This week is Children’s mental health week. We know there is a link between dyslexia and poor mental health.
Here are some early interventions and approaches you can use to support your child’s mental health.
- Build self-esteem. Support this by ensuring your child regularly experiences success. Celebrate achievements, big or small both in and outside of school.
- Growth mindset: Develop this by using phrases such as ‘You can’t do that, yet’, ‘it’s okay to make mistakes’ and ‘you’re on the right track.’ Remind them that mistakes are opportunities to learn and develop our skills.
- Interests: focus on what your child is good at, provide opportunities for them to develop skills and be successful in this area. This is a safe way to build their resilience
- Environment. The environment has to be supportive and safe from the language used when your child makes a mistake to the resources available at home, school and clubs.
- Listen, your child is not you, although you may be similar. Acknowledge and validate your child struggles without minimising them, but let them know it’s OK to be upset sometimes. They are not alone.
- Seek support. It’s OK as parents not to have all the answers. Access professional support and expertise for your child if needed. Counselling and therapy can be so powerful at an early age.
- Advocate. Ensure your child has the support they need at school and in other settings to be successful. Empower your child to know it is OK and normal to ask for help.
Remember good or weak mental health builds over time the more proactive we can be in supporting it the less likely it will be that someone will reach crisis.