Support

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The text for this topic is copyright Parenting SA, Government of South Australia.

Everyone needs some sort of support at some time in their lives.

As a parent you will experience a lot of different emotions, which can sometimes leave you feeling lost. You might have times that are so bad you can't look after your family or it stops you being a good parent.

An important part of our family life is our respect for our family, and how much we value the people in it, and the support we get from each other.

If you are frustrated, frightened or anxious, remember that no one is perfect and that all parents feel this way sometimes. All parents make some mistakes along the way. It's okay to make mistakes, but it is important to learn from them and try to do things differently next time.

Things that can cause worry

• Not having a job. 
• Sickness in the family.
• Housing problems - including moving house.
• Death of a family member.
• Problems that come with drug and alcohol abuse.
• No-one around for support when you need help.
• Feeling low, or having no confidence, not feeling good about yourself.
• Problems in your relationships (with partner or other family members).
• Big changes in your life (marriage, separation from loved ones, kids leaving home or family breakdown).

These things might help

• Know that good and bad feelings are normal for most parents.
• Tell yourself that it's okay not to have all the answers.
• Give yourself a treat, do something nice for yourself
• Remember that at different times all parents find it hard.
• Tell yourself that you are doing an important job.
• Be proud of the difficult work you do through the day.
• Keep on asking for help until you find someone who really listens (there is always someone who can help us when we are down).
• Most of all trust yourself.

ACT Govt Publication No 10/0825 June 2010