Children are sensitive toward every activity going on in their environment. They are very responsive to minute events occurring in their life. Among all the influential bodies, parents play a prime role. Parents impact the kids both positively and negatively depending on their personalities. If both parents have a loving attitude, their children tend to be more energetic, intelligent and groomed. Likewise, if parents have careless behavior toward their children, they may lack many productive traits. Unfortunately, the kids whose parents are into drug addiction face the gravest issues during their growing ages. Such children need support and guidance to save themselves and their parents from the adversities of addiction.
Here are some tips for you if you are a guardian, a mentor, or a relative to such children.
Show Care and Consistency
Every human being needs care and warmth at all stages of life. In other words, these emotions are essential parts of human life. Without emotional support, survival becomes difficult, and for children, the intensity of love needs to be very high. It defines them as the person they will be in the future. However, the children facing addiction issues in the family are quite different than other kids of their age. They need more supervision than other kids. Instead of inquiring about their parents’ addiction, asking routine questions can help a lot. For instance, you can talk to them about their day, studies, hobbies, favorite TV show, games, and favorite food. Another aid you can provide, without them knowing, is consulting a rehab center for their parents’ welfare. One such certified helper can be the Delphi health group working on all levels of addiction. In this way, you can be a savior to both the kids and the parents.
Value their Affection for Parents
Parents are supposed to be their kid’s best friends. Seeing them struggling with addiction may traumatize the kids for their entire life. Moreover, the consequences of addiction like anger, unconsciousness, and failing health can impart drastic effects on children’s minds and hearts. Due to unstable mental health, the parents may beat or torture their kids. It can leave scars on their personality that remain forever. Ultimately, they will believe they are not loved. In such situations, separating the kids from their parents can prove fruitful. Paternal or maternal relatives can play a pivotal role in this act of kindness. Plus, you should remind the children of the unconditional love their parents have for them. Another way to save kids from collapsing is to tell them their parents will be okay and back to life again.
Protect them from the Blame
Children having addicted parents are unacceptable for society to date. Reports have suggested an increase in the number of tormented kids blamed for their parent’s addiction. Such children face avoidance due to the stigma that they too must be influenced by the addiction. It may result in kids getting abandoned in educational institutes and societal gatherings. Due to this, the children may not be able to get equal rights as kids of their age. If you are a well-wisher of such children, guiding them can be a very kind act. Work on making them believe that they are not at fault. The addiction of their mother or father has nothing to do with them as an individual. Some experts have developed the seven C’s scheme (cause, control, cure, care, communication, choice, and celebrate). These C’s raise the slogan that a child is never responsible for the behavior of addicted parents.
Help them Open Up
Children generally have a friendly and joyful nature. They are true to every feeling and emotion. Unfortunately, the kids of addicted parents lack such qualities. The reason may be their silence on their family’s addiction issue, which they cannot break in front of anyone. A child can also get frustrated by the shaky attitude of parents. When combined, both these aspects can lead to a distressed kid and a broken individual in the future. You, as a mentor, hold the responsibility to take kids into confidence. It will help children develop trust in you, which will make it easier for them to speak their hearts out. Another helpful way to save them is by making them aware of the harms of addiction. Ultimately, they will never opt to become an alcoholic or drug trafficker. Additionally, tell them stories of virtuous heroes to inspire them to be exemplary citizens.
Guide to Deal with Emotions Positively
Children usually have an expressive nature. Their happiness and sadness both are obvious in all circumstances. But children with family issues, especially prevalent addiction, can lose the sense of expressing their feelings. Experts have emphasized the counseling of such kids by appreciating them to speak up. In doing so, children must believe that their counselor is sincere with them. Once they get comfortable with you, you can teach them to share their feelings and emotions with trustworthy people. In addition, the children must know how to deal with negative emotions positively. Frustration, anger, and agony are common when dealing with addicted parents and confronting society. Yet, getting rid of these is a skill that children must perceive. You can also guide them to spend their energy on healthy activities like observing nature, writing a daily diary, exercising, listening to motivational speakers, and reading novels. Consequently, it will help them focus on the brighter sides of life and fight despair.
Wrap Up
In a world full of chaos, very few exist to pave the way for others. While adults are busy with their routines, many children are facing neglect. They encounter abandonment from a very early age. Seeing your parents falling apart and reacting due to addiction is one of the most painful experiences. It can leave everlasting scars on their personality and character. Apart from the rehab centers and counselors, every human being can aid the suffering souls to get out of the consequences of living with addicted parents. Along with this, every individual must strive hard to save the addicts from this abuse. By joining hands, everyone will be able to protect the moral fabric of society.
