First and foremost, happy Mother’s and Father’s Day to all the moms and dads in our communities!

As we celebrated National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day earlier this month, it is important to acknowledge the reciprocal nature of the parent and child connection as it pertains to mental health. Simply put, improving the mental health of a parent is mutually beneficial for parent and child alike. Taking steps to improve a parent’s mental health can aid in providing a safe, healthy and stable environment for children. Not to mention the simple fact that parents are still, in fact, individuals that need and deserve care themselves.

With that said, time continues to be one of the great challenges of parenthood. Often between jobs, housework, children’s homework, activities and family obligations, there is little time left to put additional focus or energy into anything else. While concepts like self-care and mindfulness might sound great in theory, many parents struggle with finding moments of opportunity to recharge their batteries and focus on their own well-being.

We must acknowledge that parenting in itself is a difficult, if not daunting, endeavor. While parenting can bring great joy, it can also carry with it numerous challenges. There is no single, right way to raise a child. Instead, parenting is one of the great ever-changing, ongoing explorations of life. Once we accept this, we can allow a bit of grace to ourselves and other parents as we strive to do the best we can for our children. Too often parents feel guilty – or are made to feel guilt – for tending to their own needs. But this conundrum overlooks the reality that things like unattended mental illness in a parent, poor family communication, marital difficulties, aggressive or hostile behaviors by a parent and high stress in the household can have potential negative impacts on children’s mental health.

So what can parents do to take steps to improve their own mental health and, by extension, support the mental health of their children? First, it is important for parents to attend to their own basic needs, such as eating healthy, exercising and getting enough sleep. This means it is vital for parents to establish boundaries – with children, other family members, work and even themselves. Things like turning off cell phone alerts at a certain time each day, following a consistent bedtime routine for both the child and parent or establishing a pattern of preparing weekly meals in advance can all help to address these foundational needs.

From there, parents can look to self-care techniques we’ve previously discussed and try to pick small, manageable things that can fit into a busy schedule, even if they are sporadic or inconsistent. For example, reading a chapter from a book, watching a television show, going for a walk around the block, calling a friend or even taking a shower can provide the benefits of a much needed mental health break. It may also be helpful to take thirty minutes to put away cell phones or other distractions and find an activity to simply immerse yourself into playing with your child, whether that means getting on the floor to color, sitting down at the table for a board game or kicking a ball around outside. And finally, as much as we know our children’s mental health needs must be addressed, parents should remember to seek professional assistance whenever it’s appropriate.

Ultimately, as we’re reminded this time of year to appreciate the parents in our lives, I encourage you to also seek opportunities to support the mental health journeys of parents, whether yourself or others.