I don’t think much about that I’m a young caregiver. But I do a lot of things around the house to be helpful; I water plants, bring garbage out on garbage day, bring dishes to and from the kitchen, help with laundry, pick stuff up from the floor (that is hard for her to reach) and I push my mom around in her wheelchair. I’m also the main caregiver for our puppy because my mom can’t walk him.

The good thing about being a young caregiver is that I feel like I am helpful – that I get to do something for the people I love.

The hard part is that it can make me feel sad. It can also be stressful, and I worry about my mom when I am not with her. I worry that she might fall and hurt herself, or that if something happens to my puppy, she wouldn’t be able to help him.

My friends at school know that my mom has MS and is in a wheelchair, because she works at my school. I make sure she’s able to get back into school after recess! But I don’t talk much about it with friends at school, but they know. It’s hard to talk to them about it because they don’t know what it’s like to care for someone at home.

That’s why I like going to Powerhouse. It’s a place I can go where everyone else cares for someone at home. It’s easier to talk to them about being a young caregiver because they understand it. It’s easier to connect with them because you share something with them. But sometimes, I feel bad for them because I know they are going through tough things.

Sometimes we talk about being young caregivers, but most of the time we just have fun. I really like going there. I would recommend all other young caregivers to come to Powerhouse. It would give them a chance to be stress-free, talk to new people and make friends!