Raising Mentally Healthy Kids

Check out Robyn's interview with Authority Magazine on raising mentally healthy kids. Read the full article or read the snippet below!

"The problems we see in child mental health today are related simply to the changing world. Once upon a time, children spent the majority of their time outside, using free play, connecting with others, and moving their bodies. These are the four primary necessities for growing healthy brains. These experiences teach children physical skills, logical skills, social skills, and emotional regulation. Without these experiences they simply are not getting what they need to adequately grow their brain.

The four primary mental health needs humans have are physical play, free play, connection, and contact with nature. These experiences help young brains develop in a way that promotes healthy self-regulation and better learning. We all know about the four primary physical health needs: water, food, air, and shelter. If you don’t have enough of the four physical needs as a child your body won’t develop properly, and if you stop getting enough of them as an adult your body will waste away. Similarly, without enough of the four primary mental health needs as a child your brain will not develop properly, and if you stop getting enough of them as an adult your brain will waste away."

Read the rest of the interview here!