Kite Day: The Ups and Downs of Mental Health

Mamus and her son love Kite Days. But conditions have to be right. Sometimes the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, and the day is calling… But it's still not a Kite Day. Sometimes the clouds roll in, and the wind is too strong… And they still try for a Kite Day. But when their string gets tangled and the light gets dim, they must stay inside and wait for their next chance at a Kite Day. Navigating worry, anger, sadness and disappointment, Mamus and her son fly their kite together.While her mood mirrors the kite’s motions - gently rising, twisting in the wind, tangling in a tree, and crashing to the ground - the pair continue to try.Despite the ups and downs, their love is, and will always remain, constant. “Is today a kite day?” I ask Mamus. Her smile is a blossom unfolding. “Let’s go and see,” she says. An honest yet hopeful glimpse into a child’s experience with a parent who has bipolar illness or other mood-related struggles, including concrete suggestions for young readers who