A Lanarkshire mum who suffered severe postnatal depression is now educating children on how to cope when their parent struggles from a mental health condition.
Celeste Majcher decided to write a kids' book, titled Tommy's Mummy is Sad , to help explain why their mum or dad is sad and how it is not their fault or responsibility to make them feel better.
It was after the 34-year-old from Bothwell experienced this issue herself and found it difficult to communicate what was happening to her own young children.
Mum-of-five Celeste has six-year-old triplets (two girls and a boy) and two other boys aged eight and four.
Shortly after the birth of her eldest, Celeste was first diagnosed with postnatal depression. She and husband Rev Iain Majcher, of Bothwell Parish Church, has just moved from the Netherlands.
Her depression reoccurred during pregnancy of the triplets, while coping with a family bereavement.
"It took me about two years of treatment and adjustment to get better", Celeste explained.
"I lost my dad while pregnant with the triplets, and they were obviously premature and spent a few weeks in neonatal care, and then we had 18 months of hospitalisations, so it was no surprise that I developed a level of postnatal depression again after their birth.
"This time I received counselling from the CrossReach Perinatal Services but I was warned that there was an eight-month waiting list simply to be seen.
"In all that time I struggled to explain to my kids what I was going through, as a symptom of depression is a lack of ability to communicate effectively.
"I looked for a book to read to them to explain what was happening, that it wasn’t their fault and that it wasn’t their job or responsibility to make me better but there were no books on the market that deal with parental depression. So I decided to write one."
The clever book explores how a child first encounters their parent feeling sad and the effect it has on them and a child's natural reaction to the situation.
The story is told through Tommy the frog who learns a very important lesson which raises vital awareness of mental health to children.
Celeste said: "Tommy is a little green frog who lives a very happy life until he realises that his mummy is sad. At first he thought it was his fault but then understood that it wasn’t.
"He still felt responsible to fix her though. And so he employed the only coping mechanism in his arsenal which is distraction.
"Mummy is sad, so distract her so she wont know she is sad. He tries to show her a trick in the water and falls and subsequently fails, and after days of pent-up worry he bursts into tears and finally comes out with it - he wanted her to smile so she would forget she is sad.
"They have a lovely conversation in which she tells him what depression is, and that it is not his fault or job to make her better. They reach a mutual understanding and the book finishes with Tommy managing to do his trick successfully!
"I believe it is perfect for ages four to eight and a necessary book for all kids to read, because even if they don’t have a parent with depression, the current estimate is that one in six adults suffer from it. So chances are there will be friends in their peer groups who do have parents who are suffering, and it would help reduce the stigma and normalise these conversations."
You can purchase the book on Amazon or by visiting here.
* Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head on over and give us a like and share!
