Your friends are posting pictures of the flowers, cards, and presents they got from their kids. Or the brunch they’re enjoying with their smiling teens. At home, of course. It’s a COVID Mother’s Day, after all. Or some sweet photo of them embracing their daughter or son. You feel pangs of emotion. Self-pity. Jealousy. Guilt. The same thing happens when you walk past the Hallmark aisle at the drugstore. Those
COVID-19 has many parents of teens confused. Especially parents of teens with mental health issues. If you’re a parent in that category, you might have thought living under the same roof as your adolescent would decrease the severity of their emotional, behavioral, or substance use issues. After all, you wake up together, eat together, and spend practically all day in the same house. You check in more often on them
Here we are. Late spring, 2020, and the year isn’t going at all the way anyone planned. If you’re not in a state with strict stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines, you’re in a state wondering if and when the orders and guidelines will arrive – if ever. If you’re approaching week five or six of stay-at-home orders, then you’re like millions of other people across the country. You’re trying
Life under shelter-in-place orders is something new for us all. It’s not a staycation, it’s not a break from real life, and it’s not a holiday. But what is it? It’s our new normal, for now. During this new normal, families across the country spend far more time at home with one another than they have in years. Parents fortunate enough to have jobs that enable them to work from
It’s COVID-19 lockdown time. Okay, maybe not complete lockdown. But you’re at home like millions of other people around the country. You and your spouse work from home, your kids go to school online, and you spend your days doing your best to keep everyone healthy and happy. Let’s say you have a big family with a mix of school age kids and teenagers. Your younger ones are totally on
Clothes haphazardly scattered around the room. One sneaker under a sweaty shirt. Another hidden beneath the unmade bed. An almost-empty snack bag full of crumbs perched at the edge of the nightstand, precariously close to spilling. Last night’s wet towel on the bed. And random knickknacks strewn around the room: batteries, charger cables, dirty laundry, Gatorade bottles, papers, textbooks, hangers, sports equipment – you name it. If this accurately describes
When we say meltdown, you probably know what we’re talking about. Yelling, arguing, slamming doors. Calling names, hurling insults. Extreme emotions. Crying and screaming. Maybe even aggression. It’s normal for teens to have intense mood swings – and thus meltdowns – from time to time. But the way a parent reacts during a meltdown can make a huge difference. The right reaction can calm your adolescent down and cut the
With the arrival of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the U.S., hand sanitizers and similar products literally flew off the shelves in most major retail stores. Though the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends handwashing as the number-one way to prevent getting infected, hand sanitizer is in high demand for those who can’t access soap and water on the go. Big box stores, drug stores, and grocery stores are constantly replenishing
We all have one big problem right now: the coronavirus pandemic. It manifests in different ways for different people. First, the suffering of the victims and their families: this disease is causing tragic loss in every community across the nation. Second, the frontline healthcare workers: their bravery is unmatched. They’re the heroes of this difficult time. Third, our businesses and economy: we’re taking an unprecedented hit. But it’s necessary. Without
Parents want to inspire their children to work hard, find a job they enjoy and contribute to society. Kids want to know the possibilities for their future, and how school is going to help them get there. Take Your Son or Daughter to Work Day is an opportunity to accomplish both. We typically celebrate this day on the fourth Thursday of every April. This year, the day falls on April
