Personal Research Journey

My chosen topic for this simulation assignment is children's mental health or perhaps their emotional health. The experienc I had personally is listed below:

We gained custody of my stepson at the age of 4. He was badly damaged and it has been a long road back to health. With my passion for young children, seeing a child in these circumstances made my heart cry out and at that time, I wished for more knowledge. We followed different avenues to try to get a handle on what was happening, and looking back I can remember it was almost always a decision that was left up to me. As I look at him now, thirty years later, I am assured I chose paths that benefitted him. He is happily married with 2 sons. I just wish I would have had better answers for him and myself when we were both experiencing things on a trial and error basis.
 I do believe that in researching these topics, if I can help a family look to the proper sources for information, then my research will have been worthwhile. One of the most difficult things to do is to make those decisions while you are experiencing the problem. I can sympathize with these families and instead of jumping at the first offer of help, they can turn to the source that has been proven effective. This would make their journey just a little bit easier.
 Also, another reason would be to be able to obtain the proper type of education for young families that are seeing emerging difficulties due to a lack of knowledge of how regulation can assist separation anxiety. I see many parents and children who have a difficult time separating at child care centers and sometimes even with grandparents. To instill the knowledge in them about how assisting their children in regulating themselves can be invaluable to separation anxiety would be priceless. This needless suffering they go through on a daily basis can be eliminated. Of course, they must learn this in childbirth classrooms so we don’t wait until they have not achieved self-regulation to try to correct it.
 And lastly, the topic of child abuse which is very painful. My stepson had been abused by his mother and her new husband. Whatever I could do to try to eradicate this horrible plague would make it worthwhile. To look into a child’s eyes and see that terror is not something a parent should ever have to experience, nor should any child. I am adamantly committed to taking proper care of children, so it is very difficult for me to see someone use physical punishment to discipline a child.  I raised my stepson and my son without spanking them. If people teach children respect first and foremost, they will find it is unnecessary to spank them. It is a very difficult world to raise two fine young men with only a mother to care for them, but it can be done. I am not looking to commend myself, only stating that I know firsthand that it can be done! If I found it possible somehow to inform parents of the crucial roles they play in their children’s lives at birth or before then, I would make it my lifelong commitment to inform all people! I have always said that giving new parents a diaper bag at the hospital is a lovely gesture, but why not give them a parenting class that would greatly benefit them and their brand new babies much more than a bag! Our society is in dire need of radical changes to keep our children safe. I would like to be a part of it.

If anyone has any advice or insight in this that might help the process, I welcome it! It makes it easier and more difficult to research something so personal!