As the end of the school year wraps up and our kids look forward to a fun summer, there’s a stark reality that looms.
This reality demands our attention because it’s killing our kids.
For me and my family, the issue of teen suicide was no more close to home than it was last week when my kids’ classmate attempted suicide.
My children attended a couple of candlelight vigils with the school community and the classmate’s parents. They came home saddened and confused that such a seemingly jovial young man would try and take his life.
As a mother, I was saddened too. While I don’t know the student personally, I know he grew up with my kids and their group of friends. I know he danced in the hallways and made my daughter laugh. I know he sang in the choir with my stepson.
The school sent home a letter with my kids that said the boy was in critical condition. It said the school wanted to work closely with families to help young people make sense of situations that cause stress, anxiety, fear and oftentimes isolation.
The boy died on Sunday as a result of his injuries.
Sometimes we don’t know why things like teen suicides happen. But as the end of the school year draws near, students are more pressured than ever to score well on finals and to complete end-of-class projects on deadline. Stress, anxiety and depression can all lead to suicide.
In a recent Reporter story, Debbi Halela of Youth Eastside Services says currently teen suicide is a “huge concern” for the organization. There have been a couple of teen suicides in Kirkland in the past couple of years and the organization is aware of that trend on the Eastside as a whole.
As parents, we need to talk to our kids about the pressure they feel about school, and about life. We need to be aware of the issue of depression and how it affects teens, according to YES.
But there is also another issue facing youth that we should pay attention to.
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a DUI vehicular homicide simulation event at Lake Washington High School. I listened to George Fraser recall how his 19-year-old son Geoff died as the result of a DUI accident. He said his son was sober, but he made a decision that night to get in the car with his friend, knowing he was drunk.
The look on the students’ solemn faces showed that they were getting the message.
With prom and graduation around the corner, driving under the influence is also a timely discussion that we need to have with our kids.
I told my teenagers that it’s much better for them to risk annoying me to come pick them up in the middle of the night than to risk their own lives.
Talk to your kids. They may roll their eyes at you. But you may also open their eyes.
