Friends, Family & Carers Forum

[Melstar71]

Hi Everyone!

I was wanting to know if a booklet exisited that explained about mental health in adults to children? My children's father has Bipolar and depression and hoped a booklet existed that I and thier father could read to them to help them understand why sometimes daddy is unwell, why daddy cannot take them to the park today etc. They are starting to pick up that daddy is sometimes unwell, see's a Dr and sometimes goes to hospital. Many thanks!

Mel

[NikNik]

Hi @Melstar71 

Great question!

How old are your children?

The book "The Red Tree" By Shaun Tan is a great book - but I don't think it's exactly what you're after. It's a picture book that focuses on depression in children.

Maybe "My Happy Sad Mummy" by Michelle Vasiliu? It's about a mother with bipolar. I've heard good things this book.

The last book I've heard about... but not much feedback on, is "Why Are You So Sad? by Beth Andrews.

Let us know if you end up purchasing any of them - I'm sure the community would love a review.

[NikNik]

@Melstar71 

I should also mention SANE has a children's resrouce too!

You can order it here

Nik

[kristin]

Hi @NikNik 

I think it would be great if we could have a separate section (maybe even a general part of the SANE website?) to put up reviews of books we've found helpful (a joint LE/Carers one, as there is so much cross-over).

What do you think?

Kind regards,

Kristin

[NikNik]

Great idea - would be a great resource for people.

Just trying to think technically how it could be done. If it's something everyone can contribute to at any time, the forums are an easy way to do it, but then it would be segregated between lived experience and the carers forum.

Maybe it could be something that's submitted? That will make the process a bit longer though...

Hmmm

Nik

[kristin]

Hi @NikNik 

I'm not sure which part you are responding to here? The book review or the book writing idea.

Re the reviews - I think it is very important to put it onto the forums (maybe with a link to the other forum at the start of each thread?). This would hopefully encourage a bit more cross-forum interaction, which I think at least some of us have found very helpful. I suggest via submissions would make it a potential admin nightmare, I'm sure you have more than enough on your plates.

Re the book writing, this would I suspect be quite unweildy via SANE at all (I say this having written & self-published before, as well as worked on editing books). But it's @Uggbootdiva 's idea so it's really her call. Are you anticipating that this could be a SANE publication Nik?

Kind regards,

Kristin

[NikNik]

Hi @Melstar71  - I came across another book. It's called 'My Happy Sad Mummy'

My Happy Sad Mummy is an engaging and sensitive picture book. It fills a major gap: explaining to a young child the impact on a parent of a major mental illness such as bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder affects between 1- 2% of the population and can affect young parents in particular as it usually begins in late adolescence.

Michelle Vasiliu draws from her own experience of bipolar disorder, cleverly and humorously portraying the emotional rollercoaster of this illness, as a young child might perceive it. Using easily understandable images and words, we see ‘mummy’ through the eyes of the child, and we see how through all these difficulties, the bond of love between mother and child remains true. A fantastic book and invaluable resource for parents, teachers and mental health workers

@kristin - Yeah I was referring to the idea about reviews in the forums. We could rate books in cats... How many cats do you give it out of 5 cats? 

🙂

Nik