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By: Mylan Ramsey Young Ladies Aspiring Greatness Contributor
On October 28, 2023, Young Ladies Aspiring Greatness (YLAG) hosted a mental health event titled “You Hear Me but Do You See Me.. We’re Here;”. The event was sponsored by Omega CDC. With Dayton Children’s Hospital On Our Sleeves initiative help with facilitation, YLAG able to offer this great opportunity to the community.
“You See Me but Do You Hear Me?” was an event to reach our teen/young adult as well as the parent/guardian. To let voices be heard. More importantly to listen to how others feel. This event changes a lot of people’s perspective on mental health in general. Being able to host this event gave people the chance to be comfortable enough to vent and express themselves. #YLA-GLISTENING!”, states YLAG member, Amiah Landers.
The event’s purpose was to help parents get a better understanding on teen struggles and for both teens and parents find a better way to communicate. During the event different strategies were found to help understand one another’s perspective. The event helped shed light on the importance of mental heath and the impact it could have if someone didn’t have a safe space to express themselves. It revealed to parents the importance of listening and to teens that it is not always easy for parents to understand their feelings, which in return opened the floor for great conversation.
“I thought it was very eye-opening listening to both sides, ya’ know, both parents and kids. It was a very civil conversation between everyone, and I learned a lot, hopefully others learned as well”, states Da’Aye Moore, a junior at Meadowdale High School.
“I believe the event was important because young people need to know that they are NEVER alone. There is always someone with a beautiful heart attached to an open mind and a listening ear. Just as importantly, parents needed a wake-up call to be more attentive to their child (ren). Too often guardians resort to laissez faire parenting when they believe there is nothing wrong, or worse, they disregard their teen’s pleas by comparing them to the plights of others, often including their own unresolved childhood traumas.”, states Simone Howard, an adult attendee.
Although there could be many more things that could be done towards mental health, YLAG has done a great work on shedding light on the importance of this issue.