Parents putting their mental health first isn’t selfish - it’s essential: Durkan

Being a parent is never easy. It’s one job role you’re never truly prepared for and, as rewarding as it is, parenthood isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, writes Mark H Durkan MLA.

Having little eyes always watching, looking for guidance, relying on you to restore a sense of calm during trying times is tough.

And parenting over the course of a pandemic, when adults have just as many anxieties and questions, has been no mean feat.

So, this Parent Mental Health Day Awareness Week, I want to pay tribute to parents, carers and guardians - to remind them to take time to nurture their own wellbeing and to make their mental health a priority.

The events of the last two years have been the most challenging in living memory.

Many parents and guardians have done their best to create balance between work, home and school life.

Left without the practical support networks we so often take for granted, parenting has never been harder and single parents have shouldered a particularly heavy burden during the lockdown period.

I think many would agree that the old adage, “it takes a village”, has never been keener felt.

That sense of chaos, though, has filtered out beyond lockdown. The ‘new normal’ still feels pretty alien.

Kids are dealing with the ever-changing COVID rules within schools, playground chat has morphed into more serious subject matters and bedtime routines are but a distant memory.

Family life, in general, has been turned upside down.

And, for many families, the fallout of the pandemic has hit harder - whether that’s struggling with the rising cost of living or grieving the cruel loss of a loved one; expectant parents have had to contend with restrictive hospital visiting rules, in some instances left without the support crutch of their partner or family member.

New parents are still awaiting the introduction of the Perinatal Mental Health Strategy and the support services therein.

Raising kids has never been more challenging.

As elected representatives, we have a responsibility to address those concerns: to create a fairer welfare system and improve access to mental health support services.

In the here and now, it’s important to acknowledge that parenting can be overwhelming and to remind parents to take care of themselves. Putting your mental health first isn’t selfish - it’s essential.