May I Babysit Your Child?

If you know that I suffer from mental illness, would you be comfortable putting your child in my care?  For a little while?  Just 15 minutes?  For 5 hours?  Over a period of time, or once in a blue moon?

What would make you feel comfortable?  If there's a track record of children regularly in my care without any accidents or mishaps?  Or, if I work alongside a co-worker in a supervised childcare facility?

Or, do you need to know the nature of my mental illness?  Would you request a doctor's note?  Or, seek references from other parents who have had their children in my care?

I applaud the parent who is unafraid to seek information, references, professional opinion, etc., before putting their child in the care of an individual.  Do not be afraid to ask about someone's track record.  It is NOT an infringement of privacy if someone offers childcare services.  Your child is an important person whose safety, happiness and health are of utmost importance!

As a responsible parent who suffers from mental illness for the past 4 years, I understand the trials of being a caregiver.  Sometimes, I am simply not able to care for my own child with maximum attention.  This is just an aspect of mental illness.  Consider this definition:

Mental illness is what it says; it is an illness of the mind in which a person to some degree loses control over aspects of their thoughts and/or their feelings. It can be very mild- such as mild depression when things look much worse than they are - or very severe - for example when a person’s life is totally dominated by an illness such as schizophrenia, and they cannot live independently.

Having said this, I trust you will not use my illness as a reason to ostracize me.  I am a human being who is worthy of being treated respectfully.   The unfortunate statistic is such that many families have to deal with mental illness in various degrees of severity.  As a society, we must learn to deal with mental illness in careful, healthful, and helpful means.  A community that reaches out for the best of every person thrives.

 

References

 

“Being seen and heard”: the needs of children of parents with mental illness: multi-media training pack for use of staff involved with parents and their children.

Gopfert, M., Webster, J. & Seeman, M. 2^nd edition (eds) (2004) 'Parental Psychiatric Disorder' - Distressed Parents and Their Families. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Revised by the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Child and Family Public Education Editorial Board.
• Series Editor: Dr Vasu Balaguru
• With grateful thanks to Dr Alan Cooklin.

********************
More Information

Crossroads care for youngcarers
Information and support about being a young carer including information about local groups.

MDF: the Bipolar Organization

Supports people with a diagnosis of manic depression and their families.

Princess Royal Trust forCarers

Information, advice, discussion and support for carers, and young carers: YoungCarersNet: http://www.youngcarers.net/

Rethink Mental Illness

Offers information and advice to people with severe mental illness and their carers.

Minds, Myths and ME booklet, produced by four British young carers, available from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. 

‘When a parent has a mental illness’: film for young carers by Dr Alan Cooklin.