Cultural guest and first-time author Elina Airio thinks that society is run by low-income care workers. He is one of them himself.
A little girl runs from home in her socks to the kindergarten for safety. He is afraid of his mother.
Things happen at home that shouldn’t happen to children and their mothers.
The sight is as terrifying as a battle tank. Torn limbs of dolls and heads of soft toys lie on the floor.
The mother has ripped the entrails out of the sleeping toy and cut open Barbie’s back with a kitchen knife.
A family coach should fix all this: the broken life of a mentally ill, exhausted mother and build a future for the child.
You may only use 60 minutes for a home visit.
– I made the text worse. I play a cruel god and I play with the idea of \u200b\u200bhow terrible everything can get.
Airio made a human experiment for himself and wanted to find out by writing where his limits lie, which would be the most difficult thing to bear.
31-year-old Elina Airio works as a social worker and supports families with children in need of help.
Originally, he did not intend to write anything about the social sector, but then war rage struck.
Low-income and undervalued caregivers
Four years ago, Elina Airio was able to study in the writer’s line at the University of Kriittis.
Writing professionals praised her rich and colorful language in the prestigious thesis. Airio was advised to write about a topic familiar to him, the social and health sector.
The initial inhibition turned into a smoothing and furious frenzy.
– The novel almost wrote itself. I noticed that I have a lot to say and it just flowed into the book.
Current themes were already there: shortage of workers in the social and health sector, increased mental health and coping problems.
In Airio’s opinion, society is run by low-income care workers and often without appreciation. He is one of them himself.
– I followed the nurses’ salary dispute and was definitely on their side. Fortunately, they managed to persevere.
No more pampering
Elina Airio is tired of the constant talk about productivity and efficiency. As if a service voucher in hand could replace a long customer relationship.
– Privatization is a trend I don’t believe in. It seems creepy if, for example, the pursuit of profit is brought into day care.
In general, instead of speeches, he expects actions that show the appreciation of the industry.
– We should stop caring and understand that there are actually professionals working in the military industry, the writer gets heated.
In the first-born book, social services are given a disconsolate picture, and the mother’s distress call is not heard in time.
After reading the book, the colleagues told Airio that they hope that the leading social workers would also read it.
*\”During the coordinator’s debriefing, has anyone asked how the mother is doing? Has anyone noticed to ask what’s up with this mother?\”*
*-Family coach in the book A woman runs in the forest*
In the book, the mother of small children is exhausted and her mind is shaken. He has been granted a period of parenting coaching as a purchase service.
Every two weeks, an exhausted family coach himself comes home to carry out the \”coaching program chosen by the coordinator\”.
The family coach digs out plastic pockets full of multi-step models and instructions from his bag.
He is frustrated and knows that the client would urgently need a completely different kind of help, but the child protection resources are not enough for that.
*\”Has this happened before, have you locked the girls in the nursery after meeting with the coordinator? I ask, and the silence takes a moment to breathe before Mimi answers.*
*I should have, he admits.”*
*-Family coach in the book A woman runs in the forest*
The brave seek help
Elina Airio also meets exhausted mothers and lonely parents during her home visits.
He praises his clients as strong and brave because they dare to tell what is wrong and seek help. That’s a big show of confidence.
As a social worker, he is happy when he can help on time and things start to run better. When, for example, an exhausted mother starts to take care of herself as well.
It doesn’t always go well.
Parents often lack a strong support network of families and relatives.
– There is a lot of loneliness that there is no one around to be present and share everyday life.
He allocates two hours for home visits, which is half as much as the family coach in the book.
Airiok was tired and lonely
Elina Airio drew on herself in the book as a woman, mother and person.
She and her husband have three children under the age of 10 and she knows how tired mothers feel.
– It was a rally. I had small children and studies at the same time. It was a lonely time, he recalls.
Airio had always loved writing, but now there was a long break.
Afterwards, he has thought that exactly that was the reason for his bad feeling; did not find enough time to write.
– For me, writing is tolerating the world and a guarantee of existence. The Finnish language is my passion, because it can be varied endlessly. It’s like a playground.
Airio says that he cannot become a full-time wordsmith because writing is not a living in Finland.
However, the idea for another book already exists. It is \”only at the stage of the free world\”.
Thus, he describes the situation where there is still much to write, and the end cannot be known.
– I already know that there is an angry woman in the book.
*What thoughts did the article arouse? Join the conversation.*