Dear Parents, This Is What the Professionals in Your Child’s Life Think of You

There are health and human service professionals who think of their job as their work, and those who think of their job as working in someone’s life.

Parents, as a professional who works in the lives of children like yours, I would like to tell you what we think of you:

You are a dedicated parent.

You have not given up in the face of adversity. You make time to come to service planning meetings and appointments you do not have time for. You continue to advocate against the odds. You will not rest until your child has what they need. We know you are a dedicated parent and we are here to join you in the fight.

 

You are brave.

It takes courage to live in a vulnerable place and it takes courage to trust us to be there with you. You invite us into your child’s life. You try to have faith that we will do the right things to support your family. You fear we may not understand or we may not be able to help. Asking for support is braver than you realize. We know it isn’t easy for you to let us in and we will work hard to earn your faith in us.

You are human, just like us.

Sometimes you feel overwhelmed with anxiety about the future. You might be exhausted and need more hours in the day. You might think your home isn’t clean enough for company. You hope that things will get easier for your family. You are not always certain you made the right choice. We want you to know we are not judging you…we are human, too.

You are doing the best you can for your child.

Even when things do not turn out the way you hoped despite your efforts, we see how hard you are trying. We know you would do anything for your family. We see you giving your child everything you’ve got. Sometimes the best you can do is to hope for the strength to try again tomorrow. We know you will be strong enough to try again and we are here to support and empower you.

You have taught us what it takes to be a dedicated parent, to be brave, to be human and to do the best you can for your child. We are honored to work beside you.

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Thinkstock image by Huntstock