Children’s book tackles depression, mental health
Posted July 8, 2018 10:46 am.
Last Updated July 8, 2018 11:55 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY (NEWS 1130) – A new book hopes to help parents explain to their young children as to why they are sad, for what may seem like no reason.
Mama’s Cloud is written to gently start the conversation about depression and mental health. Author Jessica Williams says the inspiration for Mama’s Cloud came after she went through a battle with postpartum depression, while her child was colic.
When she started sharing her story, she found many others that had gone through the same thing.
She says kids can’t quite relate to why a parent or loved one is sad for what they percieve as no reason.
“It’s written with that in mind that it can help explain that sometimes grownups have a sort of cloud that settles over them and you cant fix it–and it’s not your job to fix it.”
Williams says young children might not fully understand what the underlying messages of the book are, but it lays the ground work for later in life.
“Children aren’t expected to have a full understanding of what depression, what mental illness is. But they can, you know, as they get older, sort of say, ‘Oh, that’s what they were taling about’,” she explains.
“[The book] sort of giving them the tools so that lateon when they can process more of it that can refer back to that.”
Williams says the book has been very well received, with many people telling her they related to the message and their kids found it really engaging.
