If you have worries about your child’s mental/emotional health it can be hard to know where to turn. Children go through times of change and ‘difficult’ behaviour anyway, so it can seem impossible to tell when something is normal behaviour or when something is seriously affecting their wellness and wellbeing.
Mental health, generally speaking, is to do with thoughts and feelings, and how those thoughts and feelings translate into actions. It is also tied up in how we feel ourselves, how we communicate with others, how we face obstacles, how we mature and learn. The way that your child faces life transitions, crises and the everyday turmoil of life can give you a clue as to how your child is faring, mentally.
Plus of course there is an enormous spectrum with these things, from the very mild and temporary types of mental health problems to serious, diagnosable mental health issues that require ongoing support and treatment. Knowing what is ‘normal’ is another difficulty, as there is a saying that if you think someone is normal, you just don’t know them well enough! It is also hard to see from the outside, so a family who may seem very ‘normal’ to you may well be struggling with their own dilemmas and problems.
Nevertheless, the best indicator is your own judgement. As parents, you really are in the best position to judge your child’s behaviour. If something doesn’t feel quite right to you, there is a chance that there may be a problem, so you should never ignore those nagging feelings.
If you haven’t already, the best thing to do is to equip yourself with some good parenting books and read about the normal stages of development. This will enable you to have some kind of idea about what your child is going through at each age. You will then have a foundation to work on when identifying whether your child’s behaviour is normal.
