The period of forming a child’s identity is a moment that parents need to know and pay attention to. This is especially true for children entering adolescence because of stress and anxiety due to everyday problems they are more vulnerable to.
Child and teenage psychologist Alzena Masykouri said parents can be friends with children. Parents play the role of seeking the broadest knowledge to understand children.
“Teenagers often feel stressed, anxious, and depressed in adolescents. This can be overcome when we already understand and have knowledge about things that make us anxious as well as depression,” explained Alzena during the Adolescent Reproductive Health webinar session some time ago.
“Moreover, the problem of friendship and socialization, which can make him (teenagers) feel depressed, uncomfortable, confined themselves in the room, not doing physical activity, not leaving the room and not interacting with others,” he continued.
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Mental Health Problems
The role of parents is to guide children. Teach how to solve problems in children, so that children can choose a good friendship environment. Daily communication can be done by parents to children.
“Mentally, teenagers need to recognize triggers (causes) stress. So, what is it that makes him stressed. Then how can manage anxiety and stress. Recognize these signs of depression and what needs to be considered when emotional changes occur,” continued Alzena
“Parents can often chat or pay attention to the child’s face. If the child turns moody, often cries, then becomes weak and uninspired. Not to mention things that show a drastic change in emotional atmosphere and difficulty concentrating on something. So, children experience problems with mental health.”
Children who experience mental health problems can also be seen from changes in diet or weight and sleep disorders.
“What a child eats a lot, turns into eating very little or vice versa it actually eats more and more. Then there is a sleep disturbance. If people sleep at night, the child may even wake up at night. Well, sleep disorders that occur intensively and intensively “in a period of about two weeks, it might indicate a psychological problem,” added Alzena.
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Responsibility for His Own Body
In the days of children seeking self-identity, parents also need to have knowledge so that children are responsible for themselves, especially entering puberty. Knowledge about reproductive health can be given.
“The role of parents must also have the knowledge to be taught and trained to children, ie from the age of 10 years. So, children should be able to start caring for themselves. ‘I have any limbs anyway.’ Talking about breasts, for example and other limbs, “Alzena continued.
“This includes the first step by starting to pay attention to health or care for his own body. So, not immediately taught or given to know about the ovaries, testes, and all sorts. More focused on how to care for themselves.”
Starting to care for the body itself will greatly help children and adolescents be able to recognize the body. Furthermore, the child has an awareness that he is responsible for his own body and reproductive health functions.
“All of this is communicated and must be discussed between adults (parents) with adolescents. The way to chat is discussion. So, not patronizing, continue to just say, this is not allowed, it should not be
