Re: The Talk: Bridging the Gap Between Parents and Teens – Skipping Stones

Mental health is a real issue that a lot of people talk about and donate money to. If nothing is done to solve the problem; a minor problem can turn into a big one.

Here is what we can do: Be proactive, and catch teens just before they go into a deep stage of depression. Check in on them every so often. Parents can be more aware of their child’s emotions, and they can have intimate one-on-one sessions with them. Acceptance is the key to the solution.

In my experience, my parents didn’t pay attention to mental health. They cared about success, and behavior (what parents should be caring about, but should not be so concerned with only that). Parents need to empathize with the children, because they have gone through the same things.

Kids need an outlet like a sport such as soccer, basketball, or baseball; a creative hobby like painting, drawing, theater, writing, reading. They need someone to talk to; to express their feelings.

Let’s hope the new generation will grow up understanding the importance of mental health and what it can do to a person, so that they can treat their own kids with acceptance.

—Mahima Pai, age 15, New Jersey.