Going to a detox program in Los Angeles or anywhere else isn’t easy. It can be especially difficult for those that have kids, particularly little ones. Small children (or even older children) may not understand exactly understand what’s going on, or why one of their parents is going away for a period of time. There are some things you may want to do before you head off to detox and rehab, for both your sake as well as the sake of your kids.
Prepare Ahead of Time, and Be Ready for Questions
Your kids are probably going to have plenty of questions. It may take them a while to get to the point where they feel like they can ask them, but they’re going to have questions. Typically, kids that are older tend to have more questions. You want to be able to answer as many of them as possible since that will help calm them down. The more facts you can give them, the less conjecture and hypotheticals, the easier the entire process will be on the both of you.
Detox Program in Los Angeles: 100% Honesty
It’s natural to want to lie to your kids about this. It doesn’t make you a bad person or anything to want to hide them (and yourself) from the truth. As tempting as it might be to tell them you’re going away on a lengthy vacation or something, that’s not what you want to do. Even if your kids are very young, they’re probably quite perceptive. Be honest with them, even if they’re not quite old enough to understand it. You can’t go wrong telling them some version of: “I’m sick, and I need to go somewhere to get better. I will get better and then I’ll come back to you.” That’s the truth.
Tell them in the Right Place
There’s no perfect time to tell your kids that you’re going off to detox and rehab. You want to pick an environment where both of you will be safe, relaxed, and you’re going to have some time. That’s why we typically don’t recommend that you do it during a car ride or when they’re about to be dropped off somewhere or something like that. Many parents have had success telling kids before bed. You’re in the home, they might be a bit tired but they’ll still be lucid, and if the conversation has to go on for a while, it can.
The Right Detox Program in Los Angeles
We know how difficult it can be to find a detox and rehab program that can truly help you. Here at Carus Recovery, we’ve helped so many parents just like you to get the help they need. Telling your kids where you’re going and why you’re going there is ultimately critical. If you need any more help with this or any other part of the process, don’t hesitate to send us a message through our site. Alternatively, you could give us a call at (818) 616-9065.