Parenting

The sad truth is that parents of children with mental health issues often do not receive the emotional support they need from family and friends. In fact, the phone may fall silent, invitations may disappear, and conversation can become trivial. It's possible friends or family may even attack you with implied or outright blame for your child's emotional or behavioral problems.

It can be a confusing distinction for parents: when does disciple become abuse? Each state has its own definition of what constitutes child abuse, but a story in the Boston Globe states that generally, “any intentional physical contact that causes bodily injury or extreme physical pain to a child can be prosecuted as a criminal act.” 

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.

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.

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.

“13 Reasons Why” is a show created by Netflix depicting a high-school student who commits suicide and leaves behind a set of pre-recorded cassette tapes that describe her painful experiences with peer pressure, bullying, and sexual assault. Jay Asher, the author of the book released in 2007, shared in a recent interview, “When we do or say things, we can never know exactly how another person is going to take it because we don’t know what they’ve already dealt with.”

You can’t avoid the headlines about sexual assault, these days. Many women and men are coming forward to make their abuse known. But sexual assault is just as likely to happen to a child or adolescent.

Bad news can come in a variety of forms, from job loss, a relationship breakup, a surprising diagnosis, or even to the death of a loved one. Receiving bad news can affect your body and life in a multitude of ways, even triggering your fight or flight response. According to Medical News Today, “everyone responds to tension and trauma differently, but know that steps can be taken to tackle the mountain ahead, deal with the bad news, adopt coping mechanisms, and make the situation less traumatic,

Foster parents share the amazing characteristic of selflessness. But, not all foster parents share the same lifestyle, family dynamic, or beliefs. Welcoming a child into your home is a big decision and one that needs to be thoroughly analyzed.