Category: Well-Being

Suppose you’ve noticed your 12-year-old daughter becoming increasingly quiet, spending more time alone in her room, and you suspect she might benefit from talking to a therapist. How do you broach such a delicate subject without scaring her or making her feel stigmatized?

It’s a tricky path to navigate, but with careful consideration and a thoughtful approach, you can open the door to a valuable conversation about therapy. How you handle this could potentially shape her perspective towards mental health for years to come.

Let’s explore some strategies to make this conversation as productive and reassuring as possible.

Understanding the Concept of Therapy

Before diving into how to talk to your children about therapy, it’s essential for you to grasp what therapy truly entails. Therapy, in its simplest form, is a process designed to help individuals cope with emotional challenges, mental health issues, and life changes. It’s not a sign of weakness or failure, but rather a key step towards healing and personal growth.

Understanding this, you’re better equipped to convey the concept to your kids. You might be asking, how can you make such a sophisticated idea understandable for a child? Start by simplifying it. You can explain therapy as a safe space where one can share thoughts and feelings with a person (the therapist) trained to understand and help.

Remember, it’s critical to remove the stigma associated with therapy. Don’t present it as a punishment or something to be ashamed of. Instead, emphasize its positive aspects: it’s a tool for better understanding oneself, resolving conflicts, and developing coping skills.

Essentially, your task is to frame therapy as a normal and beneficial part of life, just like going to the doctor for a physical check-up.

The Right Time to Discuss Therapy

Recognizing when to broach the subject of therapy with your child is just as important as the conversation itself. Your child’s age, emotional maturity, and the nature of their struggles are all factors that influence the timing of this talk.

You might notice changes in your child’s mood or behavior that concern you. Maybe they’re withdrawing from friends or family, struggling in school, or displaying signs of anxiety or depression. These are signals that it might be time to discuss therapy. Remember, it’s not about labeling your child with a problem, but about offering support and solutions for their struggles.

Don’t rush the conversation. It’s important to wait for a calm, quiet moment when they’re open to talking. Avoid bringing up the topic during times of heightened stress or conflict. It’s also key to make sure they don’t feel cornered or ambushed, so make sure to inform them of the talk beforehand.

Understanding when to talk about therapy is a delicate balancing act, and it’s okay if you don’t get it right the first time. The important thing is your willingness to open the door to conversation and help your child navigate their feelings.

Breaking Down Therapy Misconceptions

Once you’ve found the right moment to talk about therapy with your child, you may encounter some misconceptions they’ve about what therapy is and what it entails. It’s vital to address these misapprehensions with understanding and compassion, helping them to see therapy in a more accurate and positive light.

A few common misconceptions about therapy include:

• Therapy is only for ‘crazy’ people
• Going to therapy means you’re weak
• Therapy is about blaming parents or other people

It’s important to gently but firmly dispel these myths. Let your child know that therapy is a tool for anyone seeking personal growth, understanding, or help with life’s challenges – not just for those with severe mental health issues. Emphasize that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. And reassure them that therapy isn’t about placing blame, but rather about understanding oneself and learning better coping mechanisms.

Age-Appropriate Explanations About Therapy

Understanding how to explain therapy to your child in an age-appropriate way can make the process less intimidating and more beneficial for them. It’s not about exploring complex concepts, but rather tailoring the conversation to their level of understanding. When explaining therapy, remember that it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.

For preschoolers, you could compare therapy to a visit to a doctor who helps people with their feelings. Use their language and familiar examples, such as a friend who helps them when they’re upset.

School-aged children can grasp more abstract concepts. Explain that a therapist is like a coach, helping them navigate emotions and situations. You can relate it to learning new skills for a sport or hobby.

For teenagers, you can delve deeper into the mechanics of therapy. Explain that a therapist is a professional who can provide strategies to cope with stress, anxiety, and other feelings.

In every age group, reassure your child that it’s okay to need help and that going to therapy is a brave step towards self-improvement. Remember, it’s about making them feel safe and understood, not overwhelmed.

Encouraging Open Dialogue

In the journey towards fostering a healthier mental environment for your child, maintaining an open dialogue is key. This means cultivating an atmosphere where they feel safe and comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings about therapy. It’s important that you encourage your child to speak freely about their emotions and concerns.

Here are three strategies to facilitate this open dialogue:

• Promote Honesty: Make sure your child knows it’s okay to share their honest feelings. Remind them that there’s no right or wrong emotion when it comes to therapy.
• Show Empathy: Always respond to your child’s feelings with understanding and compassion. This will help them feel valued and heard.
• Be Patient: Don’t rush your child to open up. They may need time to process their feelings and thoughts about therapy.

Responding to Your Child’s Concerns

After encouraging an open dialogue, it’s equally important to attentively address any concerns your child may express about therapy. Remember, these fears or worries are valid and deserve your understanding and respect.

You’d want to reassure your child that their feelings are natural. It’s okay to feel anxious or uncertain about starting therapy. It’s a new experience and it’s normal to have questions or concerns. Explain that therapy is a safe space, designed for them to express their feelings and thoughts without judgment.

If your child is worried about confidentiality, reassure them that what they share in therapy stays between them and their therapist, with the exception of any safety concerns. This can help them feel more comfortable and open to the process.

Avoid dismissing their concerns or rushing to ‘fix’ the problem. Instead, validate their feelings, provide reassurances where you can, and if you don’t have the answers, it’s okay to say so. You can always seek more information together.

Fostering a Supportive Environment

Creating a supportive environment at home can play an important role in your child’s journey through therapy, providing them with the comfort and stability they need to navigate this new experience. This task might seem challenging, but don’t worry, it’s easier than you think and you’re more than capable.

Here are a few strategies that can help you create a supportive environment:

• Encourage open conversations: Remind your child that it’s okay to share feelings and concerns. Make it clear that there’s no judgment in your home, only understanding.
• Show empathy: Validate your child’s feelings, even if you can’t fully understand them. Let them know you’re there for them, no matter what.
• Keep routines consistent: This can bring a sense of security and normality, essential during this transitional period.

Revisiting the Conversation

While maintaining a supportive environment is beneficial, it’s equally important to revisit and maintain ongoing dialogue about therapy with your child. This isn’t a one-time conversation, but a continuous process of understanding and supporting your child’s journey.

Remind your child that it’s okay to feel unsure or confused. Therapy can be challenging, but it’s an essential step in understanding and managing emotions and mental health. Regularly check in with your child about their therapy sessions, keeping the conversation open-ended and non-judgmental. You may ask, ‘How did your session go?’ or ‘Is there anything about therapy you’d like to talk about?’

Encouraging Therapy as a Normal Practice

In many societies, there’s still a stigma attached to therapy, and it’s your role as a parent to challenge this stereotype by normalizing therapy in your home. It’s important to convey that therapy is a valuable tool for anyone, not just for those with severe mental health issues. It’s about self-improvement, growth, and well-being.

Consider these strategies to encourage therapy as a normal practice:

• Integrate therapy into your regular conversations: Talk about therapy the same way you’d talk about a doctor’s appointment. Make it as common as discussing homework or weekend plans.
• Share your own experiences: If you’ve benefited from therapy, share those experiences. This humanizes the process and shows it’s okay to seek help.
• Be proactive, not reactive: Don’t wait for a crisis to suggest therapy. Encourage it as a proactive measure to handle life’s challenges.

For most of us, what we see throughout our lives is like breathing. We don’t think much about it so naturally, it’s easy to take out sight for granted.  Eyes are our window to the world.  And from the time a child is born, eyes develop continuously through infancy and into childhood, shaping how children perceive the world around them.

However, parents need to be aware that myopia rates are on the rise, with four out of ten people worldwide already nearsighted. Inna Lazar, OD, a Connecticut-based optometrist, cites a mix of factors contributing to the prevalence of nearsightedness. Environmental factors, in particular, including extensive close-up activities, have been found to play a measurable role in the development of myopia.

Moreover, Dr. Lazar explains that the younger a child is when they become myopic, the more likely their condition is to progress. This makes it even more crucial for parents to adopt a proactive approach to safeguarding their children’s vision as they grow. Below, we take a look at four ways that parents can help protect and nurture their children’s vision.

Schedule regular eye exams

Many children’s eye issues often go undiagnosed, either due to lackluster school screenings or because children may not have the vocabulary to express their vision difficulties effectively. A study presented at the 2024 Global Specialty Lens Symposium confirmed that just 14% of children aged 7 or younger underwent eye examinations. However, 43.5% of all children displayed over 0.50 diopters of myopia in at least one eye.

By scheduling regular eye exams with a qualified optometrist, parents can ensure that any vision issues are detected and addressed promptly. A comprehensive eye exam delves deeper than school screenings, checking for common eye conditions like glaucoma and providing a thorough assessment of a child’s visual acuity.

Appropriate measures such as prescription eyewear or vision therapy may then be recommended. Hence, these exams should be scheduled at least once a year or more, depending if your child is showing signs of vision problems. You can schedule these for the whole family to encourage your child’s participation and ease any worries, as well.

Encourage consistent wearing of vision corrective tools

Concerns about appearance or discomfort typically impede acceptance of eyewear. Hence, when eye exams indicate a need for vision correction, getting children to willingly wear prescription eyeglasses can pose a common challenge for parents. Nevertheless, wearing glasses consistently helps to alleviate vision problems and prevents further eye strain.

If you’re seeking strategies to encourage kids to wear glasses, consider letting your child actively select their frames, introducing glasses gradually, and maintaining consistent wear. Red-colored plastic frames are common favorites among children, alongside rectangular glasses and spectacles with straight earpieces.

For outdoor activities, investing in sunglasses with UV protection is equally important. Prolonged exposure to harmful UV rays can lead to various eye problems, including cataracts, macular degeneration, and photokeratitis. Similarly, let your child find a stylish pair that they genuinely adore, and then you can also set an example by normalizing sunglasses as part of everyday life, ensuring that your child’s eyes are shielded from as much potential damage as possible.

Limit screen time

In today’s digital age, children are spending more time than ever in front of screens, from computers and tablets to smartphones and televisions. This prolonged screen time can contribute to digital eye strain, myopia, and other vision-related issues. Because blue light exposure at night affects the body’s natural circadian rhythms, excessive screen time can also affect the quality of sleep, thereby hindering the eye’s ability to rest properly.

To safeguard your child’s visual development, it’s essential to set boundaries with technology and limit their screen time. Develop a bedtime routine that doesn’t involve screen time, such as storytelling, practicing mindfulness, or journaling. Additionally, encourage outdoor activities instead. Spending time outdoors exposes children to natural light, which is essential for healthy eye development. Whether it’s playing sports, going for nature walks, or simply enjoying time in the backyard, outdoor activities provide numerous benefits for your child’s visual development and overall well-being.

Provide healthy nutrition

Nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and E, as well as omega-3 fatty acids and zinc, play key roles in maintaining healthy eyes and preventing eye-related issues. Hence, encouraging your child to eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods — including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats — can be vital for supporting optimal visual development.
Foods such as carrots, leafy greens, citrus fruits, nuts, and fish are particularly beneficial for eye health.

Consider incorporating a cup of carrot juice into your child’s breakfast every morning, as only 236 grams of carrots can carry over 250% of the DV for vitamin A. You can also pack a bag of nuts or a few slices of orange to your child’s lunch bag for school. By providing easy and accessible eye-healthy snacks, you can help provide the necessary nutrients for their growing eyes.

With these tips, parents can help support optimal visual development in their children. This helps ensure that children have the best possible start in life and healthy vision for years to come.

Every day, our lives grow more intertwined with technology. This shift brings numerous advantages but also introduces some challenges. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning until we close them at night, we’re constantly connected through various gadgets that serve as our windows to the outside world.

This constant connectivity brings to light a significant concern: the possibility that too much screen time could encourage addictive behaviors and patterns. Here we aim to dissect how our engagement with technology affects our sleep habits, mental health, and overall wellness.

Grasping this connection is vital for safeguarding our health and that of our communities as we move deeper into a digital-dominated era.

Understanding screen time

Smartphones and digital devices have drastically altered our interaction with the world and information at large. They’ve reshaped our entertainment, communication, and work habits. Concerningly, new studies show a significant increase in our daily screen time, with some individuals clocking in more than 11 hours a day attached to their devices. This development is not surprising, considering the pervasive role of technology in every aspect of our daily activities.

A notable study from Harvard Medical School focuses on the quality of screen time, examining its influence on brain development and its effects on sleep patterns, particularly among children and teenagers. Recognizing the risks associated with excessive screen use and finding ways to mitigate its effects are crucial steps toward healthier living.

Unfortunately, some people spend up to 11 hours on their phones daily!

The psychology behind screen usage

The allure of phones lies in their ability to fulfill diverse human needs quickly and efficiently. They provide instant gratification, a sense of social connection, and endless avenues for information and entertainment. This multifaceted appeal is rooted in the brain’s reward system. When we engage with screens, especially in activities like gaming or social media browsing, our brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and reward. This release can create a feedback loop, reinforcing usage and making it an increasingly desirable activity.

Delving into digital addiction causes and symptoms, we find that this pursuit of digital interaction begins to rewire the brain’s reward pathways. It can potentially lead to compulsive use patterns that resemble those seen in other forms of addiction. Understanding these psychological mechanisms is key to addressing the challenges posed by our digital lives.

Compulsive Behaviors and Addictive Patterns

Getting to the bottom of the impact of screen time requires understanding its connection to compulsive behaviors and addictive patterns. Despite negative consequences, these behaviors are characterized by an irresistible urge to engage in an activity. In more simple words, it means letting screen usage dominate your life. People who have this issue prioritize screen time over everything else and experience withdrawal symptoms when they are not using it.

Looking at digital addiction more closely reveals the link between excessive screen time and the risk of developing addictive behaviors. Specifically, it highlights the importance of conscious and regulated use of technology in our daily lives and the need for awareness and intervention in managing our digital interactions.

Excessive screen time can lead to compulsive behavior and addictive patterns.

Navigating the digital landscape responsibly

Considering all these issues, responsibly navigating the digital landscape is very important. Thus, we must educate ourselves and the younger generations about all the risks of too much screen time. Also, we must understand the mechanics of this addiction and work on creating a healthier relationship with technology. Digital literacy should be taught and promoted in schools, workplaces, and family environments. Encouraging activities that improve our physical, mental, and social well-being away from the screens is also important.

In addition, policymakers and technology companies should be called upon to consider the implications of digital products. Specifically, they should advocate for designs that promote healthier usage patterns. If we all work together, we can extract the benefits of technology while minimizing its effects on our mental health.

Impact of excessive screen time on mental and physical health

Health issues that can arise from too much screen time are eye strain, disrupted sleep patterns due to blue light exposure, and a sedentary lifestyle.

However, the psychological consequences can be much harder to come back from. Using smartphones and other devices too much is not just a behavioral concern. Over time, excessive screen use can become a major health concern. It’s known to affect mental health significantly, leading to higher instances of anxiety, depression, and issues with concentration. Bright Futures Treatment Center, renowned for its expertise in substance abuse recovery, warns that too much screen time can cause feelings of loneliness and isolation, which can seriously impact mental health. This can drive individuals towards substance abuse as a form of escapism. It’s common for different types of addiction to coexist, which even further emphasizes the importance of seeking professional help early to stop the problem from getting worse.

Physical and mental health risks highlight the need for a more balanced approach to screen time usage. Plus, they show how important it is to seek professional help when necessary.

Blue light from the screens can mess up your sleep patterns and affect your health.

Mitigating risks and healthy screen habits

In order to stay mentally and physically healthy, you must balance screen time. Taking breaks and digital detoxes from time to time can be very helpful. Also, parents must establish clear screen time limits for their children. That teaches them to have a healthy relationship with technology from a young age.

Additionally, you should always keep track of your usage as it can help you clearly understand your habits. Incorporating other activities into your daily routine is also helpful. You can take up physical exercise, reading, or hobbies to ensure a fulfilling lifestyle. Finally, preventing other health risks through regular eye exams and medical check-ups is a smart and responsible choice.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the connection between excessive screen time and the development of compulsive behaviors and addictive patterns is a growing concern in our digitalized society. Thus, you should explore the impact of screen habits on your health and take the necessary steps toward fostering a healthier relationship with technology. If you want to continue integrating technology into your daily life, you must work to understand and manage your usage. Finding a balance is key. The aim should be to keep technology as a means of improvement, not something that harms our overall health and happiness.

When you think of all the technological advancements throughout human history, technology used primarily for communication to the masses was relatively new. And compared to the last 15 years, the rate of progression was gradual; from radio in the 1920’s, to television in the 1930’s, to the first personal computer in the 70’s, and the creation of the internet.

For those of us growing up before there was a personal computer in every home or school, you would still hear about kids spending too much time in front of the TV. Who would have predicted there would be personal TV in everyone child’s pocket, much less a TV that communicated both ways.

The Need to Unplug

Besides entertainment in the palm of our hands, the ability to connect with anyone in the world at any time has also brought additional challenges. It’s easy to forget how fast it happened.

At Safe Search Kids, we have extensively covered the topic of screen time and the need to unplug relative to a child’s well-being. Our writers have explored the effects on a child’s social life, cyberbullying, early child development, lack of physical activity, anxiety, addictive behavior for gamers and on social media.

Even for adults, it’s a struggle for us to see how well our friends are doing when we compare ourselves with “the moments best of their lives” on social media posts.  A lack of screentime boundaries for people of all ages has led to an increase in people feeling alienated, lonely, and depressed.

Unplugged Services

Safe Search Kids is proud to support the work of organizations that promote well-being in our quickly advancing technological world. Unplugged Services focuses on Helping Parents Establish Healthy Tech Foundations for Their Children. They seek partnerships to gain traction and promote a shared goal of ensuring children’s safety online.

Company Overview:

Unplugged Services was founded in October of 2023 by David Grajzl and two other partners.

They work to ensure that parents of today’s youth are properly equipped with the knowledge and resources necessary to instill screen time maturity, social media safety, and overall awareness of the multiple dangers associated with the use of devices.  Unplugged Services provides education on how decisions they make now can and will affect them later, as well as impacting their own children.

Products and Services:

Unplugged Services currently provides:

• 5+ online courses that help guide parents to ensure digital safety for their child.

• A free monthly newsletter. Unlock a wealth of invaluable insights with Unplugged Services complimentary monthly newsletter, designed to keep you well-informed and intrigued about your child’s digital behavior. Explore the details of this exclusive resource here and elevate your understanding of your child’s online experience.

• Online events and seminars led by subject matter experts. Granting passionate and caring parents like you the opportunity to voice your questions and opinions to experts and professionals.

• To view their courses, newsletter, and online events please website follow this link, Unplugged Services.

Client Testimonials and Endorsements

Client Testimonials

“Unplugged Services has been a game changer for my teenager. I absolutely love their monthly newsletter. Thank you!” – Anonymous

“I’m grateful for the guidance provided by Unplugged Services. My child now understands the importance of responsible social media usage.” – Anonymous

Unplugged Services as recently been endorsed by Delaney Ruston who has produced numerous films regarding teen screen safety reaching audiences in the millions.

Final Thoughts

It would be foolish to think that the human race has reached the precipice of technological advancement.  We have not even mentioned the future advancement coming in virtual and augmented reality, robotics, quantum and edge computing, and of course artificial intelligence.

All these new and wonderful things can improve efficiency and better our society in numerous ways. There are also benefits in education as we offer effective resource tools to parents and schools. But we must also ask the question.  What is the human cost if we forget where we came from as family units and communities.  What new problems will we face if we forget to set up consistent ways to unplug from the technology?

The future is in the hands of educators and parents alike. We can better connect if we learn to unplug and teach our children to do the same.

Quotes to Live and Unplug By

Unplugging helps you refocus on yourself instead of being pulled in a zillion different directions. Those directions may all be important, but you are just as important. – Arin Murphy-Hiscock (Author)

Especially when you have a lot going on, you must find a way to unplug and focus on yourself. – Mandy Ingber (Author)

I try to make a point in my life to leave the cellphone in the car sometimes, to try to unplug as much as possible. – Tom Green (Comedian)

We do well to unplug regularly. Quiet time restores focus and composure. – Daniel Goleman (Psychologist)

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes … including you. – Anne Lamott (Novelist and Non-Fiction Writer)