The ups and down of caring

All young carers have different caring responsibilities, and all have different ways of dealing with the ups and downs of caring. 

Good stuff

Young carers have said that the upsides to caring are: 

• Knowing you are making a difference to someone you love
• Gaining new skills, like learning how to cook
• Meeting others in similar situations
• Preparing myself for adulthood –managing bills – making appointments – undertaking the housework
• Being a supportive person, knowing how to listen to someone when they are distressed 
• Being part of a young carer service and not feeling alone
• Feeling a sense of pride, achievement and purpose

Skills we've gained from caring

Bad stuff  

Things can get difficult sometimes.  As a young carer, you may find:

• You feel isolated as you don’t have the time to hang out with friends or do any activities after school 
• Your friends don’t understand your caring responsibilities. 
• Feeling stressed about managing to do your homework as well as get the tea made 
• Your parents can’t give you the time and support you would like due to their own caring responsibilities or because they are the cared-for and their condition limits the support they can give.
• Not having enough time for yourself to chill out and relax
• You can sometimes feel worried about the person you care for 
• You may feel tired and fed up sometimes with all the responsibilities.
• You may find it difficult to always get to school on time, concentrate in class, or finish your homework on time.