No pressure, but a stressed out dad has a huge impact on the mental (and general) health of his children, says the American Psychological Association.
Their researchers did an interview with 921 men and women about the relationship they had with their dads. “The team found that men who reported a good relationship with their fathers during childhood were less affected by stressful events than those who had poor father-son relationships.”
Less research has been done historically about how a father’s mental health affects the mental health of his children, but studies suggest that it has the same bearing as does the mental health of mothers on their children. Both are equally harmful.
Supporting the mental health of the caregivers and parents of children is a critical health priority of the CDC, yet it is only just now becoming top-of-knowledge for the general public.
Those are some pretty stressful statistics. So, how do you ensure that your children handle stressful situations in their adulthood (and even in their childhood) with as much grace as possible? Here are three helpful ideas that can help you keep your stress at a healthy level and create a calm around you and your children. Read on, power dads!
Having good mental health is a practice that we all have to put our shoulder to. It takes as much daily intention as it does to take care of our general health. Modeling it for our children can be a great catalyst, too. Whether your child is an infant or a teenager, it’s never too late to show them what it means to practice great mental hygiene.
Some good places to start:
If you are dealing with feelings of depression, anxiety or chronic stress, a mental health professional can help you develop the tools to help yourself. To talk to someone who can help you find the resources you need (and just listen), contact the NAMI helpline here.
We’re not supposed to be doing this alone. Human parenting takes a lot of resources and yes: a village of people. If you see other people looking like it’s the easiest thing in the world, just give them a minute. Literally everyone needs help with this incredibly important, sometimes stressful job.
But what do you do if you don’t have family or friends in your area? Here are a few ideas:
Negativity just creates more negativity. Which creates stress. Studies have shown that even brief interactions with negative media can cause people to focus more on negative feedback, upsetting images, and threatening words that occur in their everyday lives.
This triggers stress hormones in the brain that make it hard to redirect yourself to something more positive which can affect your ability to think constructively and solve problems.
To protect yourself:
No matter what you do, it can be really rough out there, so remembering these tips and teaching yourself to stop, take a breath, and put things into perspective can go a long way toward creating a peaceful environment around you and your children to keep everyone healthy and happy.
DWALY is dedicated to helping dads raise strong, kind, loving children, and part of that is inspiring strong, kind, loving DADS. We’re always here to let you know that you’re not ever alone. Reach out! We’re right here.