Mental Health and Kids

 

I saw this quote on Facebook and just had to share it. It states, "90% of kids are struggling with mental health issues". My first thought was, "oh my goodness, how horrible". My second thought was, "how can I help?".

I, of course, turned to google to gather more information to truly get a grasp on the situation. Sadly, this is what is happening for Canadian youths.  

32% of children aged 11-15 show one or two symptoms of distress every week, such as headaches, trouble sleeping or stomach aches.

20% of youth report being bullied and the rate of frequent bullying continues to rise.

9 out of 100,000 adolescents aged 15 to 19 will die of suicide. With the Inuit young people, the rate is 30 times higher and is also higher among First Nations and the gender diverse. 

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth aged 15-24 and the leading cause of death for children aged 10-14.

1 in 3 children are obese which presents serious risk factors both mentally and physically.  

At age 15, 1 in 3 children fall below the minimum level of proficiency for reading and math.

The facts are almost unbelievable to say the least. Daily, we hear how mental illness is on the rise at every age.  

I am not sure when it changed, but historically the numbers for mental illness in children were much lower. It would be rare if a child had a mental illness and saying the child had "bad nerves" would probably be the closes it would come to a diagnosis. The symptoms were not recognized the same as they are now. I know Covid was a contributing factor, with the isolation and fear children went through at that time. Considering the suicide rates and the horrible school shootings, it is very clear, there has been a shift. 

I realize I have very little wisdom to offer on this topic. Something I have heard people say is, "I just want my kids to have more than I did". It does appear kids have more than the generation before them, that has always been that way. I would never say the way I was raised or the way I raised my kids was better. I will say the numbers of mental illness cases and youth suicide, were much lower than the results I've shared.  

I have put considerable thought into some of the changes I've observed in the way kids live their lives. By no means is this happening in every home or are reasons for an increase in mental illness, it is just different parenting strategies and lifestyles. The world that kids live in now, is demanding, fast paced, expensive and in many situations unsafe. 

I was always a working mom, in the late 70s and early 80s that was uncommon in my community. It is now rare for families to only have one working parent. Not only is it economical necessary for both parents to work, but women want to pursue their careers and enjoy being at work. Daycare is the most commonly used place to care for children. From a very young age, children are in a structured routine getting ready to go to and by being in daycare all day.   

The opportunities are endless for kid sports, peer groups and activities. I was on a plane once with a gymnastic team that was going to Kelowna for a competition.  They were 6-9 years old, and they could maneuver the airport like a pro, this experience was not new to them. Clearly, this was an elite group of little kids judging from the matching outfits and luggage. Kids seem to be pressured to perform at a high level. Hockey is, and always has been, a pressure cooker sport to succeed, to move onto a higher league.  

One thing I really notice that is very different, is that kids are given so many choices and are frequently included in decisions. I am not opposed to kids being asked, but there are times I think the decision should be made by a parent. Just because I think parents have the knowledge to make the best decision. But maybe we were too controlling by making all the decisions laterally, I'm really not sure. 

Parents play with their kids so much more. Rarely do you see a young child off playing by themselves. They are always visible to the parent and houses are being designed so they can see the kids while working in the kitchen. Children are entertained from the time their eyes open in the morning until they go to bed at night. It starts at birth with the many different chairs for the babe to sit in. Then it moves onto all the educational play toys that they use when they sit up, followed by the ride on or push toys to learn to walk and so on. Insert technology and it goes on and on. I am sure the line, "what are we going to do now?" must ring in parent's ears. 

Most homes are brimming to overflowing with kid things. People are consumer beasts, and I am pretty sure grandparents are the biggest contributors to the masses of toys in the home. When I drive down the street and the garage doors are open on some homes, I am in disbelief of the contents they have. Kid's rooms are often equipped with a TV for video games, You tube and other shows to watch. Kids can manage their technical items such as their phones and tablets like a technician. They know how to download a game before they even go to school. A phone or a tablet is an entertainment item while a child waits for their meal, or an appointment and for sure while traveling. Kids are content and, in another space, when they have their earphones on and watching their tablets. I do realize that kids need that kind of exposure to technology because that is their future. They are wired from birth to be techy. 

By no means was this post about the good ole days and how it worked so well. This is about how things are different and how staggering mental health issues are in children. We simply have to turn this around; I have no clue how to do that. There are many services available for help, anti-bulling days, parents that are willing to do whatever they can to help their children, yet the numbers continue to rise. For a moment, let's all put our "rose-colored" glasses on and think, "what is one thing that I could do to help?". Quite frankly at 90% there is very little space until it is 100% of children diagnosed with some type of mental illness. We can't let that happen; we need to do what we can.