What Your Kid Hears When You Say “Be Careful”

What Your Kid Hears When You Say “Be Careful”

“Be careful!” is a phrase that is commonly and frequently expressed at every park I’ve ever been to. Often I think it is warranted and can help keep kids safe. It reminds me of a time in 2nd grade that I wish I had been told to be careful.

Why Parents Should Encourage Risk Taking

Why Parents Should Encourage Risk Taking

I usually associate risk taking with bungee jumping or skydiving. Those are both “risks” I doubt I will ever take, no matter how many times my friends say “it’s so worth it”. While I am not a fan of heights, I do think I have taken risks in other ways.

Recognizing Anxiety in Kids

Recognizing Anxiety in Kids

When I think of anxiety as an adult, I think of stressful thoughts, racing hearts, sweaty palms, and being preoccupied with whatever I’m anxious about. As adults, we’ve had years to learn to improve our ability to identify what emotion we’re feeling.

Perfect Parenting is NOT the Goal

Perfect Parenting is NOT the Goal

As parents, there is so much pressure on us to try to do everything right, perfectly, or as well as possible as we raise our children. I think this has a lot to do with how much information there is regarding parenting and child development that we have access to.

Strengths-Based Parenting

Strengths-Based Parenting

As the saying goes, there is no user manual that comes with having a child. However, the amount of parenting advice, either asked for or not asked for, begins being shared not too long after someone announces they are pregnant. As much as someone might want to be…

5 Ways to Address Suicidal Ideation as a Parent

5 Ways to Address Suicidal Ideation as a Parent

Wondering if your child is at risk of hurting themselves can feel incredibly scary. Sometimes it is hard to know if your child’s depressed mood is another part of being a child or teen, or if it is a sign of something more urgent.

5 Ways to Support Teens with Low Self-Esteem

5 Ways to Support Teens with Low Self-Esteem

Being a teen can be difficult to say the least. While it is a time of self-exploration, figuring out who you are and what you value, it is also a time when it becomes especially easy to compare yourself to others.

5 Signs You Desperately Need a Social Media Detox

5 Signs You Desperately Need a Social Media Detox

I think social media definitely has some positives. I still remember the day in high school I first signed up for a social media account. It was exciting to have a way to talk with friends outside of school in a time…

6 Ways to Cope with Loneliness

6 Ways to Cope with Loneliness

Loneliness is something we all experience at one time or another. For myself, I often associate loneliness with when I’ve moved to a new city by myself away from friends, or when I’ve ended a stage in my life, like…