SPECIAL PARENT |
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HOW TO HELP CHILDREN WITHMOOD DISORDERS
Suggestions from Eileen Schneider
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PREDICT what the day will be like . If achild has art and gets worried about getting dirty , suggest wearing old jeans . |
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ROUTINE after school . A child may find the same snack , sitting in the same place , watching the same show , very comforting and restorative . |
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MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGES / GETTY IMAGES / ISTOCKPHOTO |
connect with other students or adults . Or achild who was formerlymore reservedorbetterbehaved may start seeking out more attention or developing anattitude . When there is a constellation of these factors over a period of time , such as one month , this is a warning sign .”
Mood disorders , and the resulting anxiety and depression can cause misunderstandings betweenfriends and potentially impact friendships .
Robin Schneider , who was born andraised in Bergen Countyand is now an elementary school teacher at an independent QuakerSchool in the Philadelphia area , explains : “ A child who withdraws from others on the playground may appear that he or she does not want to play with his or her friends due to lack of interest . Inreality , the withdrawn child may be experiencing low self-esteem and feel that he or she has nothingtocontribute to whatever game is being played , or the child could be feeling anxiousabout an aspect of the game itself , such as passing the ball correctly .”
As teachers may not know what is going on at home , and parents may not know what is going on at school , it is imperative that theycommunicate if and when they notice any warning signs of mood disorders . In additiontoreaching out to parents , teachers can help students within the classroom .
“ Negative attention seeking behavior canbedisruptive , but before responding punitively , try to understand what is
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going on with the student ,” Altman says . “ It is important to reach out to the child and check in .”
As ateacher , Robin Schneider feels that “ especially at the elementary level , it is crucial to provide any struggling students with opportunitiestodevelop his or her expressive language skills as theyrelate to feelings . If achild is feeling depressed or anxious for the first time , it may be confusing to him or her what exactly is going on . Helping the child findthe right words to explainhow he or she is feeling is agood starting point for finding strategies and solutions for managing those feelings .”
She says there are many excellent picture booksabout feelings , such as The Way IFeel by Janan Cain and WhenSophie Gets Angry by Molly Bang . “ Using posters with facial expressions are also anice tool for helpingchildren understand what they ’ re feeling ,” she says .
Schneider is also abig fan of daily mindfulness practice for children . “ Breathing techniques and listening mindfully to aspecificsound are two simple strategies that can provide students with asense of calm and awareness .”
Although the scope of this article is handlingmood disorders withinthe classroom , parentsneed to be extremely vigilantand equip their children with tools to help themselves . Dr . Melissa Fiorito-Grafman , owner and founderof the Center for Neuropsychology & Psychotherapy , with offices in Ridgewood
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SMALL STEPS To counter a “ gloom and doom ” attitude , suggest to a child that they try one small thing – invite afriend out to amovie or for ice cream .
BEDTIME RITUALS One tool for the child whose head is full of worries is “ out of the head – onto the paper ” where achild writes on an index card five things that causing worry and puts it in ashoebox . The idea is that the worries aren ’ t gone , but they are being put to rest for the night .
TRIGGERS Help them learn their triggers – if they become terribly upset looking at someone ’ s Instagram , delete it from their phone or limit looking at it to afew minutes .
OUTSIDE HELP Most children with mood disorders will benefit from working with atherapist who can help them develop coping strategies . Family therapy is also an important piece of treatment as the child ’ s disorder affects the entire family . Medication can be an important component of treating amood disorder , which would be prescribed by achild psychiatrist or pediatrician .
and Closter , notes : “ As parents and professionals , we can attest to the challenges of childhood . However , when you complicate childhood with psychiatric conditions , albeitbehavioral , mood or attention disorders , it certainly can have profound implications . Itisimportantifnot imperative for parents to stay proactive versus reactive .” ●
– LESLIE PERLMUTTER
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