Home is where the heart is and there’s a very good reason as to why it is.
A home is seen as a safe sanctuary and a symbol of love to not only adults but to children too. As a matter of fact, all the more for our young ones because children experience their world through relationships with parents and/or their caregivers - which, especially during their early days, are spent at home.
Hence, growing up in a healthy home environment with roars of giggles, endless love and quality time together does shape your child’s physical and mental health as well as future.
How so? We’ll uncover the facts behind this today. So, keep calm and read on!
The keys to happiness
There are three very important qualities when it comes to providing a healthy environment for your child to develop in. Truth to be told, this healthy environment does not only apply to when you’re physically home but throughout day despite where you are. They are:
Key #1 - Safety
Provide your child a safe environment to grow in. An environment that is free from fear and any form of physical or psychological harm. This includes preventing the use of foul language or any form of verbal or physical abuse.
Key #2 - Stability
A healthy environment is all about providing a stable environment in terms of consistency in your child’s social, physical and emotional environment. A child who experiences instability during his or her early years can be under stress.
Key #3 - Nurturing
Your child will need to know and understand that you are always available for him and that you will always meet his needs.
Living in a home where love is endless and with these three priceless keys, have been proven to nurture children who are more successful and does better at things. Your child will be more confident, less anxious, feel secure and have a good foundation.
Though, what happens when this is not the case?
Never lose the key
A home that lacks these three keys to happiness can negatively affect a child’s development. Yes, your actions can cause negatively impact your child physically and mentally.
Mental health
Growing up in an unhealthy environment has been scientifically proven to increase a child’s stress hormones called cortisol. When a child’s brain is filled with cortisol hormones, it does result in consequences that are unintended but can ruin your child’s future such as behavioral issues, academic problems and even social problems such as substance abuse.
Your child could also end up carrying emotional baggage that will continue to ‘haunt’ him throughout life if left unaddressed. This could result in multiple social and emotional issues not just during childhood but right into adulthood too.
Physical health
The human immune system is known to be linked to the nervous system. Hence, the link between stress and health.
Results from medical research have found that when a child grows up in an unhealthy environment, he or she is at risk of having a lower immune system due to high levels of cortisol hormones.
Stress is linked to cause symptoms such as stomach aches, headaches, colds and more. In the long run, scientist have also found that it could also lead to heart diseases and arthritis.
Ultimately, the importance of providing your child with a healthy environment to bloom in is vital. The consequences of an unhealthy environment may not be obvious at first but in the long run, it can affect your child’s decisions in life and determine his future.
So, together, let’s work to create a healthy environment where your children can open to share stories and you could to. It is the simple but positive moments of genuinely spending quality time together such as by playing games and reading books or just chatting can make a vast difference in your child’s life.
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