Why are you wearing that ribbon?

I had just returned home from my first day of work at Sethu when my daughter asked me the significance of the awareness ribbon pinned to my top.

I had been given the ribbon to wear every day for the month of October as a show of support and to raise awareness about ADHD.

A: Mama, why are you wearing that ribbon?
Me: It’s a symbol, a reminder about mental health, something people don’t think about enough.
A: What’s that? Why do you need to wear it?
Me: Now that I am at Sethu, a lot of the work Sethu does is about family mental health. So when I wear it, people see it and ask questions – like you’re asking now. Then, I get the opportunity to talk about it – they get to know and learn more. That’s what awareness is about. Do you know what ‘mental health’ is?
A: What?
Me: You know how when we feel sick when we have a fall or have aches and pains we see a doctor? That’s taking care of just our body health. We also need to take care of our minds to be healthy. That is called our ‘mental health’. Don’t you think you need to look after your mind?
A: Shakes her head, no.
Mama: So if we get an infection and we don’t even get help from a doctor to get better, won’t that be a problem?
A: Yes
Mama: So the same way, when a thought or feeling is too much or too heavy for the mind to handle, and we just can’t understand what is happening, what should we do?
A: Eermm… We must see a doctor?
Mama: Exactly! We could also call someone who works with mental health called a therapist or a counsellor. Some people think it is scary, or some think it makes you weird – to do that. What do you think?
A: No. It’s normal. Like a doctor visit. Only when the doctor treats us and tells us what to do, we can get better.
Mamma: Exactly. We must get help if we need it, right? It’s as simple as that.

Before this conversation, I have to say, I’m guilty of never having had a conversation about mental health with my daughter. When I thought about that, I was surprised at myself, disappointed even. But it just never occurred before. I was so happy to be given the orange ribbon on my very first day of work and gaining this opportunity.

It’s an important conversation to have. I hope that if my daughter ever faces issues that make her feel like she needs additional emotional support, she will seek the help she needs without giving it a second thought and encourage others to do the same.

Most of us still hesitate to do that. We need to have more conversations about our mental health.

Conversations on opening up about mental health with children are so easy because they don’t overthink or complicate issues as we adults do. Just taking that first step will make your child that much more empowered to take ownership of their wellness and emotions.

What are some of the other important conversations we adults don’t have with our children because of the fear of robbing them of their ‘innocence’?
Dive out of your comfort zone to have that talk today. You may just find your child will teach you a lesson or two!

REBECCA MANARI
Family Advisor