Father’s Day is June 16th – Tips for Fathers of Children with Epilepsy
Father’s Day is on June 16th and all of us at the BC Epilepsy Society would like to wish a Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there who have children with epilepsy!
As we all know, when a child has epilepsy, it not only affects them, but also affects other people in their lives, including their fathers. If you are a father of a child with epilepsy, read on for some of our helpful tips!
Tip One: Ask Questions!
- We all know that stereotype, how a father doesn’t ask for directions, even if he is lost
- If this sounds like you, try your hardest to overcome this stereotype because asking questions can aid you and your family in your preparedness to handle epilepsy
- Ask your child’s healthcare professionals as many questions as you can think of and you will be able to learn so much about ways that you and your family can handle epilepsy
- Check out our resource Making the Most of Your Doctors Visit for more information
Tip Two: Learn As Much As You Can!
- Sometimes, when a child has epilepsy, fathers can experience fear and anxiety, which is totally normal
- Learning as much as you possibly can about epilepsy can help to dispel some of that fear and anxiety
- Check out our FAQs about Epilepsy, our Epilepsy Fact Sheet or our Information Sheets to help you increase your knowledge of epilepsy
- Check out our resource Providing Child Care to a Children with Epilepsy and an educational booklet entitled Epilepsy: A Guide for Parents for more information
Tip Three: Talk About It!
- Talking about epilepsy with others is very important, because you will be able to share your experiences and learn from others going through similar situations
- Check out the BC Epilepsy Parents Network (BCEPN), which is a support group for parents of children with epilepsy
- Check out Epilepsy Friends Forever (EFF), which are friendship groups for children, youth and adolescents with epilepsy
Tip Four: Banish Stigma!
- It is unfortunate but there is still stigma in society surrounding epilepsy. This stigma can have a negative impact on people living with epilepsy as well as on their friends and family
- In order to decrease the stigma associated with epilepsy, it is important to raise awareness of epilepsy
- Check out our I AM A VOICE for Epilepsy Awareness campaign, which is a BC Epilepsy Society initiative designed to reduce stigma and increase the awareness of epilepsy in society
We hope that the information in this blog is useful for fathers of children with epilepsy!
Happy Father’s Day everyone! For our Father’s Day blog post on father’s with epilepsy, please click here.