Parenting
54 Posts
Here are a few simple steps you and your family can take to rethink your child’s schedule, establish a new home routine and minimize impact on your productivity.
Read More
If you’re parenting a child with a serious mental health condition, the sudden social distancing made necessary by the COVID-19 virus will likely bring a whole new level of stress to you and your child.
Read More
Teen relationships may be short lived — whether it lasts a few days, weeks, or months — but it doesn’t mean that a breakup isn’t devastating for your child, especially if it’s their first breakup.
Read More
Mindfulness meditation is the practice of intentionally noticing bodily sensations, thoughts, and emotions in a non-judgmental way in order to promote relaxation and to increase self-awareness.
Read More
Avoiding the subject of suicide — and failing to create a safe space where your child can grieve — can actually create more harm. To end teen suicide, adults must step up, be brave, and have hard conversations.
Read More
When teens feel forced into going to therapy, their motivation to change is low, so engaging with your teenager before the appointment and involving them in the process is highly recommended.
Read More
As you digest what your child’s mental health professional has recently shared with you, consider your own needs in the areas of education, support, and engagement. Here are four steps that can help you adjust.
Read More
Having a few effective self-care strategies can help you keep holiday-related stress to a minimum and, more importantly, help you enjoy the things about the holidays that you really love and cherish.
Read More
Has your child been acting differently lately? Did they used to be organized, outgoing, and actively involved in class and social activities but have recently become withdrawn and disorganized? Have they even started sharing strange thoughts and ideas?
Read More
About 10% of children ages 4-17 suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These kids often struggle to control their hyperactivity and/or impulsivity at school, which significantly impacts their ability to learn effectively.
Read More
Children often have difficulty adjusting to transitions. Luckily, you can reduce the stress of adjusting to a new school year by adding some light structure to your child’s summer schedule.
Read More
Confession: I am starting to feel stressed out by the relentless calls for “mindfulness” in my life. Yet we all need something — whatever we want to call it — to keep ourselves focused, productive, and, yes, happy, in our roles as parents.
Read More
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death between ages 10 and 34, according to the National Institute for Mental Health.
Read More
How do you keep the effects of stress at bay so you can be a better, healthier parent? One of the best ways to manage stress is to make self-care a priority.
Read More
If your child has difficulty waking up in the morning or is sleepy during the day, these may be signs that your child is not getting adequate sleep. Other signs include mood swings, irritability, decreased attention span, and memory problems.
Read More
As we waited for an ambulance to take Eric, still raging, to the hospital, I sunk down to the curb, looking at my fingers, still sticky from pancake syrup. I will never forget what happened next.
Read More
While the holidays are meant to bring us joy and rest, these changes can be disruptive or stressful for families with children. This may be especially true for families with children who have a mental health diagnosis.
Read More
For many lonely, exhausting years while my child was desperately ill, I struggled to feel grateful for anything as I drove from one specialist to another. I came across some positive psychology research almost by chance.
Read More
Every child is unique, with special needs, abilities, and strengths. Learning how to focus on those strengths can be critical when parents talk to their children about mental health conditions.
Read More
Your child is no longer actively suicidal and has been discharged from their inpatient stay. There are several things you can do to help your child's recovery continue after the initial crisis has subsided.
Read More
All children can experience anxiety about starting a new school year. Mental health conditions can exacerbate those common anxieties and fears, sometimes even making your child physically ill.
Read More
Because of health care laws, it’s important to prepare and discuss with your child the steps you can take together as a family to make sure that your child continues to receive quality care after they turn 18.
Read More
While I no longer plan summer daycare for my soon-to-be 13-year-old daughter, there’s no way I would have left my son Eric, who lives with bipolar disorder, home alone at the age of 13. He would not have been safe.
Read More
One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn in parenting a child with mental illness is that it’s okay to doubt myself—and even more importantly, it’s also okay to trust myself too.
Read More
Parents of kids with mental illnesses fight so many daily battles that trying to get a stubborn child to eat a healthy meal can seem like an impossible task. But healthy meals are worth the fight.
Read More
Sometimes, getting a teenager to do something that’s good for them may seem next to impossible. However, teens need their parent's guidance and support to make mental health a priority.
Read More
My experience with my child has shown me that parents can plan for a successful adventure despite the challenges of mental illness. Here are a few things I have learned.
Read More
Coming home empty handed on Valentine's Day can leave adolescents feeling unpopular and heartbroken. Here are a few ideas on how to help your teen when they are feeling left out on Valentine’s Day.
Read More
I knew from an early age that my son was not defined by his behaviors, but building self-worth and confidence in a child who experiences mental health challenges is a difficult task.
Read More
Parenting a child who has mental illness means that your life doesn’t look like everyone else’s—and it doesn’t have to. This year, while everyone else is heading to the gym again, resolve to care for yourself, just as much as you care for your children.
Read More
Amid the swirls of lights, color, sounds, laughter, parties, gifts and special events, the comfort of routines can get lost during the holidays and the increased stimulus can put everyone on edge.
Read More
Since my children were young, we’ve practiced the same Thanksgiving tradition. During the first week of November, we sit down together and make our “Thankful Turkeys.” Some years, this activity is harder than other years.
Read More
The holidays can be a stressful time for everyone, even more so after divorce or separation. While the season may feel different, planning and concerted efforts can help your child have a positive experience during these times.
Read More
Support comes in all shapes and sizes, and this advice applies to more than just sports. Your child needs your healthy support in every activity, from soccer to competitive rock, paper, scissors.
Read More
Adolescence is hard – some might argue more so than adulthood – so if taking a mental health day benefits an adult, why wouldn’t it also benefit a child?
Read More
Regardless of how grandparents find themselves parenting again, the same challenges of raising kids they once faced still exist — and new challenges have been layered on top.
Read More
Between 30 and 50% of kids in the juvenile justice system experience mental illness. Family involvement is the single best asset these kids can have.
Read More
Building resiliency in kids with mental health challenges is a year-round process, but the summer months can prove to be especially challenging.
Read More
Whether through one-time projects like collecting canned goods for a local food bank or ongoing projects like monthly visits to a senior citizens center, there is a variety of opportunities for families to volunteer together.
Read More
Going away to college – it’s a rite of passage for many and a time of huge personal growth and change. But for young adults dealing with mental health problems, it represents a whole new set of challenges.
Read More
As important as it is to ensure your child gets the care he or she needs, it is also important that your spouse and your relationship get the attention both need in order to thrive.
Read More
Let’s talk about some ways to keep the summer fun and easy, while making sure your kids get what they need to stay healthy, busy and happy.
Read More
Your heart hurts seeing your child struggling with their mental health. There are things you can do to help your kiddo - as well as yourself and your whole family!
Read More
"13 Reasons Why" is a fictional story of a teenage girl’s suicide and other sensitive issues associated with it. The show has quite unceremoniously placed the issue of teen suicide in the front and center in our community conversations.
Read More
Behavior problems are a signal that there is something else wrong in the child’s life. The behavior itself is rarely the actual problem but usually the product of something else.
Read More
When your child needs physical care as well as mental, an emergency room is clearly the best option. However, mental health patients face two major hurdles when they use the ER for treatment during a crisis.
Read More
By depriving children of opportunities to play on their own, away from direct adult supervision and control, we are depriving them of opportunities to learn how to take control of their own lives.
Read More
Habits and life routines affect our mental health and well-being. So what can we do to create a better mental health our children?
Read More
Scientists are realizing that many of the things we ought to do for our general physical health – like eating well, exercising and getting enough rest – have profound effects on our mental wellness, too.
Read More
Our children can be especially sensitive to family interpersonal dynamics during the holiday season, so parents must be aware of how interactions and emotions can impact their kids.
Read More
As parents, we know that our summers looked different from those of our children. Hustling our kids to different activities and camps isn’t allowing them to blossom in the ways we might hope.
Read More
With three kids who suffer from mental illness, Trudy and her husband Toby are setting an amazing example of practical wisdom to help their children succeed and to instill strong values in them.
Read More
Living away from home for the first time, making new friends and handling the rigors of coursework can make the transition to college difficult for any student. Add in an existing mental illness and the challenge is even harder.
Read More
The biggest reason many teens don’t talk to their parents about their suicidal thoughts is their perception that their parents would “freak out.” Would you?
Read More