Helping your child overcome a case of the blues is a situation most of us can relate to. We all have them: Dreary days, down days, or what my family sometimes just calls “the blahs.” Sometimes they are the result of a disappointment or a rough season in life, sometimes they just show up.
Kids are not immune to the blues. Even here in Hawaii, where the sun is usually shining, and the water’s always warm, my boys have days where I can tell they’re in a funk, and they just don’t know how to get out. As a parent, it can break your heart. We often want to jump in to the rescue–willing to do almost anything to cheer up one of our kids.
And sometimes we can help! A little one-on-one time with a parent, or baking their favorite treat might help turn a mood around. Sometimes kids respond to a simple pep talk, and sometimes they need a good old-fashioned nap
(don’t we all?).
But what kids might need most of all, is to learn how to
pick themselves up when they’re down. This is a skill that they’ll use for the rest of their lives!
Five Ways We Can Help Our Kids Overcome the Blues
Get Some Fresh Air And Exercise
No doubt, one of the most life-long skills to battle fatigue and depression is exercise. If your kid is lying around the house in a funk, teach them the simple principle of getting up and getting active! A simple walk in the fresh air can work wonders. If they are stuck inside, shoot for ten to fifteen minutes of dancing, jumping jacks, or any kind of moving around. Crank up some music and let them go!
Make A Gratitude List
No matter what age, we can all find things to be thankful for. If they’re really little, you can write for them, but get your kids thinking about all of the good in their life. Soon, their bummed mood might change to a blessed mood. This is a great daily or weekly habit for kids who struggle with feeling down. It’s good for all of us, actually, so you can even make it a family activity! My family loves this
Gratitude Jar Craft!
Focused On Others
When we consider needs or concerns of other people, it always helps us regain perspective. Kids tend to be selfish by nature, so they might need a little reminder to think about other people. Do you know someone sick or hurting? Have your child make a card or help you put together a care package! You can look up a world concern (hunger, disease) on the Internet, and simply talk to your child about people going through really bad times in this world. Teaching your child to pray for others, or actively support a cause, can help shift their focus.
Help Your Child Name Their Feelings
Ask your child to describe what they are feeling, and then offer some words that might help them articulate their feelings. “Are you feeling lonely?” “Maybe you feel a bit disappointed/” Or “Is it sometimes hard to be the oldest brother?” Encourage your children to accept how they are feeling, and then offer them some ways to turn their struggles around. “Let’s brainstorm ways to make some new friends next week!” “How can you make tomorrow a better day?” Or “Let’s look into some of the really important people in history who were big brothers. I’ll bet they struggled at some point growing up too!” This teaches them to identify what troubles them, and find ways of problem-solving.
Teach Your Kids To Encourage Themselves
After you’ve had a few pep talks with your kids, it’s time to pass the baton! You can then encourage them to practice encouraging themselves! The next time they feel down, or struggle with feelings, you can say, “How might you turn that feeling around?” Let them wrestle with it, and gently lead them to find positive ways to look at things. It might take some practice, but this simple skill will help them tremendously through their teenage years and…for the rest of their lives!
Remember parents, growing up is hard work! We need to allow our kids to go through all kinds of feelings, and offer them support and unconditional love as they do. If ever you sense that your child is in a dangerous state emotionally, seek professional help!. But for the those down days that are a normal part of life, the best way you can help your kids is to teach them to help themselves.
Parenting Topics
I don’t know about you, but I could stand around the “cyber water cooler” and talk parenting all day! Join the conversation, whenever you have time:
Are there any tips that you would add to this list? Comment below! 
Thank you so much for sharing. I wholeheartedly agree that the best you can do for your kid is to help them help themselves.
It breaks my heart when my kids have emotional days for no apparent reason and I just want to help. However, sometimes I think it is important to realize that it’s ok to be say as long as you don’t let the feeling fester. Like you mention in point #4: “Encourage your children to accept how they are feeling”.
Luckily my kids are still young and come to me with all their little or big feelings. I hope for and work on them never growing out of that.