Many parents think open communication with a child should come naturally, but the truth is, open communication must be encouraged and developed by both you and your child throughout every stage of life.

Youth in foster care often have traumatic histories that put them at greater risk for anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues throughout their lives. These emotional, developmental, and behavioral issues can also affect their lifetime school experiences, including their attainment of a college degree, which can have long-term implications on lifetime earnings.

Being a parent is a huge blessing, but it’s also a huge responsibility. One of your key responsibilities as a parent is to keep your children healthy, and away from tobacco, drugs, and other harmful addictions. But raising kids isn’t easy…

Anxiety can be present in your child’s life in a multitude of ways: preparing for a test, learning to drive, etc. , so it can be difficult to distinguish whether your child’s anxiety is normal part of growing up and having more responsibilities, or if it’s becoming a serious struggle.

When a child struggles with socializing, branching out into their school community, stress, and anxiety, it can be hard to know what can help. Recent studies show that a furry friend may be just the right thing. Whether they walk on four legs with a silky coat, fly around on colorful wings, or run on a wheel with tiny feet, welcoming a new friend to the family can make a child come out of their shell.

As a parent, you want what is best for your children, and you will always put their needs before your own, but that can be difficult when you’re trying to manage your own “high levels of chronic stress, anxiety, and depression.

Bringing a new member into the family, whether through foster care or adoption, can be an adjustment for your children. Your child is most likely used to having his or her parents all to themselves. To help your child adapt to having a new family member, you can discuss their concerns and involve them in the foster/adoption process.

Dealing with negative emotions is a learned exercise, one that needs to be practiced. The video “I had a black dog, his name was depression” allows children to learn about mental illness is an easy and low-stress setting. “Just like a real dog, it needs to be embraced, understood, taught new tricks, and ultimately brought to heel.”3 The video opens up the world of mental health for them in a way that is accessible. It can be a visual aid in understanding that they are not alone in feeling this way and that it does get better with help.

As an adult, we want to look after our youth. We find it our duty to keep them safe and out of harms way. When that harm is not from an outside source, it’s hard to know when you need to reach out. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness,1 “one in five young people ages 13-18 have, or will have, a serious mental illness in their life. Half of all lifetime cases of mental illness start by age 14.” 

Caring for a child is challenging and stressful, and becomes even more taxing when that child struggles with emotional and/or behavioral issues. When this is the case, your family will be working through many worries, fears, and concerns about your child’s future and general wellbeing.