Parenting

It’s Time for a Hero Story

While it is true life has been disrupted, how do we make sense of it for our kids?  Their routines are changed; relationships are now managed with social distancing and pods.  We told them tech has its place and now it is where they are getting their schooling.  Social unrest is challenging the questions of… Read more »

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Is it the grouch monster?

Long ago when my daughter was young, we noticed moments when her personality seemed to shift on a dime.  She would flip from cooperative to irritable at a speed that left us bewildered. As we tried to make sense of it we became aware that this was occurring between meals and often when we went… Read more »

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An Apple (computer) For the Teacher: Navigating Homeschool, While Keeping Your Social Distance and Sanity

“You can’t always know the end from the beginning.” This is advice that my mom has been giving me for years. My inclination, as a planner, has always been to shrug it off and roll my eyes…until I had to start telling my college sophomore and rising high school senior the same, in preparation for… Read more »

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Experts at Home: Dr. Bonnie Goldstein on Adolescence During Covid-19

  In this Experts at Home conversation, Dr. Lisa Firestone talks with Dr. Bonnie Goldstein, a licensed social worker, clinical psychologist, and expert in child and adolescent development. Dr. Goldstein discusses the challenges and opportunities of adolescence in the time of Covid-19. Watch Now: Subscribe to PsychAlive (it’s free!) to see more Experts at Home…. Read more »

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Parents: Are You Losing Your Identity During Lockdown?

Ever since the pandemic hit and lockdown started, I’ve kept in touch with friends at various stages of parenthood. One was about to give birth, several were raising toddlers, many were taking on homeschooling, and a few were preparing for the last summer they’d spend with their kids before sending them off to college. While… Read more »

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Facing Into the Rough Winds of a Challenging Time

For a sapling to emerge as a stable and sturdy tree, it establishes a deep root system and a thick trunk. From there, growth takes time and support. It must withstand environmental stressors, competition for water, nutrients, winds and other adversities. In the forest, a canopy provided by the more mature trees shelter the small… Read more »

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Parenting During Times of Stress

With more schools and offices closing each day due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most parents are finding themselves at home with their kids around the clock. And while it is necessary for our physical health to practice social distancing or sheltering in place during this strange time, it is likely to take a toll on… Read more »

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Is This More Than the Baby Blues?

I have yet to meet a mother, or any parent for that matter, who has described the experience of becoming a parent as easy or exactly what they expected. Bringing a new child into the world, whether it is your first or your fifth, is big adjustment and can bring up feelings that are often… Read more »

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Skiing – A Metaphor for Emotional Regulation

When we enter the world, we transition from an insulated environment to one that is full of challenges.  We must learn how to navigate around both expected and unexpected events. It is a journey that is easier for some and more difficult for others.  As adults, it can be easy to overlook the process our… Read more »

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How Do Adverse Childhood Events Impact Us?

…And can positive childhood events provide protection? In the 1980s, Dr. Vincent Felitti, a physician from Kaiser Permanente was running an obesity clinic through the Department of Preventive Medicine. After several years, much to Felitti’s puzzlement, more than half of the people participating had dropped out despite successfully losing weight. Determined to find out why,… Read more »

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