What’s a girl to do when she doesn’t recognize her own mother anymore? Our main character in the middle grade novel ‘The Science of Breakable Things’ is Natalie. And Natalie is struggling with the way her mother has been acting recently – she doesn’t laugh anymore, she doesn’t eat with the family, she barely comes out of her room. Natalie is not sure what happened, but she’s determined to try and fix it. But, can she?
In this episode, we talk about depression, one of the most common mental health conditions. We’ll explore how a parent’s depression can affect a child’s health and wellbeing, and we’ll learn how to support children who are impacted by depression.
The Colour Thief is a picture book that follows the perspective of a little boy dealing with his father’s depression. Ultimately the story is hopeful as the father begins to recover after seeking help.
Resources:
When a parent is depressed – What kids want to know | CAMH
Helping Children Understand and Cope with Parental Depression (mentalhelp.net)
Adolescent Depression – What Parents Can Do to Help (healthychildren.org)
10 Things Parents Can Do to Prevent Suicide (healthychildren.org)
Want to check out some other children’s books that feature characters with health conditions? Take a look at our bookshelf!
