Dr. Mark Swaim shares that in psychological terms, emotional safety is defined as the emotional state created through an attachment relationship that finds each individual in it in an open and vulnerable state. This concept is usually used in intimate relationships between two adults, but it is also applicable to children at home. 

The aim is to allow children to safely express their emotions, have the confidence and security to take risks, and be excited to try something new. The method is to encourage and foster emotional and social learning. 

Here are some ways to do that:

1. Encourage safe exploration. Dr. Mark Swaim stresses that children are natural explorers, and it is essential that you create a safe environment where they can do just that. They are quick to put things in their mouth, drop or throw objects, and climb what they can. Instead of spending all day managing or redirecting behavior, it is more beneficial to set up an organized and safe space where they are free to learn, explore, and yes, make a mess. 
2. Be present to their feelings. Children need to have their hurt and pain validated, no matter how petty they may seem to you. Being listened to and empathized with is a powerful gift you can give to any child. Dr. Mark Swaim encourages you to practice listening with an open mind and try to imagine what your child is going through, as this can help provide clues as to how to best deal with their suffering.
3. Create a loving atmosphere in your home. Children thrive best in warm, welcoming, and pleasant environments. Do your best to foster such with other members of your family. Cold silences and constant conflict is damaging to the mindset of growing children. When wrapped with nurture and support from parents, children grow up with healthy confidence and a good sense of self-worth.

Dr. Mark Swaim also recommends that adding a family pet can help turn your home into a more loving sanctuary where children are accepted for who they are, weaknesses and frailties included. The benefits to your children’s mental and physical development will be worth it. 

Dr. Mark Swaim says that legitimate service animals such as hearing dogs and seeing dogs are allowed anywhere. But can your therapy dog or emotional support dog go anywhere too? 

With so many people taking advantage of accommodations for service animals, rules have been established for Therapy Dogs and Emotional Support Animals or ESAs.

Therapy Dogs vs. Emotional Support Animals

Therapy dogs are often not specially trained. For this reason, they do not qualify for most exceptions and are not usually allowed in public places. Even if your dog is a licensed therapy animal, expect that it won’t be allowed to go into shops, restaurants, or other similar establishments with you.

Emotional Support Animals have to be prescribed by a mental health professional like Dr. Mark Swaim. However, even though doctors prescribe them, they are still not allowed into public places, and establishments like service dogs are.

Where Can You Take Your Emotional Support Dog?

Unlike therapy dogs, emotional support animals are allowed by law in certain places. For example, they are permitted to accompany you into apartments and homes—even if there are no-pet policies in place. Emotional support dogs can also come with you on plane rides since many people suffer great anxiety during air travel.

If your emotional support dog was prescribed to you by your mental health professional, it is protected under the Air Carrier Access Act and the Fair Housing Amendment Act. The FHAA dictates that your emotional service dog can stay with you in your home even if pets aren’t allowed. Dr. Mark Swaim shares the ACAA, on the other hand, allows your emotional support dog to fly in the plane with you—in the cabin—for no additional charges or extra fees.

Dr. Swaim believes that these two laws are instrumental in maintaining a healthy mental state. At least you would know that you can bring your companion in your home and on your next air travel, making you feel more at ease at your surroundings.

Dr. Mark Swaim says that in 2019, the average American teens from the ages of 13 to 18 spend at least seven hours and 22 minutes online daily. This figure is supplemented by the fact that smartphone ownership also spiked dramatically in five years. In fact, in 2015, only 67% of teenagers had a smartphone. By 2019, the percentage had increased to 84%. 

Time spent on social media unimportant 

Although the figures seem alarming, a recent study shows that the overall time a teen spends on social media is unrelated to depression and anxiety. It’s not the amount of time that is important, but rather the context and the content surrounding the social media usage.

With this in mind, how do you make social media healthy for teens? Dr. Mark Swaim shares the following guidelines: 

• Be active rather than passive. It’s better to be engaged with your social media community. Post content, comment, and get into healthy discussions with your peers; these are all ways that activate your creativity and social interaction skills. Avoid scrolling and just taking in content. 

• Avoid social media an hour before bedtime. Social is a potent stimulator and can keep you awake for hours. It may disturb your sleep pattern and prevent you from getting enough. Quality sleep is one of the most important protectors of good mental health, so Dr. Mark Swaim cautions that teens should stay off gadgets before bedtime.

• Be intentional. Check your motivations for going on social media. Are you there to acquire information or to connect with friends or family? That has a more beneficial effect than just going on because you have nothing else to do. 

These tips may help your teen have a more positive online experience. Dr. Mark Swaim is hopeful that in time, the rise of depression and anxiety among teenagers may also be reduced if they get enough social support.

Dr. Mark Swaim acknowledges that humans have been domesticating animals for thousands of years and now. Today, more studies are going into using animals for therapeutic reasons. In the case of children with special needs, animal-assisted therapy seems promising. 

Animals over toys

Australian research shows that children are more social when playing with animals than with toys. The study establishes that children with autism who played with guinea pigs for ten minutes displayed better social behavior towards their peers, compared to the group who played with toys. 

They were asked to talk, smile, laugh, look at faces, and make physical contact with others. Again, the group that played with animals showed less harmful behavior than the other group.

Dr. Mark Swaim suggests that the presence of the animals may have made the environment calmer and less stressful for the children.

The challenge of socialization

Socialization is often the biggest challenge for children with special needs. The school classroom can seem like a threatening and stressful environment for them because of peer victimization and social difficulties. If the presence of an animal can make it less overwhelming or change the perception of the child of the classroom and those in it, then it’s a step in the right direction.

The animal and human bond

The bond between man and animal has been around for thousands of years now. Dr. Mark Swaim says that animals have been used in therapy since the 18th century. The numerous psychological, emotional, mental, and health benefits of animals to humans cannot be denied. 

Today, dogs are being trained to become companion dogs. They assist people with disabilities and children with special needs. Since children often find it stressful to leave the house, companion dogs act as their guide. They hang on to the dog as they navigate the outdoors. The canine companions make it easier for them to go for a walk or do simple errands.

With a companion dog, Dr. Mark Swaim agrees that children with special needs can socialize well with their peers.

Dr. Mark Swaim explains that comfort animals provide emotional support to persons who might be suffering from disability or illness. These animals can help reduce the symptoms or effects of a disability or a condition. 

How do comfort animals help?

Some comfort animals are trained to perform specific tasks to help persons with disability. They can be trained to remind people to take their medications during specific periods, help a person suffering from a panic attack, help a person suffering from distress, or check repetitive or harmful behaviors. Comfort animals are different from service animals since the latter are expected to accompany their owners at all times while the former stays in the living space of their owner.

Can comfort animals help children with homework?

Yes, Dr. Mark Swaim says, comfort animals can help kids when it comes to their homework. No, the animals are not going to be the ones to do the homework. Rather, they can help kids to get into the right mood for them to do their homework. 

Studies have shown that the presence of therapy animals and interaction with them can increase the production of dopamine in the body. This is the body’s natural antidepressant and is helpful in calming a person. So, the presence of a comfort animal means that children can become calm and ready to do their homework. Since the children are relaxed and calmer, they can spend enough time in doing their homework and they can answer most of the questions right.

How else can comfort animals help?

Dr. Mark Swaim expounds that comfort animals can also help persons who are suffering from mental disorders. Research has shown that pets have a positive effect on the mental health of their owners. They can also provide emotional support to those who are in need of it.

Comfort animals can help in many ways just as they come in various shapes and sizes. As for Dr. Swaim, he recommends that if ever your child is being too stubborn to do his homework, then perhaps playing with the dog for 10 minutes or so might get him in a more productive mood.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.