Good mental health helps children develop socially, emotionally and physically.
Relationships, friendships and social connections are important for children’s mental health.
It is also important for children to learn to express and manage strong emotions in a positive way.
Physical activity, healthy eating patterns, quality sleep and balanced use of digital technology are all beneficial for children’s mental health.

Children’s mental health: what it is and why it matters
Mental health is how children think and feel about themselves and the world they live in. Good mental health is when children feel good about themselves and feel loved, safe and secure in their environment.
Good mental health is an important part of a child’s healthy development. This can help children:

• Understand and manage their emotions
• Form healthy relationships
• Learn, play, and be creative
• Adapt to change
• Overcome challenges and stresses in life

Children’s relationships and good mental health
Building good relationships with you can have a direct and positive impact on your child’s mental health.
Here are some ideas for improving your child’s mental health through loving and supportive family relationships:

• Tell your child that you love them, no matter what. You can also show love through body language and nonverbal communication, such as making eye contact, hugging, or smiling at your child. Make time each day to talk and listen to your children. If your child needs to talk, try to stop what you are doing and give them your full attention.
• Spend quality time with your child doing activities they enjoy. This could be reading together, playing soccer, writing, playing board games, etc.
• Have a family dinner. Eating together strengthens your relationship with your child, gives your child a sense of security and connection, and has a positive impact on their development. It can also encourage your child to eat well.
• Work on problem-solving and handle conflicts with your partner, children, and other family members in a positive way.

Children’s emotions and good mental health
Children experience a variety of emotions as they grow up – fear, sadness, grief, anxiety, anger, happiness, joy, and more. When children are able to handle strong emotions and calm themselves in difficult or emotional situations, they will feel good about themselves.

You can help your child learn to manage their emotions by:

• Talking to your child about emotions and encouraging them to identify and label their own feelings. You can also tell your child that it is normal to feel different emotions. For example, “You are upset because your toy is not working.” I understand that.
• Set a good example for your child, for example, “It is hard to run around the oval, but I think I can do it,” “I am upset with my child because the cake is not baked yet.” , but it’s okay, I will try again later. If your child is struggling, support them. For example, if your child is having trouble keeping up with their peers at school, you can show your child lots of love at home, work with your child to solve problems, and talk about the problem with the teacher.
• Help your child learn to manage small problems before they become big problems. You can do this by gently encouraging your child to do things that are worrying them. For example, “Have you thought about joining the school choir? You like the song