How to Care for a Little with Depression/Anxiety
You donât know why, but youâre little wonât stop being upset.
1) Nap Time: in a recent, made-up study, 86.5% of hissy fits are caused or aggravated by a tired little. Scoop your little one up and tuck them in. The important thing here is MAKE SURE THEY GO TO SLEEP. If you put them in bed and say immediately leave, some littles will jump out of bed because theyâre too anxious to go down. If your little likes falling asleep whole being cuddled, climb in bed with them and rub their back until theyâre breathing softens. If they canât fall asleep with you next to them, put then down, leave the room, but check on then every 10 minutes or so to make sure theyâre getting some rest. Let your little sleep for about an hour or two, and then gently wake them up.
2) Food! Another big problem for littles is their tummy is rumbly. Sometimes littles are too anxious to eat, and canât tell what theyâre hungry for. Give them a few options to choose from, or make a tried and true favorite theyâre always craving. Sometimes your little needs something sweet or some unhealthy food to make them feel better, but sometimes theyâve had nothing but junk for the past few days and they need nutrients and vitamins to get them out of a slump. You have to decide what would be best for them.
3) Bath time: When was the last time your little took a long, hot, calming bath or shower? When life gets busy and your little only has the time to quickly wash their hair and run soap down their bodies, they donât feel as clean and calm as they could. Run a hot bath for your little, or tell them itâs time for a long shower. Let them take up as much time as they need to get themselves squeaky clean. While theyâre cleaning, pick out a cute, clean outfit for them to wear, and make sure itâs comfy for them!
4) Talk to them! Showers, food, sleep, stuffies, and whatever else can help a little cover the symptoms of their mood, but to really help fix it you should sit down and talk to your little about what bothering them. Let your little know theyâre safe with you, and they can tell you anything. A lot of littles are scared to open up too much with their caregivers, because theyâre afraid theyâre problems might be too much for their caregiver to handle. Itâs important for you to tell your little you love them so much, and no matter what they tell you youâre not going anywhere. Once they start talking LISTEN TO THEM! Donât interrupt or let anything distract you. Let them vent as long as they need to, and once theyâre done, try answer. Reassure, comfort, give advice, anything thatâs appropriate to why theyâre not feeling well.
5) Distract them! If theyâve talked you, youâve answered them, and they still feel moody, let them watch TV or play a game, or so anything they can to get their minds off of their problems! And be a part of it! Donât put their favorite movie on and walk out of the room to do something else, sit next to them and song along! Play a board game with them! Let your little know you have fun doing little things with them!
6) Take them out! Another good way to distract your little is to get them out of the house and doing something fun. Anything from a walk in the park to going to a fair or the movies, or anything! You can blindfold them in the car so they donât know until you get there, or give them a hint so they can guess!
These are just a few ideas to help get your little out of a depressive mood, but it all depends on your little! The biggest thing is communication, and knowing what your little likes and doesnât like to help cheer them up! Good luck!
@severelybeardedalpaca
