Mental Health & Wellbeing

Just as there is no such thing as the perfect child or the perfect family, there is no such thing as the perfect parent or caregiver. What we do know is that healthy relationships with an adult and / or caregiver play a vital role in the development and wellbeing of young people, not just as they transition through their younger years, but as they navigate through different stages, relationships and challenges in life. 

The National Academy of Science defines four major responsibilities necessary for good parenting. These include: maintaining a child’s health and safety; promoting a child’s emotional wellbeing; instilling a child’s social skills; and preparing a child intellectually. 

Each parent or caregiver has the opportunity to reflect on their own style of caregiving, do they aim to emulate their own experience growing up? Do they choose to follow a pathway in hope to provide their own children with a different experience to their own or is it a combination of both? Regardless of a caregiver’s experience or goals, it can be useful to reflect, and arm yourself with useful information. The values and beliefs that we may have at the beginning of our parenting / caregiving experience may change over time, sometimes despite our reluctance to do so.

Common reflections on our parenting and caregiving include how much parenting and caregiving may have changed this century, resilience, boundaries, blended families, sibling relationships, managing our time and useful tools. All of these topics and more are featured in Schooltv with videos, interviews and questionnaires and reflections on caregiving in our current world. Taking the time to access these resources compiled by experts in adolescent development can provide some useful tools and also some affirmation about what is working well. A good read.

Happy parenting and caregiving.

Schooltv HERE

Rachel Smith | College Counsellor