Maintaining Positive Emotional Health As A Parent: Having strong emotional health as a parent improves the chances of your child also becoming a happy and emotionally strong adult

About this book

Care for Your Own Emotional HealthThen your child stands a much higher chance of being happy and emotionally healthy.One of the biggest factors impacting a child’s happiness is his parents’ moods. Most of us parents, though, never think about this. We feel that good parenting means focusing on our children but good parenting also means helping ourselves be emotionally, mentally, and physically. Our children are small sponges, absorbing our fears, joys, anxieties and a wide range of other emotions. Some children absorb their parents’ emotions more readily than others and this is primarily due to different personality types.Studies show that children whose mothers and fathers are depressed are at greater risk for depression. This is due to genetics as well as environment. And it makes sense. If you grew up with a parent who struggled with depression, you may have experienced depression. If your father was depressed, it affected you. If your mother was anxious, chances are that you struggled (or still struggle) with anxiety. The same is true with obsessive-compulsive disorders and other mood issues.My purpose is NOT to create guilt in parents, just the opposite. My point in bringing these to light is two-fold. First, I know that frequently, behind an anxious or troubled child is often a parent who is struggling with the same. Second, if you as a parent struggle with any of these issues, you not only owe it to yourself to get help, but to your children as well. As you work through this principle, don’t be afraid. Look at yourself honestly. Look at your struggles, moods, anxieties, or fears. Every parent has issues (myself included), and I know one we all help and hurt our children in many ways. But we can most decidedly tip the scales toward the help side. And improving our moods, decreasing the stress in our lives, and reducing anxiety is one of the best ways to accomplish this.