During this week, we as a nation celebrate Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week! The focus is to increase the public awareness of well-being and human development of our nation’s children and youth.

Mental health is how people think, feel, and act as they face life’s situations. It affects how people handle stress, relate to one another, and make decisions. Mental health influences the ways individuals look at themselves, their lives, and others in their lives. Like physical health, mental health is important at every stage of life.

Dr. Reid Sulik, assistant commissioner of the Department of Human Services, overseeing the Chemical Health and Mental Health Services Administration, gave a presentation to our community of parents and professionals in January. A highlight of his presentation included a focus on working toward a state of positive mental “fitness.”

For those of us charged with guiding young children towards positive mental fitness, there are specific guidelines that can help. Regular amounts of sleep, healthy diets, regular physical and relaxation activities, and healthy, loving supportive families and environments are elements of a good foundation for mental fitness.

As children develop language we can help them acquire good social emotional skills through teaching them how to; identify and understand feelings, accurately and understand the emotional states of others, manage their own emotions, control expressions of their own feelings, regulate their own behavior, develop empathy for others, establish and sustain relationships, and develop the capacity to self-soothe.

Put into our real world this can be accomplished through simple daily tasks such as frequently speaking to infants and young children. Language exposure through such things as listening to the television, or to adults talking among themselves does not provide the same benefits as multi-sensory interaction.

Another very valuable interactive situation we need to offer our children is that of being held, and read to.

A powerful idea that supports mental fitness in children includes an approach of, “Catching them being good”! There is tremendous power in focusing on our children’s strengths and the things they are doing that are good choices.

Reinforcing good behavior has been proven to be much more effective in managing and changing behaviors than consequences or punishments.

A good rule of thumb is that for every inappropriate behavior that is commented upon, three positive behaviors should be noted. When there is a specific behavior that needs changing or improvement, establishing a positive behavior reward system can be very successful.

One key is to work on one or two specific behaviors at a time and to organize this so the child can easily experience success at first, then raise expectations.

A wise person once told me, as I parented my toddler, that for her to be happy and healthy, I needed to be sure to take care of myself.

In celebrating children’s mental health week, I feel it’s also important to note the mental fitness of the caregivers.

My profession believes in and teaches the importance of the interrelatedness of individuals and families. So in essence children’s mental health can be construed as healthy families and environments for them to grow in.

That said, celebrate all the wonderful children in your lives and join us in planning for an even greater element of mental fitness for all.

Kim Anderson is a social worker at Lakeview Elementary School.