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Protect Your Kid’s Emotional Well-being

by Matt Hellstrom

In our effort to stabilize extremely full and frantic lifestyles with our families and our jobs, many of us might have been neglecting an all-important aspect of our kid’s life: their psychological welfare. The initial 3 years of a child’s existence can be a critical time for a child, and the stress of altering child care providers or creating a ‘part-time’ parent float in and out of their life can be extremely upsetting and destabilizing for them.

It is essential that parents, teachers, involved adults and care providers make a concerted mutual effort to make certain that a child’s emotional requirements are achieved on a daily basis, just like their physical needs are. The results of not meeting a child’s emotional needs, especially throughout the first three years of life, can have devastating consequences. Violent, disruptive or defiant behaviors can result.

The initial three years of life tend to be important in numerous ways. This is when bonding and emotional separation takes place. If there are interruptions in either of these functions, misbehaviors from the youngster can result. This may later have an affect on their relationships later on in life and hinder them in establishing their own wholesome relationships as teenagers or adults.

During the initial three years of life, the brain goes through its most rapid advancement ever, the likes of which will never been experienced again. When they’re 3 years old, a child’s brain is already ‘hardwired’ from the experiences they’ve had to that point. It’s important that these be loving, encouraging, safe, positive experiences so the brain is going to be conditioned to anticipate positive things. If they’ve been scary, harmful, abusive, or dangerous, then the brain is conditioned to expect negative occurrences.

Consequently it’s critical that parents, care providers and other involved adults create a concerted effort to ensure the kids’ emotional requirements are attained in a positive, constructive and wholesome fashion. Parents should ensure that the child’s care providers are stable and consistent, and don’t switch them around to different daycare providers during this critical phase. Make certain a child feels safe and secure with structured and regular schedules and routines.

Make sure you invest as much quality time with your kid at this time as you possibly can, regardless of your otherwise active and hectic lifestyle. A child can sense that this type of schedule is tense to you and it can become a scary or puzzling element for them. Therefore it’s important to take time out to reassure them that you are never too busy for them.

Keep in mind that your kids’ emotional well-being is just as important as their physical, so do your part to make sure your youngster knows he’s growing up safe, secure, cherished and loved.

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