How Do Children Process Trauma?

As the past two weeks have unfolded our country has endured two mass shootings. In the latest shooting in Boulder, Colorado, there were children and parents simply grocery shopping in the middle of the day. Just doing what we all do on a weekly basis. Doing the one thing we can still do while in …

Mental Health Strategies for Kids

Ideas & Interventions That Work It has been a while since I have written. I have been very busy treating kids and teens, working with families and speaking to groups all over the world. When I thought to write I would feel a sense of overwhelm as I questioned where I would even begin. This …

How To Raise Kind Kids

Kindness Counts Last week I was being interviewed by the great Eve Rodsky on pandemic parenting. Toward the end of our conversation Eve asked, “To you, what is the opposite of fear?” I thought about it for a second and then just said what came to mind which was “taking action.” When we are in fear, it …

How To Talk To Others About Your ADHD Child

The Elephant In The Room I often hear parents struggle with how to explain what is happening with their child to grandparents, neighbors, teachers and friends. October is ADHD awareness month so this month I decided I would discuss a different angle of ADHD- explaining it to others. I also had the pleasure to interview …

6 Ways To Get The Whole Family Engaged in Community

It Starts With Community The last month has been filled with reminders to vote, the grief around of the passing of Justice Ginsberg, activism around racial injustice, the ongoing pandemic, wildfires and of course the impending presidential election. Some people believe this upcoming election is one of the most important in history. I have been …

How Can I Help My Child With Performance Anxiety?

Anxiety It seems that the psychological term anxiety is a state of being that many people are realizing affects them in different ways. Whether it’s because we are in a global pandemic, or that schools are teaching remotely or that there is civil unrest, most people are somehow affected by this leading condition in our …

How can I teach resiliency and stress management to my kids?

Are the kids going to be okay?Simply put, I get asked this question a lot and the answer is…”it depends.” Factors that affect a child’s resiliency to come out of this pandemic doing okay include their mental health before the pandemic, their social connection, access to regulated adults, amount of time they exercise and get …

How to Start “The Talk” With Your Tween Daughter About Puberty

It may seem that having a conversation with your daughter about just about anything these days is difficult! There are the eye rolls, the “yep, I know” comments and the “you just don’t get it” remarks that make it feel impossible to communicate. However, if you have a tween daughter you may have noticed that things …

Should I be concerned about TikTok?

What’s all the news about TikTok? Since the recent headlines have put TikTok on the hot seat, kids, more so than parents, have been asking me if I think their parents are going to take away their accounts. I have wanted to write about my concerns about this app for a while and now seems …

How do I teach my kids about racism?

The time is now The strife over the past month has brought about much unrest, grief, pain, confusion and turmoil as it relates to racial tensions, racial injustice, police brutality and systemic racism. Teens and parents have shared their thoughts, feelings and questions with me about what they can do, how they can be helpful …

What Should I Do With My Kids This Summer?

The time is now The strife over the past month has brought about much unrest, grief, pain, confusion and turmoil as it relates to racial tensions, racial injustice, police brutality and systemic racism. Teens and parents have shared their thoughts, feelings and questions with me about what they can do, how they can be helpful …

My Teen Is Tired Of Social Distancing, What Do I Do?

Tensions With My Teen Are High. This past week families have been dealing with eight weeks at home, teens fatiguing on distance learning and ready to start seeing friends again. With orders in many states transitioning from Stay at Home to Safer at Home- this seems to be the green light that people where waiting …