All posts by don

As we have discussed in the past, balancing school and your child’s mental health can be challenging. Even when your child is at a young age, he or she may struggle with certain aspects of the school process. There may be fears relating to day-to-day classroom environments; moving to a new school, class, or grade level can cause anxiety, and in some cases, traditional school environments don’t work out.
Sorting through those potential issues takes a lot of patience and effort. But amidst all of this, many …

A lot of kids and parents dread the first day of school because of the anxiety that comes with it. While in some cases children are able to get over that fear of starting a new school year, those who are living with mental illnesses can have a much harder time and can even get physically sick while experiencing anxiety.
Here are a few ideas that can help you and your child fight these anxieties:

Acknowledge your child’s fears. It’s important as a parent and as your child’s support system that you listen to and understand that their fears are real and valid. Ask them about their triggers and what makes them anxious…

It’s normal to feel concerned and uncertain after your child got diagnosed with a mental illness, especially if it’s a condition you’ve never encountered before. There’s a lot to take in and a lot of questions to answer, so it’s vital to not only listen to your child’s doctor’s recommendations but to also educate yourself on the diagnosis and what you can do to cope.
The following are the steps you can take:

Understand your child’s condition. The first and most important step you need to take right now as a parent is to understand what your child has and what they’re going through. Understand that the …

Sometimes life just can’t seem to give you a break, and as a parent, it can be hard to juggle all your responsibilities at work and at home on top of taking care of your children. In the middle of all these everyday tasks, it’s important to still look out for your own mental health. Keep yourself grounded and mindful with the following tips:

Give yourself daily “me” time. Make sure that no matter how busy you are in a day, give yourself some time to enjoy the things you like. That can be watching a movie or working out; it doesn’t matter as long as it’s time you’re spending for yourself.
Take a few …

It’s normal that as a parent, you’re afraid to talk about suicide to your children. But it’s important to know that avoiding the topic can lead to more harm than good, and the idea that talking about suicide can increase its risk is not true, especially if done correctly.
Chances are, your child will experience a loss due to suicide at some point in their lives anyway, so break the barrier by talking about it. Here are some tips:

Stop the stigma. When someone dies of cancer, you immediately know to tell someone that they died of cancer. The same approach should be done when someone dies of suicide, even when …