Good Parenting

People don’t suffer from depression alone. Depressed people might really feel and believe that they are  alone but this is another one of their false perceptions. In reality, his wife suffers, his children suffer, and his coworkers suffer. Each one suffers differently but, like the saying goes, “no man is an island” and what they feel and what they do affects everyone around them.

In this article I will present 4 ways that the depression of a parent harms their children.

1. Behavioral problems. Children like structure (believe it or not) and they like to have a leader. They don’t always show it and they put up a big fuss when they are told what to do but in the big picture they like being followers and not leaders. Being the leader is too confusing for them.

Therefore when their parent is suffering from depression and are not fully functional they act up IN ORDER to tell their parents, “Get out bed, act like a parent, and give me the structure I need.”

2. Increased chance of being depressed themselves. The conclusion of the age old debate if a person’s personality is the result of nature or nurture (his environment) seems to be that they are both right. A person’s personality is formed both by genetic factors and by their environment.

When they see their parents always in bed, agitated, or under constant stress they will pick up on these behaviors and there is the tendency for them to copy it.

Your children’s genetic makeup is not in your control, but your actions definitely will effect them.

If you don’t want your children to suffer from depression like you or your spouse (which I’m sure you don’t), then  get help to overcome your depression as fast as possible .

3. They lack outside help which is so important for their success. One of the many jobs of a parent is to help their children succeed in life. How do they do this? They give them encouragement, they prod them on, they help with homework, and they drive them to the gym. This gives them the edge that they need to succeed in today’s world.

It is very hard for a parent who suffers from depression to give this much needed help to their children and this is an obstacle for your child’s success.

 4. They might be denied necessary medical treatment. It is normal that small children get colds, twitches, or run temperature. When you catch it in time, you take them to a doctor and he gives them some antibiotics and let them rest for a few days and things go back to normal.

However a person who is depressed doesn’t always notice these things and a little flu, pain, or twitch can develop into something serious.

A parent who suffers from depression doesn’t suffer alone; the whole family suffers. No matter how hard it is for you, if you or your spouse suffers from depression keep your eyes on your children to make sure that they what they need.