IF MY TEENAGER IS IN A CRISIS, HOW DO I CARE FOR our FAMILY?
This article is the last of a series on “Parenting in a Crisis.” If one of your kids is struggling and creating a crisis in the family, you will need all the help you can get. Use the resources mentioned below to help you take the right steps. If that journey takes your child into a recovery program, understand that this may be the best thing that ever happened to them, and it could lead them toward a much happier life.
How can you take care of your family even if one of your kids is creating a crisis?
Choose to keep a positive perspective
This will be a long-term journey for your family, and it’s critical for you to persevere and keep taking positive steps forward. Most kids get through these trials and move on to a happy life, and yours likely will too. If you and they keep taking positive steps, the situation will improve at some point. God often uses our trials to do his best work, and tough situations can lead to blessings down the road.
Continue loving and supporting them
No matter what your son or daughter has done, they need your loving support now more than ever before. They may feel hopeless inside, so continue telling them you love them and believe in them just the way they are and express your faith in a positive future for them. If a recovery program is a possible step, help them see that as a positive step that will help them build a more productive and happy life.
Take care of yourself and the family
It’s also important to focus on your own well-being and that of the rest of the family. You all need to maintain your own health, so take the time to get rest, exercise, and enjoyment each day. Each of you should see a counselor, go to Al-Anon meetings, or have someone you trust that you can talk to. You are doing the right thing to take care of yourself and enjoy life rather than be totally consumed by the crisis.
Here are other useful resources to help you as your family moves forward:
- “Parenting in a Crisis to Help Protect Your Kids”
- “How Do You Handle a Crisis with Your Kids?”
- PACES for Parents online learning center
- STEPS: A Daily Journey to a Better Life
Next Right Steps: This is a critical time for your family, so check out the resources in the “Parenting in a Crisis” online toolkit above now.
