Over the years, I have talked to hundreds of parents about mental wellness. Because I have publicly shared about my battles with panic and anxiety, lots of questions come my way. Parenting is not easy and it comes with the ups and downs that are familiar to lots of us. But things get a bit more complicated when you are parenting a kid that struggles with mental health. We are going to spend this month talking about how to help your kid in the rough waters. Now, your kid may not have a clinical diagnosis but maybe they worry a lot. Maybe they get so scared at night they can’t sleep. Maybe they had a bad experience at the doctors or dentists and now they are incredibly fearful each time they go in for another visit. It could be that school is just too much and homework is overwhelming. It could be the past two years.
You are human. You are facing storms. And if you aren’t facing them right now, you will be.
Your kids are tiny humans. They are facing storms. And if they aren’t facing them right now, they will be.
When I struggle and when I see my kids struggle, it’s hard to not want God to just snap His fingers and take it all away. I prayed that for so many years. But what I have found is that God is in the storms with me. He hasn’t taken His hand from me. He gives me the strength and courage to fight my battles. When I connect my struggles with God’s strength, with the Power of Christ, and with the help of the Holy Spirit-I am able to be all I am called to be.
The most helpful tool I have found is the Forty I Ams. Connecting my heart to the truths of these statements is life for me. When I can’t stand on my own, when I don’t know if I can do the hard things in life that I need to do, when I am overwhelmed, these truths remind me of the power of God in my life.
If you are ready and even if you are not, we have a few tools for you to use starting today! Our sets of the 40 I Ams are a resource I am excited to share with you! There are sets for you, a set for your preschoolers, and a set for older kids. Print these out.
Here are a few ways you can use them this week!
- The best thing you can do for your kids is to be the healthiest you that you can be. These statements are true for you, and they are true for me. Maybe you need to hear that today. Commit to memorizing one statement this week. Wondering which one to start with? Find the one statement that is the hardest for you to believe and start there.
- Read over the statements with your kid that is facing something difficult. Write it on their bathroom mirror. Put it on the fridge in the kitchen. Maybe hang it up in the playroom.
- Tuck one of the cards in your kids’ lunch or in their backpack. Remind them they can say it during the day when they are feeling overwhelmed.
- Before you put your kids to bed, read through a few and then pray together.
I would love to see you share how you use these tools this week. Like and follow on our Goby Social sites and then share your pictures! You never know how you might encourage someone along the way!