Majendi Mental Moments Episode 2

A snippet of common dilemmas every parent faces especially when there are mental health issues

In this second blog I want to touch on some common dilemmas which parents will face sooner or later if they have a child with some mental health issues. I hope that as you read this short episode you will feel connected to others who are facing the same situation as you.

What is a dilemma?

Cambridge defines a dilemma as, a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two different things you could do

Are there clear-cut answers to these dilemmas?

As parents and carers, we all face common dilemmas with our children. It becomes more difficult when the child has some form of mental health issues and we do not know what the best way is to navigate.

It’s the question I asked myself a lot when I was navigating this unknown path with my son Marley. I am sure I am not alone and a lot of parents and carers out there are asking themselves the same question.

The short answer is each situation is different. Each child is different. What will work in one situation will not work in another. Sometimes the same solution will not work in similar situations as it also depends on the circumstances around at the time.

I am sorry if you are looking for a clear-cut answer because there is not one. It is a trial-and-error situation. You try one thing and if it works you do it again. Not all the guidelines from the experts work for all children.

Scenarios

Scenario A: Your child comes home from school and they are very unhappy because they did not have a good day at school. Instead of feeling relieved that they are in the comfort of their home with family who loves them, they start banging doors disrupting the peace in the house. Do you turn a blind eye and allow them to let off steam or do you tell them off?

Scenario B: Today is a day for therapy and your child has been attending once a week for the last three weeks. They tell you that they do not want to go because they are not in the mood to be part of it and they want to be left alone. Do you give in by letting them have an off day or do you encourage them to push beyond how they are feeling?

Scenario C: You have promised your child a trip to their favourite take-away shop they go to all their therapy sessions in the month. They have been to all of them but one when they were feeling very low and did not want to go and you did not want to force them. Do you still reward them with the take-away even though they missed one of the therapy visits or do you withhold the treat?

Difficult decisions to make, what will you do in these scenarios. I know what I did with Marley but I want to hear what you will do so you don’t get influenced by what I did.

I would really love to hear your thoughts on these scenarios, please use the comment section to share your thoughts.

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