The Parents Aren’t Alright
This summer, my seven-year-old had an urgent medical issue that threw us all for a loop. We weren’t sure what was going on and it took some time before he was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition. Eventually, he did receive the proper treatment and we are adjusting to the new normal. But I can’t help but think about all the layers of that experience after reading Parents Under Pressure, the U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on the Mental Health & Well-Being of Parents.
The Advisory recognizes the critical role of parents and caregivers in our society and the importance of reducing their stress and protecting their mental health and well-being. It explores the unique stressors that parents and caregivers face and the
impact those stressors have on the mental health and well-being of parents, caregivers, and children. It also covers potential policies, programs, and cultural shifts we need to make to allow parents and caregivers to flourish and thrive.
I know how stressed I was about my son’s well-being and how easy it was for me to suffer in silence about our family’s struggles. We are fortunate enough to have health insurance, means to pay medical bills, paid time off, family and community support, and reliable childcare and, still, it was a scary and challenging time. That gives me so much compassion for all the parents facing difficulty and stress without the resources they need.?
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy put it well when he wrote in his advisory, “Raising children is sacred work. It should matter to all of us. And the health and well-being of those who are caring for our children should matter to us as well.”
Those of us who work in community-based organizations have some unique responsibilities in this important work.??
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One place where I see holistic family support happening is in afterschool programs. Afterschool is where kids and families are connecting to community resources, receiving tangible support like food and childcare, and creating meaningful relationships. Afterschool programs provide a safe space for young people to be not only cared for, but learning and growing, in the early morning and afternoon hours, relieving a major source of stress for many parents and caregivers.
This month, we celebrate alongside our peer organizations with Afterschool Alliance’s Lights On Afterschool, a nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. The event on October 24, 2024 also draws attention to the many ways afterschool programs support young people by offering them opportunities to learn new things and discover new skills. It also highlighted the need for many more children to have access to afterschool programs. Check it out to learn how you can get involved in your local community.?
We use high-quality afterschool programming to meet kids where they are. And the same applies to the adults in their lives. As a youth-focused organization that fosters the growth and well-being of young people, we know their success doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It takes an ecosystem. If the supportive adults are not okay, we cannot expect young people to be okay. Their parents and caregivers profoundly influence and impact their well-being and success. The report left me to reflect on new ways Camp Fire can further support the adults caring for the young people in our programs and what additional challenges might be coming in the years ahead. We know investing in our afterschool programs to bridge the digital divide is one such way. We also have some exciting new initiatives that support the mental, emotional, and social health (MESH) of both youth and staff. Stay tuned!
What about you? Where are you getting support? How are you taking care of yourself? What is your organization doing to support the mental health and well-being of parents and caregivers? I’d love to hear so we can all feel less alone and better support one another.