.....Something really scary is happening in our world. I know you are probably somewhat aware but because of my job, I am hyper aware of it. Suicide. Suicidal ideation. Self-harm.
The suicide rate for adolescents has risen significantly in the past 10 years. Now, I’m not a numbers person. So, I’m not going to spat out a bunch of statistics. I also don’t always trust statistics, they aren’t 100% accurate. But I can tell you what I’ve been seeing and hearing that has gotten my attention and goes hand in hand with what is happening with our youth today. And because I work primarily with teenagers and young adults, I spend most of each day with this age group, I feel I am a good and knowledgeable source for what is happening within the world of most adolescent minds today. So, while it’s not necessarily research based evidence, it has become evidence based research that has helped me orchestrate some answers and advice for those who care to listen.
Actually, because of my job, I get a lot of warning signs that are very helpful to me as a mother. I am the proud mom of four boys. My oldest was 3 when I had three others in diapers. Having four under four was quite an interesting (and blurry) time in my life. But with my job, I get to hear parents complain about their teenagers and teenagers complain about their parents about things that I choose to take care of nowwhile mine are young. Things like becoming good eaters, getting good sleep, learning how to contribute to household chores, making their beds and on and on. Things that we don’t always think about having to teach our kids at a young age because we assume, they will grow out of it or they won’t grasp it while they’re young. We think we need to wait until they’re a bit older when they’re actually ready and able to do some of those things.
Parenting books are really great to teach you how to make changes and improvements within the house. We typically search and read articles that pertain to what we are dealing with in the present, crisis situation. But I’ve learned, through my job, that some things are better to handle beforewe hit crisis time. There are some things we can nip in the bud while they’re young. Right now.
So back to what I was saying, something really scary is happening in our world. I would say it’s a crisis. I believe many people are in denial. I believe many people have no idea how bad it is or how it has gotten this way. And while I work with adolescents and their parents on a daily basis to help them get through this crisis, I can’t help but think, “What can I do with my kids NOW, so this isn’t in our future.” ......