Most parents want to raise children who are independent and strong-willed. They want to teach their children to make smart decisions for themselves and to feel confident in their choices. In addition to modeling positive decision-making skills, you can foster independence from a young age by giving your kids choices. It’s as simple as it sounds: give your kids choices in their everyday lives so that they practice making decisions for themselves early on. Want to learn more about how it’s done and the impact it can make on your child’s future? Read on…
Do you ever find yourself jumping to a worst-case scenario or the worst possible conclusion? Do you ever feel like you are a failure if you received a low letter grade on one test, or received a little negative feedback at work? Maybe you and your partner got into a fight, and you immediately think that they are going to break-up with you? It’s more common that you think for people to experience these distortions in thought, or what’s referred to as a cognitive distortion. Cognitive distortions often lead to stronger emotional reactions than we’d like. Luckily, we have the power to control these cognitive distortions and in turn, minimize our emotional reactions. How can we do this? Let’s dive in…
June is Pride Month! This means that there are plenty of pride events and celebrations planned throughout the month. But what about finding year-long support and events for LGBTQ+ youth? Here is a brief resource sheet detailing mental health help, social events, and ways to get involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy…
LGBTQ+ youth face specific struggles in school and in life relating to their sexuality, gender, or gender expression. Bullying is more common, and rejection at home can put children a greater at risk for developing mental health issues and dealing with increased stress. Here are some facts to put things into perspective and tips on how you can help LGBTQ+ youth feel supported…
Many parents wonder, “When is the right time to have a talk around substance abuse with my child?” The time to have this challenging discussion will vary for each child; there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, it’s best to be proactive. Your child’s risk for exposure to substance use will increase as they reach their early teen years. And it’s not a matter of if they get exposed to substances; it’s a matter of when it happens. So once you determine the right time to talk to your child, what do you do next? What do you talk about, and how do you remain a source of support that your child can reach out to with any questions or concerns down the road? How can you most effectively navigate the conversation around substance use? Here are some tips to help you get things started…
Does your child struggle to manage their anger? Do they spiral into fits of anger, with seemingly no way to get through it? Anger is an emotion typically gets a bad reputation because it’s uncomfortable to cope with—especially for kids and teens. But chances are that your child has had their share of “tantrums” without knowing how to respond. We need to help our children understand that it’s normal to be angry at times; it’s part of the variety of emotions they’ll experience in life. It’s what they do with those feelings that matters. Here are some ways to help your pre-teen or teenager understand and cope with anger…
Have you ever said something to your child that you wished you could take back? We’ve all experienced that instant feeling of discomfort afterwards. We have all been caught in interactions where we spoke harshly and used words we later regretted when feeling intense emotions. Moments like these remind us that our voice is one of the most powerful and unique tools that we possess. With that, comes great responsibility. What we say to others, especially to our children, matters. Luckily, we can be careful about the words we choose and how we choose to say them. Use the following strategies to model healthier responses in the the most difficult interactions with your children and with others…
Does your child show apprehension or refusal about going to school? If so, they’re not alone. It’s estimated that 10% of kids experience some form of school avoidance. School avoidance could show up in different ways, including significant separation anxiety from a parent, fear of being in a crowded place, social anxiety, bullying, academic challenges, and low self-esteem. When your kids refuse or do their best to avoid school at all costs, it can leave you feeling helpless or frustrated. So what can you do to help your child develop a more positive attitude towards school? Here are some helpful tips…
Do you find yourself telling your teen to look on the bright side? Or telling them that other people have it worse, so they should focus on the good things that they have? Without knowing it, you may be contributing to what’s known as “toxic positivity.” What is toxic positivity, and how could it have an impact on yourself and your family’s mental health? What can you do as a parent to reduce toxic positivity and encourage an open dialogue with your teen about their emotions? Let’s explore…
If your child comes to you to have a conversation about them being gay or queer, it can be tempting to think of this as just a phase—something that is a growing fad as we see more and more teenagers coming out as queer nowadays. However, most likely this isn’t a phase; this is likely the beginning of the process of your child figuring out their identity. According to a study at William’s Institute, about 9.5% of youth in America, or roughly 1,994,000 teenagers from ages 13 to 17, identify as LGBTQ+. It’s likely that your teen is going to have a friend who is part of the LGBTQ+ community or that they will identify as part of it themselves. Fortunately, the world is a more accepting place than it was just a decade ago, and this can allow LGBTQ+ youth to feel more comfortable identifying as queer. Here are some parenting tips to help you be supportive of your newly out or questioning teen….
Bullying is an all too common problem amongst our kids—and unfortunately, it’s an issue that adults don’t find out about until later on. Only 46% of students report bullying to an adult. Some kids may feel afraid to “tell on” the bullies, and others may be ashamed that they’re the victim of this harassment. So how can we keep our kids safe and encourage a healthy conversation about bullying? How can we encourage our children to keep coming back to us to discuss difficult topics? Here are some tips to help you navigate the conversation if your child comes to you about it…
When a child relapses, it can be difficult for both the child and the parent. When we typically think of relapse, we tend to think of drugs and alcohol and the toll it takes on a person and their family. However, relapsing isn’t only limited to substance abuse. People can relapse with any kind of addictive behavior, such as self harm or eating disorder behavior. It is important that we have open communication with our kids about addictive behaviors, how to avoid them, and how to broach the topic of relapse if we know our child is struggling with an addiction of any kind. If your child is struggling with addiction and has relapsed, there are specific ways that you can support them and let them know you are a support they can lean on. Here are some ways to help your child after a relapse…
Meditation is a centuries-old practice that has recently made its way into the mainstream. An increasing number of people are practicing meditation at home and in groups. There are countless apps and videos claiming to undo your stress and unwind your mind. But how effective is meditation and how can you utilize this tool to help with daily stress and anxiety? Let’s dive in…
The internet is a part of everyone’s lives, including our children. Students use laptops in school (with some even providing laptops to take home), all your kid’s favorite shows are streaming, and almost everyone has a cellphone. How can we both monitor our child’s safety in a digital world, while also creating autonomy and promoting trust? The answer isn’t easy nor straightforward. Hopefully this article can create a conversation in your family, so that you can come up with the best approach for you. Here are some “ground rules” that might be useful for your family…
When you’re battling a mental health issue such as depression or bipolar disorder, it can be hard to maintain proper hygiene. Depression may make it difficult for people to get out of bed and face the day, let alone shower and brush their teeth. On the opposite end, anxiety and OCD can cause people to obsess over hygiene on a daily basis. But what role does hygiene really play with our mental health? How important is it to set up physical hygiene check ups with ourselves? And how can we strike a healthy balance with hygiene in our lives? Let’s explore…
Depression in teens can often be overlooked or written off as “moodiness” by their parents. While some teens will simply experience mood swings or struggle with other problems that come with growing up, others may be dealing with something more serious like depression. If depression-like symptoms persist, it is worth giving a second look and potentially following up with a mental health professional. Everyone also knows of the usual sadness that is associated with depression, but there are other physical, mental, and emotional symptoms that can occur due to depression. Here are some signs of depression that your teen may be exhibiting…
Whether you’re currently struggling with a mental health issue, or you just want to build upon your skills, everyone’s looking for ways to improve their mental health. You might think of joining a yoga class, signing up for a meditation group, or participating in another activity that brings you peace. However, you may not always have the time to do these activities consistently. This is where apps can be super helpful. Within the palm of your hand, you can have a variety of tools to boost your mental health, whether you have an hour on a weekend or 5 minutes at the end of a busy work day. Here are some apps that can help you on your mental health journey…
Unfortunately, self-harm is on the rise. 15% of teens and 17-35% of young adults and college-students self-harm, according to recent data. While it can be difficult to talk about, it’s important to create an open dialogue to talk about self-harm and self-injury with your teen or young adult. Having a safe space to discuss this topic, as well as mental health in general, can help you and your young adult deal with this important issue and get treatment, if needed. How do you begin this conversation? And what should the discussion about self-harm look like? Here’s everything you need to know to get the conversation started…
Nowadays, it’s practically essential that children and teens use smart devices. Almost everyone has a smartphone, and so many children have tablets. They use their devices for a variety of purposes: for school, for communication with friends and parents, and for entertainment. But how much time spent on these devices is too much? And what can you do to minimize your family’s screen time? Let’s explore…
Your child is growing up. They just got back from the DMV with a glowing smile and a (most likely) unflattering photo. While you are excited for them and their newfound freedom, it’s just as fair for you to feel scared about what this freedom and responsibility means. Parenting a new driver comes with many questions: How much freedom do they have, now that they can drive themselves without your supervision? How can you make sure that they are safe? How will they handle this new responsibility? Here are some tips for navigating this new stage…
