About 97 percent of children in Bangladesh are born healthy. Only 1 to 3 percent of children are born with defects for various reasons. But the matter of concern is that even after children are born healthy, their mental development is hindered due to the effects of a sick social system, family environment, neglect, etc. Many are unable to mature mentally with age.
Reasons for the disruption of a child’s mental development:
Family conflict: Family conflict hinders the child’s mental development. In a family where there is always conflict between parents or other family members, the child’s mental development is hindered. Parents’ quarrels, abuse or a turbulent environment make children afraid, anxious and insecure. This reduces the child’s self-confidence.
Not giving time to parents: Not giving time to parents, lack of affection and care, or not listening to the child – these hinder the child’s mental development. In our current times, there are many fathers who cannot give their children proper time. In many families, fathers are often busy with office work, while mothers spend their time on social media on mobile phones, and many times both parents are employed and cannot give their children proper time, and in many families, due to the separation of parents, their children are deprived of their parents’ love. As a result, children are hindered in their mental development.
Lack of love: Lack of love severely damages a child’s mental health. In many families, parents love one child more and another child less for various reasons (such as skin color, physical problems, poor academic performance, etc.) or give one child more opportunities and another less opportunities for some reason. Due to these mistakes, the deprived child cannot grow up properly.
Strict discipline: Children are soft and gentle-minded. They cannot accept strict discipline or rules. Children are severely disciplined for some mistake, they are given strict restrictions on what they can do or hold, such as not allowing them to touch something for fear of damaging it, or not allowing them to do something for fear of getting hurt, etc. These hinder the development of the child’s creativity. Again, there are many families who follow the rules and regulations introduced by their ancestors and force the children of the present modern society to follow them. As a result, the child loses his mental balance to keep up with the society.
Physical or mental punishment: Childhood is a time for learning. During this time, children will make mistakes and learn from their mistakes. Excessive scolding, beating or insulting makes children fearful, shy or aggressive. But nowadays, there are some societies or families who want to teach them by punishing them instead of teaching them in different ways. Which children cannot accept and due to fear of punishment, they cannot learn and their mental development is hindered.
Again, in many families, since both parents are employed, their children are raised by domestic workers. But in many homes, domestic workers physically and mentally torture and intimidate these children to reduce their suffering. Due to which children are afraid and cannot express their torture, they are mentally damaged and their creativity and learning ability decreases.
Social isolation: Not having friends, not being able to participate in sports or group activities stops the social and mental development of children. Unaware parents do not pay attention to these matters and lock their children up at home. As a result, the mental development of a healthy child is disrupted.
Unreasonable expectations: Excessive expectations or pressure from parents create fear, anxiety and lack of confidence in the child.
In our society, there are some parents who do not see how capable their children are. They do not see where their problems are, where their weaknesses are, but they expect too much from them. Which is beyond the child’s capacity. Many others show their children such examples that other people’s children eat milk, fish, rice, you also eat milk, fish, rice, then he is first in the class but why can’t you? Again, many do not teach their children what they want to study or what they are good at, but impose a subject on their children according to the wishes of the parents. Which is beyond the child’s capacity. These inhuman mental tortures hinder the mental development of a child.
TV or Mobile: There are many children whose parents let them watch cartoons or video content or play games on TV or mobile from a young age to stop them from crying. Too much screen time creates problems in the child’s attention, language development, imagination and social behavior.
Poverty and stress: Uncertainty due to poverty, food shortage, or insecurity of housing negatively affects the child’s mental health.
Ways to remedy these issues: Beautiful environment: A beautiful environment is essential for a child to grow up properly. Because children imitate what they see. Therefore, a beautiful environment free from quarrels and conflicts plays an important role in the child’s mental development.
Giving love: Children need to be loved. Even if there are 10 children in a family, each one should be loved equally. They should not be made to suffer. Give him enough time, talk to him every day. Listen to him patiently – this increases both his language and confidence.
Encouragement: They should be encouraged for every good deed. And the bad deeds should be explained to them nicely by explaining its harmful aspects.
Without expecting too much, their weak points should be looked at with a good focus. And they should be treated according to their capacity.
Give each child their religious education. Sports should be arranged according to their age.
Extra skills (painting, football, cricket,. ……..) should be helped to acquire. Social work should be encouraged. Above all, a fair and beautiful environment can help in the overall development of a child.
