💬 The Power of Vulnerability: Why Your Mental Health Matters to Your Children

Shaunterrice Kendrick
Jun 18
2 min read

We often believe we have to be strong for our kids.So we push through.We stay quiet.We smile, even when we’re breaking inside.

But here’s the truth:Your vulnerability is not a weakness—it’s a gift.

For both men and women, opening up about mental health can feel uncomfortable—even scary. We’ve been taught to hide our pain, keep going, and wear strength like armor. But when we suppress our emotions, we don’t just carry the weight ourselves… we pass it down.

Not through our words, but through our silence.Not through our actions, but through what we don’t allow ourselves to feel.

When We Don’t Heal, Our Kids Inherit the Wounds

Children are deeply perceptive.Even when they can’t name what’s wrong, they feel it.

They pick up on tension.They sense emotional distance.They notice the stress that leaks out in small, quiet ways—short tempers, moments of withdrawal, a lack of genuine joy.

And when they see us struggling without explanation, they start to draw conclusions:

That emotions should be hidden
That mental health is taboo
That asking for help is shameful

Vulnerability Builds Connection

But when we choose vulnerability—when we name what we’re feeling and seek support—we model something far more powerful:Emotional courage.

When a father shares that he’s been dealing with anxiety, his son learns that masculinity includes emotional honesty.
When a mother admits she’s overwhelmed and begins therapy, her daughter learns that self-care is strength, not selfishness.
When both parents treat mental health as a priority, their children learn to trust their own feelings and to speak up when something isn’t right.

It Starts With You

You don’t have to have it all together to be a good parent.You just have to be real.

Because your healing gives your children permission to heal too.Your honesty becomes their blueprint.And your willingness to be vulnerable may be the very thing that breaks a generational cycle.