OP-Ed: Asking for help takes courage
Phew. This has been a year we will not soon forget. Our work lives have been stressful as we‘ve adapted to working at home. And then, for many of us, we have had to adapt our parenting to accommodate the new norm of online schooling. It has been very hard to find balance between our work and our personal lives.
As the pandemic hit, many of us who are concerned about children’s well-being worried that families would struggle with the isolation and having children at home. We certainly know some of them have and all of us parents have likely felt overwhelmed at times.
There have been five infant or toddler deaths in the last year caused by abuse and hospitals have had to respond to more severe cases of abuse than is typical. St. Luke’s Children’s last recorded child death from abuse was in 2017, so what we are seeing is unprecedented.
We know that families are under tremendous stress from the challenges of the pandemic. Families are telling us that they feel overwhelmed by all the responsibilities and changes. They are facing significant stressors, including financial stress, employment changes, and social isolation that have cut families off from their network of support such as church, extended family and friends, and child care and school support for children.
We are all heartbroken by the loss of these precious children. We do not want to see one more.
Along with many community partners including Saint Alphonsus Hospital, the American Academy of Pediatrics-Idaho Chapter, Blue Cross Idaho Foundation, Micron Foundation, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, public health districts and other community organizations, we have built a media campaign aimed at making people aware of resources to support families who are struggling during this pandemic.
The Idaho Family Support Campaign has a simple but powerful message: “None of us are perfect parents/We all struggle/We all need help sometimes/That’s why we’re here.” The campaign is encouraging parents and caregivers to ask for help when they need it. We know that it is hard for all of us to ask for help but for sure there is no shame in doing so.
None of us knows all we need to know about parenting or child development. Kids can be tough. None of us expects to strike our children in anger. None of us plans to be so overwhelmed we just don’t know what to do. But here’s the deal: You are not alone.
If you or someone you love needs resources or just someone to talk to they can call the HelpNow line at 986-867-1073 or go to www.idahofamilysupport.org for resources.
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Dr. Kenny Bramwell is with St. Lukes’s Children’s and Roger Sherman is the executive director of Idaho Children’s Trust Fund/Prevent Child Abuse Idaho.
