There are so many challenges that we face as parents. The never-ending laundry pile, the rapidly evolving teenage lexicon and wondering how many years you can continue wearing maternity pants before someone notices. C’mon, dads, you know what I mean. However, almost nothing can prepare you for the common experience of your child being affected by depression, especially in the teenage years.
As parents we have a powerful desire to protect our children – you may have even wanted them to wear a helmet and a safety harness when colouring. However, if we notice that our kids are struggling with depression, it can often lead to a sense of failure and a questioning of our ability to parent, or maybe even to our own sense of hopelessness.