted to do,
and that he will be held to these limits
- That when he feels angry or jealous, he will not be
allowed to hurt himself or others
Guidance
Every child needs to know they have:
- Friendly help in learning how to behave toward persons
and things
- Adults around her whop show her by example how to get
along with other people
Protection
Children need to feel:
- That they will be kept safe from harm
- That when they must face strange unknown and frightening
situations, someone will be there to help
Independence
Children need to know:
- That they will be encouraged to try new things and to
grow
- That there is self confidence in their ability to do
things for themselves and by themselves
We Need To Remember:
- That we are examples that every child has for behavior,
beliefs, and expression of feelings.
- That appreciation for acceptable behavior is more effective
that punishment or criticism for unacceptable behavior.
This May Help:
- Children need praise often for their good qualities,
behavior, and achievements.
- Children need encouragement to set their goals and ways
of working toward them.
- Children need to be allowed to try and fail as well
as try to succeed.
Especially Important:
Children need to be enjoyed as unique human beings.
Encouragement is Very Important
Words of praise can help you encourage your child’s growth.
Try some of these:
- I like the way you handled that.
- It looks as if you enjoyed that.
- I have confidence in your judgment.
- It looks like you worked really hard on that.
- How do you feel about it?
- It was thoughtful of you to___________.
- Look at the progress you have made.
- Knowing you, I’m sure you’ll do fine.
- I like the way you tackled that job.
- That is a tough problem, but I’m sure you will work
it out.
- I’m glad you are pleased with it.
Have faith in children so they may believe in themselves.
Focus on their contributions, assets, and strengths.
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Eight Essential Ingredients as PDF brochure
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