Don't Scare Your Children, Inform Them!

By Donna Stark

Got kids? Well, if you do, you know that protecting your children is your number one priority, but there is often a delicate balance with doing that, isn't there? After all, you want them to be aware of the dangers and risks in life, but you certainly don't want to scare or cause them additional stress and anxiety either. So, how do you know when your safeguards are too much and where do you find that happy middle ground?   

Protecting Your Children

There are going to be many times throughout your children's lives when you may have to restrict their activities or alter their routines, and you may have questions on how to do so successfully. And by successfully, I mean doing it in a way that will give your children the knowledge and understanding they need while allowing them to still be children! Here are some quick tips you can take a look at.

• Keep it simple - Informing your children of a health situation and explaining what steps need to be taken is important, but don't overwhelm them with too much information or hard-to-understand protocols and statistics. Keep it simple and speak in their language. By giving them simple rules to follow, you can also empower them and build their self-confidence.
• Stress your role - It is not your children's job to worry about how they are going to keep themselves or their family safe. That's the job of the parent, so make sure you emphasize that you are in charge of that role and that the adults around them are working hard to keep everyone feeling well.
• Be mindful of conversations - If there is one thing that children are good at, it's picking up the energy exhibited by the adults around them, so be mindful of who may be listening to your conversations. Keep the serious talks for when they go to bed and watch how you present yourself when talking to them about the issue at hand. You want them to understand what you are saying but you don't want them to pick up on your own worry and stress.

Being the Protector

Although many people swear that children rebound quicker than adults do, there is still no reason to introduce your kids to unnecessary worry, fear, and stress. And while it is important to keep them aware and informed of the issue that is going on, it is also important to preserve and protect their mental health as well! So keep the above tips in mind when something comes up in your home and try your best to maintain a kid-friendly atmosphere when addressing it!

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Chino Hills, Calif.