Dear Parents,
When we set out to bring a new life into the world, mental illness isn’t the first thing we think about. Instead, we prepare for months, reading tons of books, magazines and blogs about how to breastfeed our baby, how to get them to sleep through the night, and how to make sure they hit their milestones. We spend hours decorating their nursery, registering for baby shower gifts, and deciding on a name for our new child.
But do we ever stop and think about the statistics and how the probability is very high that she’ll develop some type of mental health issue?
All I’m asking is that as parents, we don’t turn a blind eye to the mental health crisis plaguing our country today. The fact that mental illness affects more Americans than cancer, heart disease, and diabetes combined means that it’s an issue we all need to address. Especially when bringing a new person into the world.
So while we’re making sure our kids get their annual physicals, dentist appointments and eyeglasses while we chauffeur them to their sports and music classes, sign them up for SAT prep classes and more, let’s also check in with them about their mental health. Let’s commit to talking with them about mental wellness from an early age to open up the conversation.
