Your Child is Not Safe from Depression! This is What You Need to Know

Last Updated on January 7, 2021

– The child is unusually or suddenly started feeling hopeless, lonely, and sad.
– She/he may be very angry and irritable almost all the time.
– Low on energy and lack of interest in all sorts of activities, especially the ones they used to enjoy.

– Frequent physical complaints of an annoying body illness without any apparent reason.
– She/he is no longer interested in social life and started isolating herself/himself.
– May often appear moody, cranky, grouchy.
– Being argumentative with temper tantrums.
– Fatigue and lack of sleep are other serious symptoms.

So, what can you do about it?

#3 – What Parents Can Do

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Parents need to be aware of the possibilities that can lead to depression. They need to note sudden and unfamiliar changes in the behavior of their kids. Every kid undergoes some kind of conflict and parent should never underestimate the effect it may have on their child.

It may be something as simple as the teacher not giving golden stars for a preschooler, a
9-year-old worrying about not being popular among classmates, or a teenager suffering from the first heartbreak or a complex about low grades.

While some kids are able to talk out or not overthink their daily conflicts, others are not able to handle or cope with them. When kids are unable to do so, they end up suffering silently until it leads to stress. Conflicts could be both complex and very simple.

What’s important here is to resolve these conflicts on a daily basis to prevent unnecessary complications which can later turn into depression. As a parent, you need to offer your kids quality time.

Try to always keep the lines of communication open so your kid can always approach them with ease. Also, make sure to help them develop hobbies and sporting activities and explore themselves in order to build both emotional and physical strength and maintain healthy relationships with peers.

Keep in mind that it’s difficult for a small child to express their feelings. So here, both quality time and quantity time with kids are equally important. Although younger kids aren’t very articulate in expressing their thoughts, they often manifest them through certain behaviors, for example refusing and resisting going to school. Any behavioral issue should never be treated casually.