Knowing How to Find Help
Seeking support in times of need and knowing how to accept help when it’s offered.
Sooner or later, every family needs help. Asking isn’t always easy, but recognizing your family’s needs and reaching out to others for support is a sign of strength. Finding concrete support in times of need is important, whether you’re looking for essentials (like clothes, food or housing), skills and services (like education, advocacy or medical care) or social support (like a job recommendation or a friendly ear).
When families know how to find help, parents can stress a little less and enjoy family life a little more. Advocating for your family helps you build self-confidence and persistence. Knowing how to accept help when it is offered can teach your kids courage and resourcefulness. Strong families are better able to help others, too.
Hear from parents
I remember the day I asked for help, a burden lifted off of me. It was a heavy, heavy load that I carried for a long time. Don’t be scared to ask. There’s a lot of help out there.”
-Steve
Knowing How to Find Help can mean…
Taking help when it’s offered
Searching for the resources you need
Advocating for your family
Taking help when it’s offered
Searching for the resources you need
Advocating for your family
Ask Yourself…
There are no right answers. Thinking about these questions can help you understand your family’s strengths.
Asking for help can be really uncomfortable. It may be the person you are asking or what you are asking for. It may be that you were raised not to ask for help. But knowing how to tap into your network of personal and community resources is an important part of building family strength. Think about the thoughts, feelings and situations that can keep you from reaching out and then consider one thing that you can do to make a change. Back to Question Being an advocate for your child’s needs—in places like their school, the doctor’s office or day care—can be difficult. Challenging someone who’s supposed to be an expert can mean stepping out of your comfort zone, especially if you feel like you don’t know what to ask for, find confrontation stressful or have past negative experiences weighing you down. Just remember, you know your child best. Try reaching out to others who can support you through the process, so that you can get your child’s needs met. Back to Question It can be hard to know how to offer support. Often, saying something vague, like “Let me know what I can do,” doesn’t help. When they aren’t sure what you’re offering, people in need don’t know what or how much to ask of you. And you could end up doing something you’re not comfortable with. Next time, try to be specific. Offer a ride, a meal or babysitting. It’ll make giving and getting help easier for both of you. Back to QuestionKnowing How to Find Help makes you strong
No one gets through life without support from others, but asking for help can be uncomfortable. Meeting your family’s needs may mean stepping outside your comfort zone. There are things you can do to make that step easier.
Try this:
FIVE FOR FAMILIES IDEA
Speak Up
A key tool you have for meeting your family’s needs is the ability to find information and resources and to request help.
Network with others: Those with similar needs or experiences are often the best sources of information for how you can get your own needs met.
Share your struggles: Your loved ones and community can’t help if they don’t know that you need it.
Ask for the kind of help you need: Be clear about what would truly be helpful to you and your family.
FIVE FOR FAMILIES IDEA
Ways to Help Others
Helping others doesn’t have to take a lot of energy or money. Small gestures can mean a lot to someone else, and increase awareness of your own resources and strength.
Listen: Be available, attentive and non-judgmental. Being a sounding board allows others to come up with their own solutions, feel supported and become ready to move forward.
Pass along: Sharing things we no longer use can mean a lot to another family, such as outgrown kids clothes, extra toys or unused sports uniforms.
Give your time: Hang out, pitch in or do something for someone that they can’t do for themselves.
Be appreciative: Tell others the things that you enjoy or admire about them. Express gratitude for their friendship.
The 5 Strengths are also called Protective Factors.
The language some people use to describe the 5 Strengths may be different. They are also called Protective Factors. But no matter which words you use, research has shown how important these strengths are for families as they navigate the challenges and joys of daily life.
Knowing How to Find Help
Concrete Support in Times of Need
Share Your Strength
Tell us about the strategies you used to grow stronger during a challenging time for your family. By sharing, you might help another family get ideas. And together we can all become stronger. By submitting a story, all or part of it may be posted on this website. See Policy on Further Disclosure or Use.
The Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board may use or share my story or any part of it for public awareness and educational purposes. I also understand the Prevention Board may edit my story for length or content. By granting my permission, I release the Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, its employees, directors, and agents from any liability related to the disclosure or use of my story or any part of my story.
Share Your Strength
Tell us about the strategies you used to grow stronger during a challenging time for your family. By sharing, you might help another family get ideas. And together we can all become stronger. By submitting a story, all or part of it may be posted on this website. See Policy on Further Disclosure or Use.
The Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board may use or share my story or any part of it for public awareness and educational purposes. I also understand the Prevention Board may edit my story for length or content. By granting my permission, I release the Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, its employees, directors, and agents from any liability related to the disclosure or use of my story or any part of my story.
Thank you!
Thanks for taking the time to tell us about your family. We are unable to publish every story and stories will not appear immediately after being submitted. Stories may be edited for length and context. Also, stories may be incorporated into other Prevention Board resources and materials. Questions? Learn more about our Policy on Further Disclosure or Use.
The Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board may use or share my story or any part of it for public awareness and educational purposes. I also understand the Prevention Board may edit my story for length or content. By granting my permission, I release the Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, its employees, directors, and agents from any liability related to the disclosure or use of my story or any part of my story.
Strong families are important.
Strong families support their friends, their communities and future generations.