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Step 1
Respect your child for who he is. Every child has certain strengths and talents, even if they're not the ones you would have chosen for him. Celebrate what the child does well and help him overcome his weaknesses or at least learn to accept them. Just like an adult, a child will find it distressing to try to fit into a mold that just wasn't made for him.
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Step 2
Get a grip on your own depression. The children of depressed parents have a much higher rate of depression themselves. You can help steel them against the disease by getting the treatment you need.
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Step 3
Provide a secure home life. Kids are best able to handle the disappointments and difficulties in life when they know they have consistency and safety at home. Keep a routine at home for meals, bedtime and homework. Set reasonable rules and enforce them. Don't discipline with too heavy a hand. If you're constantly punishing your child for every indiscretion, she's apt to feel like she can't do anything right.
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Step 4
Boost your child's self-esteem. Good self-esteem can be like a coat of armor against depression. You don't have to praise him for every little accomplishment. Recognize not only your child's achievements (say, the home run he hit in yesterday's game) and the efforts he makes as well (like the way he scrambled for a grounder that ultimately popped out of his glove).
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Step 5
Give your child some freedom. Don't try to shield your child from every disappointment or defeat. If she doesn't get experience in dealing with some of life's lower moments, she may never learn the coping skills she needs to get by.
