Young Carers are young people up to the age of 18, whose life is affected by the need to provide care and support with..

* A physical disability
* A learning disability
* A mental health issue
* A short or long term illness or medical condition
* An alcohol or drug problem

Who do Young Carers care for?
Young Carers can care for a member of their family, including parents, brothers or sisters, grandparents or wider family members. Young Carers can also help care for a friend or be in a relationship with a partner who needs their care and support with everyday tasks.

What Kind of things does a Young Carer do?
There are loads of things that a young carer might do whilst caring for someone:

* Shopping
* Housework like cleaning, washing clothes or dishes etc
* Giving medicine or collecting prescriptions
* Looking after brothers and/or sisters
* Personal care like bathing, showering
* Cooking meals
* Budgeting money or collecting benefits
* Helping someone move around
* Giving emotinal support and encouragement

Being a Young Carer can be tough...
Given all the things that a young Carer needs to organise or do it is no wonder that sometimes life can be tough, because a Young Carer may...

* Not have time to be with friends
* Get picked on or teased
* Struggle to study or get homework done
* Struggle to get to school or college on time and miss classes
* Not want friends to come back to the house or let them know that they care for someone
* Feel worried, stressed or tired
* Feel different from everyone else

All Said and Done beign a Young Carer can also be rewarding...
It is okay to have mixed feelings about being a Young Carer. It can be a positive and rewarding experience with many benefits including:

* Learning to care for people
* Learning new skills and experiences
* Widening knowledge and understanding
* Learning to become independant
* Developing good coping skills
* Probably being more mature than your friends
* Devekoping good problem solving skills
* Learning to communicate with people
* Learning about life
* Learning to be organised
* Developing a good sense of humour

Look after Yourself Too - The Top Tips
It can feel good to look after some you care about. It can also be stressful. If you are a Young Carer there are lots of things you ncan do to after yourself too.

1. Do Something YOU enjoy. Make time each day to play computer games, phone friends, play a sport, listen to music or just watch your favourite TV programme.

2. Don't ignore your feelings. If you feel tired, stressed, worried or angry this is your brain's way of telling you that you need a break.

3. Talk to someone, don't bottle everything up. Choose someone who is a good listener & who you trust, like a Teacher, Youth Worker, Relative, Health or Social Worker.

4. Look after yourself. Make sure you eat well and rest properly.

5. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Everyone needs help at some point. If it is getting difficult to cope with things ask a relative, friend, Doctor, Teacher, or Youth or Social worker.

6. Be creative!! Write a diary or a peom, or draw a picture that says how you feel.

7. Be assertive. It's ok to want things for yourself as wella s looking after other people. This means it's ok to say "NO" sometimes.

Knowing Your Rights
All young people have rights: It's the Law.

It's your right to:
* Be able to take a break & enjoy leisure time
* Have an education
* Be heard listened to and believed
* Be protected from physical and/or psycological harm
* Have provacy and repect
* Information and advice
* Health and social care
* Be consulted and fully involved in discussions which affect your life
* To have needs assessed

For Information/advice on your fears about being a Young Carer check out these sub sections:

* Young Carers Fear Busters
* Helpful Contacts for Young Carers