Some kids point to the lack of a loving father figure in the home. In many of these cases, the father has been physically present but emotionally detached and unwilling to interact or provide spiritual direction. In other cases one or both parents have been hypercritical. So now I shall dwell in my world where only escape will rest me here. . . One of the greatest gifts that we can give our children is our time.
Time together fosters an openness on their part and unclogs the lines of parent-teen communication.
Our children need our time and undivided attention even when no obvious crisis exists. In fact, this is one of the best suicide prevention strategies. If we only give them our attention and time when they are depressed or after they make an attempt on their life, we might actually reinforce the negative behavior and encourage more of the same. I recently attended a program on teen suicide sponsored by a local high school that had experienced three student suicides in a matter of two short months. At the end of the presentation one of these survivors, the mother of a young man who had killed himself, raised her hand and addressed the crowd.