Parenting with a family history of mental illness

Shari Simpson, Parenting Blogger & Comedy Writer, shares advice for parents on how to look for personality or temperament issues in your child if your family has a history of mental illness
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Parenting with a family history of mental illness

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There's a history of mental illness and depression in my family, and that definitely affects the lens through which I view my children's behavior. So I have to be discerning and wise. And I have to be a student of my children. I have to know, or at least try to know, what's personality, what's character, and what is the way that my children are emotionally strong, so to speak. So I work on the character issues. I appreciate the personality issues. And then if the emotional issues throw up any kind of a red flag, I'm cautious, I watch, I pray about it, as I'm a Christian, and I do believe that's the foundation of everything. But you cannot pray away mental illness. I believe that God puts medical professionals out there for a reason. And I would rather leave that to the medical professionals than attempt to explain it away by religious buzzwords like it's sin or it's laziness or it's selfishness. No, there might actually be an issue. And if that's the case, then I'm going to take care of it.

Shari Simpson, Parenting Blogger & Comedy Writer, shares advice for parents on how to look for personality or temperament issues in your child if your family has a history of mental illness

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Shari Simpson

Parenting Blogger & Comedy Writer

Shari Simpson is the mastermind behind the humor parenting blog “Earth Mother just means I’m dusty”; she also writes for NickMom, In The Powder Room, Cool Mom Picks and is the editor of Mommy Poppins New Jersey. Shari was the BlogHer 2012 Voice of the Year in humor writing and co-wrote the comedy, “Maybe Baby, It’s You” which had two successful off-Broadway runs and a Hollywood run starring Tori Spelling. Shari lives in Hoboken, New Jersey with her patient husband and three children (two humans, one pug). 

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Transcription: 
There's a history of mental illness and depression in my family, and that definitely affects the lens through which I view my children's behavior. So I have to be discerning and wise. And I have to be a student of my children. I have to know, or at least try to know, what's personality, what's character, and what is the way that my children are emotionally strong, so to speak. So I work on the character issues. I appreciate the personality issues. And then if the emotional issues throw up any kind of a red flag, I'm cautious, I watch, I pray about it, as I'm a Christian, and I do believe that's the foundation of everything. But you cannot pray away mental illness. I believe that God puts medical professionals out there for a reason. And I would rather leave that to the medical professionals than attempt to explain it away by religious buzzwords like it's sin or it's laziness or it's selfishness. No, there might actually be an issue. And if that's the case, then I'm going to take care of it.