Some of you are experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety with your very first child. Still others are having it with later children, and are having to parent several kids while dealing with PPD. So how do you care for your children while going through depression or other mental illnesses?

Psych Central has taken on this question, offering tips on parenting well while coping with a mental illness. My favorite?

“The best predictor of kid functioning is parent functioning,” said Sherman, also co-author of Finding My Way: A Teen’s Guide to Living with a Parent Who Has Experienced Trauma and I’m Not Alone: A Teen’s Guide to Living with a Parent Who Has a Mental Illness. Even if you don’t want to seek help or get better for yourself, do it for your kids. Model healthy choices. Remember that acknowledging that you need help and seeking help are signs of strength."

Getting help is a gift to both you and your children.

Go check out the article. It includes tips for single parents, too, as well as a list of other resources on this topic.