With the rise of the number of children receiving personal phones, we have seen a substantial increase in mental health disorders in children and teens. They are hanging out with friends less, sleeping less, and more likely to feel lonely. Sleeping is critical to anyone’s mental well-being but especially that of developing brains.
Victoria Prooday (a psychotherapist, founder and clinical director of a multidisciplinary clinic for children and parents) points out children are being deprived of the fundamentals of a healthy childhood, such as:
- Emotionally available parents
- Clearly defined limits and guidance
- Responsibilities
- Balanced nutrition and adequate sleep
- Movement and outdoors
- Creative play, social interaction, opportunities for unstructured times and boredom
Instead, children are being served with:
- Digitally distracted parents
- Indulgent parents who let kids “Rule the world”
- Sense of entitlement rather than responsibility
- Inadequate sleep and unbalanced nutrition
- Sedentary indoor lifestyle
- Endless stimulation, technological babysitters, instant gratification, and absence of dull moments (<<<<<THIS!!!!)
These two articles give wonderful ideas on how to turn these scary statistics around:
Casey Mansfield 