KOCHI: Celebrating the boundless potential of our youngest minds — the future leaders, thinkers, and changemakers of tomorrow — is what Children’s Day is all about. As a psychologist/behavioural therapist, I think it’s critical to foster healthy minds in children from a young age, not just for their current well-being but also for their success in the future.
Early childhood plays a vital role in brain development. The emotional and psychological patterns formed during this period can influence how children manage relationships, stress, and challenges later in life. Positive early experiences, such as feeling safe, loved, and supported, have a significant impact on a child’s emotional development.
Unfortunately, negative experiences like trauma, neglect, or chronic stress can have long-lasting effects on a child’s mental health. As a therapist, I often see how early emotional wounds, whether from bullying, family issues, or other stressors in life, can later show up as difficulties in social relationships, anxiety, or depression. So, recognising the value of mental health in the early years of life and offering the required assistance are the first steps in preventing such results.
Early intervention
One of the best strategies to ensure children’s mental health is supported is early intervention. Therapy, support groups, and basic behavioural techniques can be used to address emotional challenges or behavioural issues when identified early. Also, ensure that the underlying problems are tackled before they become deeply rooted. This makes it much easier to prevent them from escalating.
For instance, counselling or therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy, which teaches children how to control their emotions and create healthier coping skills, can be beneficial for kids who struggle with anxiety or behavioural issues. Children who receive treatment frequently gain the abilities necessary to communicate their emotions, comprehend them, and handle challenging circumstances with more emotional control.
Additionally, caregivers, educators, and parents must provide emotional support. Children require secure, trustworthy settings where they may express their emotions without worrying about being judged. Healthy communication, empathetic listening, and positive reinforcement support a child’s emotional stability and wellbeing.
Role of schools
Schools play a vital role in nurturing both academic and emotional development. In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to integrate mental health education into the curriculum as their future success depends not just on academic aptitude but also on their emotional resilience.
When children are taught skills like emotional intelligence, stress management, and conflict resolution, they are better equipped to manage their emotions and interact with others effectively. Programs that focus on social-emotional learning, mindfulness, and empathy help children navigate social situations with greater ease, reducing feelings of isolation or anxiety. It also fosters self-awareness, empathy, and confidence, empowering children to cope with difficult emotions.
Additionally, schools that offer mental health education and counselling services provide invaluable support for students facing challenges such as bullying, family issues, or academic pressures. By encouraging open discussions about mental health, schools help normalise the idea that it’s normal not always to feel okay, and they reduce the stigma around seeking help.
Parents and caregivers
While communities and schools play a key role in shaping children’s mental health, parents and caregivers have the greatest influence on a child’s emotional development. Strong feelings of emotional stability and self-worth are developed in children through positive, nurturing interactions with their parents. Children have a solid emotional foundation when their parents listen to them, validate their emotions, and provide comfort. The way parents manage their own emotions and model healthy behaviours also teaches children how to handle their own relationships and feelings.
As we celebrate Children’s Day, we must keep in mind that the responsibility of fostering mentally healthy children lies on all of us. By prioritising mental health, we can help ensure that every child grows into an emotionally stable, resilient, and confident adult, ready to thrive in the world.
The author is a consultant psychologist & behavioural therapist, Speechshore, Kochi