When I have young children and teenagers in the clinic I do my very best to talk to them and to encourage them regarding their current “roles” in society.  I stress with them that they only have two responsibilities.  The first and most important responsibility is for them follow the commands/directives of the adults (parents, teachers, neighbors etc…) and their second responsibility is to do well in school.  I tell them that if they are able to perfect these two responsibilities, then the chances of them being successful (defined as being a blessing to their community) will increase exponentially.

How does one do that?  Do what your parents have done, but better!

Being a parent is a wonderful calling and it is a blessing.  In my opinion, parenting is the most important job in the world.  As parents, we are able to help shape the next generation of leaders and what we do for our children can/will last a lifetime.  The way we carry ourselves, spend time with our children, encourage our children, love our children and discipline our children in love, goes well beyond the first 18 years of life.  Our children are a reflection of us.  Their behaviors, goals, dreams and aspirations are a result of what has been modeled for them growing up.  While there is no such thing as a perfect home or perfect parent, there are many things that we can do that will give our children a strong foundation to build upon as they prepare to lead the next generation.

flickr photo by jaqjan

When we have our picture taken, what is it that we want that portrait to say?  The same thing can be said regarding our children.  As parents, it is imperative that we do our very best to be successful role models for our children.  This in turn will help them to reflect or portray us.  How do we Give A Care About Kids?  By modeling success – hard work, accountability, responsibility, overcoming failures, never quitting, focusing on the family, stressing the importance of education, and thinking about how to be a blessing to others.

As a pediatrician, I stress these two responsibilities but I understand that this must start with the man/woman in the mirror… Me and You.  We too have a responsibility and that is to paint these beautiful pictures that are the next generation in the form of our children.  They are a reflection of us; a walking and talking image.

What pictures are you painting?

Kids are just the most adorable and naive little people!! 

We as adults  see them as just that and tend to forget that they are also so in tune to what is going on around them.  So, lets all take a minute to give credit to kids all around the world.  We have all heard the amazing stories on TV, newspapers, talk shows, etc, on how various children, of various ages, have done extravagant things to help save another’s life.  There is an old wives tale “it takes a village to raise a kid.”  I completely see a lot of value in that, especially in our present day.

Look around you, what do you see in the world today?

Crime rates increasing, violence, abuse, neglect, bullying, youth suicide rates increasing, etc.  Is such an environment safe to raise our most naive, precious, and sponge like gems?  I don’t think so.  So you ask, “What can I do?”  Well, there is a lot that one can do.  Kids really are just kids, and rely on an adult to tell them and show them what is wrong and what is right, what is appropriate and what is not, what is respect versus disrespect, and the list goes on.  The unfortunate part, which I see on a daily basis, however,  is that our society, including parents, family members, teachers, principals, school administrators, etc are going through a shift.  For whatever the reason, they seem to not be aware of the dilemmas and tragedies that kids experience at their age.  I hear comments such as “oh, he is a kid, what does he know about stress” or “he should not be depressed, he has no worries,”  but what we fail to understand is that kids soak up the emotional stressors that are present in their homes, which is causing them to react in such a manner.

Let’s take a simple example of bullying, which is such a big topic of discussion when it comes to school performance.  Did you know that there is a link between bullying and depression?  This applies to the bully and the victim.  Did you know that people who are bullied as children grow up to suffer from depression more so than people who were not bullied?

Did you know that any sort of change that occurs in a child’s life has an affect on them emotionally, mentally, and developmentally?  If the children around you begin to act different than their normal behaviors, that is your sign that something is not quite right with them emotionally.  Talk to them; find out what’s on their mind.  Not only are children/youth like precious, sponge like gems, however they are little gardens that need to be fed and nurtured with care and love regularly.  If they do not get what they need in order to grow up to be mature, responsible, independent adults; they get derailed into the land of anger, pain, grief, frustration, resentment, etc.  Regularly I see in my office kids coming in with issues of depression, anxiety, and anger and the root cause is bullying, changes that have occurred in their life, past/current abuse or neglect.   So, if you are in a new relationship, do still take the time to spend with your kids to let them know that you care and love them as well.  Encourage your kids to keep an open line of communication with you, so that if they are hurt by someone else, they are not ashamed or scared to tell you.  Teachers, administrators, principals, when a student comes to you and tells you they are being bullied, or you see bullying taking place; please do not let it go unaddressed.  There is a lot of suffering that goes on behind closed doors when that happens.

It is our responsibility as a whole society, to make sure each and everyone of our precious gems are getting the love, care, attention, etc they need.  Please do your part in helping a child that you know, to help our future be a better place!  Please contact any of the our clinics in your area to schedule an appointment with one of our Behavioral Health Therapists if your kids have difficulty opening up to you or are engaging in behaviors out of their norm.

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Want to learn more about our GIVE A CARE ABOUT KIDS campaign? Click here.
If you have questions about our BIBs/Healthy Families Program, comment below or tweet us – @GiveACareIndy.

The behavioral health department is invested in our community kiddos!  The therapists in each facility provide services for children as well as adults.  We are very fortunate to have Dr. Jim Jones, child psychologist, at PACC and the department is in the process of hiring another child psychologist.  I am thrilled to announce that we have also developed play therapy rooms at three of our centers to specifically meet the needs of our smallest patients.

The behavioral health department also includes a pediatric psychiatrist and a pediatric psychiatric nurse practitioner.  All staff work closely with the pediatricians in the centers to meet the needs of the child and family as a whole.

In addition to these resources, the behavioral health folks have the pleasure of consulting with the social workers in the centers as well as with BIBS and Healthy Families to get a full picture of the family’s needs and strengths.  Our BIBS and Healthy Families staff work tirelessly to improve the lives of these families and in turn, improve communities.

As you can see, HealthNet truly provides a network of care that reaches each corner of a child’s life.   It’s exciting, fun, and rewarding to see our littlest patients grow and flourish.

I often hear from my adult patients that they first came to HealthNet as pediatric patients.  They feel that HealthNet is home and are excited to continue from their pediatric care to adult primary care to OB care and then begin bringing their children to our clinic.  After meeting a patient for the first time, I often ask if they remember how to get back to the lobby after an appointment.  More often than not, I get the response,

“I’ve been coming here for 20 years.  I know this building like the back of my hand!”

It’s encouraging when patients are so satisfied with their service at HealthNet they are happy to introduce their children and grandchildren into our caring community!

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Do you #GiveACareAbout Kids?? Check out our page on the blog by clicking here.
Have any questions about our BIBs/Healthy Families Program? Comment below. Or tweet us – @GiveACareIndy.

The Better Indy Babies and Healthy Families’ mantra should be We Care About Kids. Over 1500 kids, both born and unborn,  hold a place in the hearts of the more than 50 home visitors and support staff in these two programs over the course of a year.  Our passion and purpose is to ensure that children are born healthy and are raised in nurturing and safe environments.  Personally, I cannot think of a more important job than the job of the home visitors who beat the streets of neighborhoods that many of us would not venture into.  Our home visitors use proven strategies and interventions for parents or parents-to-be to develop relationships with children that will form the basis of all of their future relationships and interactions.  With their loving hearts and caring hands, the home visitors support individuals and families and teach about falling in love with their children.  Many of the individuals and families that we serve have experienced childhood trauma, which impacts their ability to care for their children as parents.

The following story is just one of the success stories that illustrate how building a relationship with both BIBs and Healthy Families participants, who are HealthNet patients, can change an adult’s life. The result of a child feeling love and protection from a healthy relationship with the parent helps the child become a caring human being capable enough to handle life.

Nancy enrolled in the program and initially was not completely open about her past. She was very quiet and timid.  Over the course of a few visits, Nancy opened up to her home visitor, disclosing a significant history of depression, anxiety, abuse, and rape.  Her home visitor arranged for Nancy to see a HealthNet Behavioral Health therapist, and she and her home visitor worked together on ways to help her cope with her stressors.  Nancy did see a therapist and is now attending weekly sessions.  She regularly uses the stress relief techniques that the home visitor taught her and is working on eating healthier and exercising.  Nancy enjoys the praise she gets from her home visitor and reports that one of the few things she looks forward to each week is her home visit.  While Nancy’s story is ongoing, her progress and willingness to share her history and emotions demonstrate growth and maturity that is supported by services provided by BIBs and Healthy Families.

Children are our future; we must take care of them with maximum effort. -Naomi Campbell

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To learn more about our #GiveACareAbout Kids theme, click here.
Have any questions about our BIBs/Healthy Families program? Comment below or tweet us – @GiveACareIndy.