We all know someone who is providing care for someone else. They may be caring for an older parent, a disabled adult child, or a spouse suffering from a traumatic injury or chronic illness. Even parents raising children are considered caregivers. Caregivers give of themselves without expecting...
Have you ever heard someone say, “There’s a lot on my plate,” or “I have too much on my plate?” Chances are you have even said it yourself. This idiom generally means there is too much to do, too much going on, or too much to deal with in a person’s life. In fact, we are all prone...
We use technology in many ways during everyday routines, and young children don’t want to be left out. The University of Illinois Early Learning Project has a great tip sheet, Tech...
While family members of our military service members do not actively serve, they do have a very important job – holding down the fort. Military service members put their lives on the line to protect and serve our country while their families adapt, miss their loved ones, and support them from home...
With social isolation having such negative consequences on people and seeming to have increased especially with the COVID pandemic, I thought it would be good to share this article I originally wrote in 2018. When children, teens and younger adults spend time with older adults, there are many...
Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric diagnosis in school-age children worldwide. Anxiety may appear in different forms, including separation anxiety, social phobia, generalized anxiety, panic with agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and specific phobic disorders causing...
Growing up, my family had my half-sisters every other weekend, but the co-parenting relationship never took a break. I witnessed many different conversations between co-parents on many different topics like schooling, child support, drama, and even discipline. While the conversations were often...
Ah, the lazy days of summer. Around my house, summer is a cherished time of year. Routines are more relaxed, the pace is slower, and the “rules” are bent a little. Even though everyone in my is enjoying a little more freedom from the frantic school year, we’re equally ready for a little more...
A little less than a year ago, I received a phone call from a friend who eagerly said that a foster child was on the way to their home. I was beyond excited for my friends & their family but also so excited for this child to be welcomed into a stable and healthy home. Before the phone call...
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This is the perfect time to discuss something that hits very close to home for me. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that nearly one in five adults live with a mental...