{"id":963,"date":"2025-09-17T10:55:17","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T10:55:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stmichelfoundation.com\/?page_id=963"},"modified":"2025-09-17T11:24:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T11:24:15","slug":"parents-guide","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/stmichelfoundation.com\/index.php\/parents-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Parents Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Parents Guide<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Listening With Your Heart \u2013 A Parent's Guide<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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At St.\u202fMichel Foundation, we acknowledge that one of the hardest things to do today is to listen not just to reply, but to truly understand.<\/p>\n

When your child is going through overwhelming feelings\u2014be it self-harm or suicidal thoughts\u2014your instinct may be to ‘fix it,’ offer advice, or reassure them with ‘Everything will be okay.’ While well-intentioned, this can sometimes make your child feel rushed or unheard. Many health professionals emphasize that what young people need most is empathetic listening, not immediate solutions.<\/p>\n

Listening goes beyond hearing words; it’s about creating a safe, validating space where they feel valued. It means asking open, caring questions, being curious\u2014not judgmental\u2014and setting aside your own ideas or agenda, at least for a while.<\/p>\n

What Your Child Needs Most<\/strong>
They need:
– A space where they can speak honestly, without fear of judgment.
– A moment to be heard\u2014not immediately fixed.
– Connection that reassures them they matter.<\/p>\n

Research shows that a calm, open presence from trusted adults significantly supports emotional healing.<\/p>\n

Try This Approach:<\/strong>
– Put aside assumptions. You don\u2019t need to know all the answers\u2014just be there.
– Stay curious. Ask gentle questions like, ‘How are you feeling?’ or ‘Can you tell me more about that?’
– Prioritize empathy over correction. Your presence matters far more than perfect words. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can offer is a hug, a shoulder to lean on, or simply sitting beside them in silence, showing that you are there, no matter what.
– Be consistently present, not perfect. Even if it feels hard or awkward, keep showing up. Consistency builds trust and safety.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re Not Alone<\/strong>
Starting these conversations can feel overwhelming, and that\u2019s completely normal. We\u2019re here to support you\u2014whether that\u2019s with guides, suggestions on what to say, or even helping you arrange professional help if the time is right.

Sharing your own feelings or vulnerabilities can sometimes help build trust\u2014but remember: this moment is about them, not you. Your stories can be bridges to understanding, as long as they bring empathy, not distraction.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

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Parents Guide Listening With Your Heart \u2013 A Parent’s Guide At St.\u202fMichel Foundation, we acknowledge that one of the hardest things to do today is to listen not just to reply, but to truly understand. When your child is going through overwhelming feelings\u2014be it self-harm or suicidal thoughts\u2014your instinct may be to ‘fix it,’ offer …<\/p>\n

Parents Guide<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"unboxed","site-sidebar-style":"unboxed","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"enabled","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-963","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stmichelfoundation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stmichelfoundation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stmichelfoundation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stmichelfoundation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stmichelfoundation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=963"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/stmichelfoundation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/963\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":975,"href":"https:\/\/stmichelfoundation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/963\/revisions\/975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stmichelfoundation.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}