by Cassondra Turner McArthur
“Every Child Deserves a Positive & Happy Childhood”
October 12, 2024
Over the past 20 years, increasing rates of suicide and depression among pre-teens and adolescents are due to some of the following assortment of factors such as unsupervised social media exposure, family violence, unsafe home, and school environments, lack of social and familial connectedness, generational trauma, access to firearms, etc. leads to declining mental health before reaching adulthood.
According to the US News March 29, 2024 article entitled “Steady Rise in U.S. Suicides Among Adolescents, Teens” by Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter:
“ U.S. rates of suicide by all methods rose steadily for adolescents between 1999 and 2020, a new analysis shows.
“During those two decades, over 47,000 Americans between the ages 10 and 19 lost their lives to suicide, the report found, and there have been sharp increases year by year.
“Girls and minority adolescents have charted especially steep increases in suicides, said a team led by Cameron Ormiston, of the U.S. National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.”
WHAT IS GOING ON??
What is contributing to the increasing adolescent suicide rate phenomenon in both public health and mental health crises in the USA?
Are parents abdicating their parenting roles or do they lack a basic understanding regarding the importance of parenting responsibilities?
From the UK Faculty of Public Health, let’s examine the brief definition of some of the following parenting styles:
- “nurturing parent: concerned with caring, loving, helping”
- “controlling parent: criticizing, censoring, punishing”
“The Role of a Parent definition according to an AI OVERVIEW:
“What You Should Know About Adultification Bias” by CHJ Fellow Anissa Durham
“The story was originally published in Word in Black with support from the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism’s 2022 Data Fellowship.“
Ms Durham reported that “If you are Black or have Black children, it’s likely you or your child may have experienced adultification bias. Word In Black compiled this guide to help people understand what this bias is and how it impacts the Black community.“
“Adultification bias is a newer term that describes the experiences of Black childhood, its roots, and the mental health impact of this. Word In Black reports the real-life experiences of dozens of Black folks in our series, Lost Innocence: The Adultification of Black Children.“
“What is adultification bias? And why does it happen to Black children?
“Adultification bias is a stereotype based on the ways in which adults perceive children and their childlike behavior. It’s rooted in anti-Black racism that goes back to chattel slavery — as enslaved Black children were used for their labor, often working in the field with no recreation or means of gaining an education.“
“This stereotype often treats Black children like they do not deserve to play. They need less nurturing, protection, support, and comfort. “
“This bias presents itself in households, education, and in a society where Black children are expected to act like adults before reaching adulthood, by the adults they interact with; family members, teachers, and police officers. “
“This adultification bias often overlaps with the hyper-sexualization and criminalization of Black youth. Those who (un)knowingly impose the adultification bias also expect children, specifically Black girls, to know more about adult topics and sex. Those who have experienced adultification bias are often labeled, “fast,” “promiscuous,” “curvy,” or labeled with another sexual comment about their young body that reduces them to a sexual being. “
“Thus, imposing this bias on Black children oftentimes forces them to grow up faster, forgo a childhood, and push them towards independence at a young and vulnerable age. “
Ms. Durham asks “In what ways does adultification bias impact Black youth?
“For Black children and youth who experience adultification bias, depending on the frequency and severity of their experiences, studies show Black youth are at an increased risk for suicidality, self-harm, depression, anxiety, and any number of mental health issues.
“Those who have experienced child sexual abuse are also more likely to develop PTSD, problems in personal relationships, negative self-esteem, fear, sleep problems, and disorders related to substance abuse. “
What is Mental Health?
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
“Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act, and helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.
“Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected.”
MENTAL HEALTH IS HEALTH!!
OCTOBER 2024 IS CHILDREN’S HEALTH MONTH
Unfortunately, there is no playbook for parents to follow soon after childbirth, and more so in the 21st century, there are far more isolated single-parent households with little to no family and social support for guidance. In addition, generational trauma, parental alienation, and increasing fatherlessness contribute to poor mental health outcomes for growing children.
IT’S TIME FOR PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN TO “BREAK THESE TOXIC CYCLES”
According to a Focus on the Family website article entitled “Defining the Four Pillars of Nurturing Children”
Defining the Four Pillars of Nurturing Children
The right type of nurturing is multifaceted and involves four realms:
- The physical realm
- The mental/intellectual realm
- The emotional/psychological realm
- The spiritual realm
Defining nurturing in these realms can help us to care for our children more deeply. We need to care for our children in all of these dimensions, but we must realize that the needs are unseen in three of the four realms.
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/defining-the-four-pillars-of-nurturing-children
RECOMMENDATIONS
“WAKE UP AND GROW UP: ITS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU!
BABIES & CHILDREN NEED NURTURING PARENTS
Nurturing parents should seek parenting management classes to learn more about the various parenting styles and the stages of child development, seek family therapy to break generational toxic cycles, develop positive co-parenting activities, seek faith-based and parenting peer support for 1:1 assistance, break social isolation by creating a small network of biological or non-biological extended family members to enhance positive family role models for their growing children.
Nurturing parents need to step up and actively partner with teachers by being involved with their children’s academic curricula, ensuring that after and before-school activities are available, and insisting on having community-based programming staff who are abreast of the neighborhood needs and serving positive mentors for developing children.
EVERY CHILD DESERVES A POSITIVE & LOVING CHILDHOOD –
(My children vacationing with their Daddy) –
The GREATER GOOD!!! – POSITIVE CO-PARENTING
~BE A NURTURING PARENT~
Parents only get “1” shot of precious time for childrearing from birth to adulthood (0-age 18). Every parent has a responsibility to break his or her own past toxic or adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to “break the cycle” in raising their own children. Do not blow it!! – Create a safe, loving, clean home environment and give your child a sanctuary for growing up. Decorate their bedrooms with favorite toys and capture childhood benchmark activities like “birthdays, especially “double-digit birthdays”, dance and music recitals, family and school trips, holidays, supervised sleepovers with trusted parents/family friends, and create a home environment conducive to learning (I had purchased student desks for each child to write, draw and paint in our sunroom) and teach each child about self-control and responsibilities (old-fashioned home chores) and of course, unconditional love: loving each other, give them hugs and tell them “I love you” all the time!!!
~The compilation above of some of my many childhood pictures chronicling my two children ~
Little Big Dreamers — Nurture Their Talents
“Do you know how to nurture your kids in their God-given talents so even when they’re little, they can be big dreamers?
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
“One morning in 2014, my husband, Hank, and I were standing together and looking out our hotel window at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. It was one of the big “worth it” moments for us as parents. That night, we would walk the red carpet for the world premiere of our two sons’ newest movie.
“I’m often asked how I responded when Andy and Jon said they believed God wanted them to make movies. Well, I believed my boys, and I believed in them. I also believed that God wanted me to be part of that process.
“As parents, we can easily become stressed and discouraged as we juggle the many tasks of raising kids, especially highly creative children. Yet I believe that God equips those He has called. When we help cultivate our children’s God-given gifts, He in turn equips them for the work He has in mind.”
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/little-big-dreamers-nurture-their-talents
About the Author
Shelia Erwin
Shelia Erwin is author of the book Raising Up Dreamers: Find and Grow Your Child’s God-Given Talents. For nearly 50 years, she’s been involved in a variety of ministries, with a particular passion for investing in the lives of other women through discipleship, speaking at events, one-on-one mentoring, and group Bible study. Shelia also worked as a teacher and then as a principal at a Christian school before stepping down from the role to become a stay-at-home mom. She and her husband, Hank, have two grown sons who are married, and seven grandchildren.”
Absolutely!!! As a nurturing parent seek God’s wisdom and direction on how to pray for and raise your children in the Lord, “It’s Not All About You!”
Leave a Reply