BOOKS
Good Picture Bad Picture: Porn Proofing Today's Young by Kristen A. Jenson
Good Pictures Bad Pictures Jr: A Simple Plan To Protect Young Minds by Kristen A. Jenson
YOUTUBE
Parent Cue: The Technology Tip
PODCAST
Let's Talk About It: Moral Revolution
How to Recognize the Signs of Teen Depression and Suicide
How to Teach Emotional Intelligence to Your Kids
SUICIDE PREVENTION INFORMATION
How To Talk To Your Child About Mental Health and Suicide
- Teach and model healthy habits for mental, emotional, and spiritual health [taking care of your own mental health, talking about it openly, and seeking therapy when warranted]
- Check-In with your child regularly, beyond day-to-day tasks such as school work
- If your child has a history of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or substance abuse you should check in with them more closely and consider involving a professional
TALK: (If a person talks about)
- Killing themselves
- Feeling hopeless
- Having no reason to live
- Being a burden to others
- Feeling trapped
- Unbearable pain
BEHAVIOR: (Behaviors that may signal a risk)
- Increased use of alcohol or drugs
- Looking for ways to end their life: searching on the internet for methods
- Withdrawing from activities
- Isolating from family and friends
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Visiting or calling people to say goodbye
- Giving away prized possessions
- Aggression
- Fatigue
MOOD:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Loss of interest
- Irritability
- Humiliation/Shame
- Agitation/Anger
- Relief/Sudden Improvement
HOW TO TALK TO YOUR CHILD ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH & SUICIDE:
- Don’t Be Afraid: Don’t be afraid to have the conversation! Ask your child how they are doing, what’s happening in their world these days, and what their concerns are. It can be simple by just asking, “Are you okay?”
- Listen Intently and Without Judgement: Ask open ended questions [those that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.]
- Resist The Urge to Off Quick Fixes or Solutions: doing so tends to shut down the conversation
- Validate and Support Their Feelings: We all want to be seen and heard. Letting your child know that you see them and support how they are feeling can leaving the feeling that they are seen and loved.
- Follow Their Cues: “tell me more about that.” “I’d love to understand more about what that’s like for you.” “When he said that/did that to you, how did that make you feel?”
- For Younger Kids: Use language that makes sense to your child, given their age, development, and what you know of how they think about things.
- If They Don’t Want To Talk: Leave the invitation open for later by saying, “Whenever you want to talk, I’m here to listen and support you.” You could add “I won’t judge, and I’ll never stop supporting you, no matter what challenges you face.”
- Be Careful: not to use statements like “You should…” or “Why didn’t you…”
WEBSITES:
- https://www.sprc.org/sites/default/files/resource-program/Families.pdf
- https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/mental-health-resources/preventing-youth-suicide/preventing-youth-suicide-tips-for-parents-and-educators
- https://afsp.org/get-help
- https://nami.org/Home