Supporting your child who is lonely or isolated

SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD
WHO IS LONELY OR ISOLATED

As Traveller parents we worry about our children and how they are doing. We may not always understand our children and how they are feeling. This is normal and many other Traveller parents feel the same way. There is help available to help us understand how to support our children and what they might be going through.

Sometimes your child may show signs that they are feeling lonely or isolated. Travellers can feel this way for many reasons. These reasons can be our accommodation, unemployment, discrimination or experience of education. This can all impact on our mental health and how we feel.

Traveller children can also feel the same way. Even if our children and us parents are surrounded by family and other Travellers it is still possible that our child might feel alone and feel like they have no one to talk to or understand how they are feeling. It is important to help our children to get support if they show signs that they are feeling like this.

Many Traveller students have difficulty in school with teachers and other students and sometimes feel like they are at a disadvantage to their peers, not doing as well or treated as well or possibly being discriminated against and or bullied by other teachers and students. This can lead to them feeling or being isolated in school. This in turn can impact negatively on how they feel when they are at home or make them feel they have to deny their identity as Travellers. Our children may not always know how to express their emotions or feel lonely, bullied/discriminated against, isolated, or have concerns about their sexuality. Some children might also feel ashamed to say they are feeling this way.

1

Sometimes you might notice the signs early and if you do its best to ask your child how they are feeling.

2

If you feel like your child has become withdrawn and quieter than they normally are, try sitting down with them or leaving the trailer or house and going for a walk together so you have privacy to ask how they are feeling. One of the most important things we can do as parents is to listen to our children and not judge what they say.

3

It is important not to become frightened and overreact or panic when our children are honest with us about how they feel. A good way to help your child to open up is to spend time with them. Sometimes a good way to get a young person to open up is to ask them how they are feeling while doing some an activity together like giving them a lift in the car.

4

If your child open up and speaks to you about how they are feeling your child can get things off their chest and that might be all that is needed. There is a lot of research about the importance of ‘one good adult’ in the life of a child/young person. That one good adult is you as the parent or guardian.

5

Some sites are located in areas outside of towns that do not have great signal or access to shops and public areas. Remember this can impact on how your child is feeling and try to support them however you can like encouraging them to use the internet in the library.

6

You might even be honest with your child and express your worry for how they are feeling. Try not to say too much about how you feel in case your child then feels burdened to mind your feelings.