It's Real

Did you wake up and go to work this morning? I did. Have you talked to you kids lately by phone, text, messenger or some other means? I have too. Have you worked hard to give them a good life and raise them with values and respect. I've tried hard to. Do you have tons of pictures of them as they grew up? Me too! While you were pregnant did you read baby "how to" books?  I know I did.   There are many families that have a lot in common.  One of the things is thinking they'll never be impacted by something bad.  That always happens to someone else.  You feel bad it happened for them, you say your prayers being thankful for the safety of your family, you do what you can to help them out.  We've done all those things also for people around us but you never know when something could happen to your family.  We could have been more educated about teenage suicide.  I'd never read a book about it, or knew the statistics.  I never knew the face of a suicidal person looked normal.  Maybe I watched to much tv.  I thought people always announced they were suicidal and asked for help.  That's not the case.  I thought it was always troubled kids who had been in lots of counseling and didn't have any friends, they were withdrawn and antisocial.  That's not always the case.  You have to know the signs and look for them.  You have to reach out and talk to your kids about it.
You might have talked to your kids about sex and STDs, talked about what to do if they are bullied but do they know they can come to you if they are having bad thoughts and are suicidal?   Do they know there is an open channel of communication available to them?   Even if they don't feel they can talk to you, do they know there are counselors at their schools, help lines available by phone and now there is even a text line since kids are more likely to text now than make a phone call.

These pictures are a lot more fun to take

  


Than these.
 


Crisis Text Line -  741-741  can text from anywhere in the world
National Suicide Prevention Hotline  1-800-273-talk (8255)

Put that Crisis Text Line in  your child's contacts.  It can be used for any type of crisis not just suicide.  Teach them it's OK to ask for help.