Mental Health

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Red Stick Mom has partnered with the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence to help bring awareness to this important topic. Resources for getting help or reporting domestic violence can be found at the bottom of this page.  “Why didn’t she just leave?” The first question most people have when reading about the aftermath of domestic violence is, “Why didn’t she just leave?” I speak to this as someone who spent most of her life pondering (or rather, dismissing) domestic violence in the same way. After speaking with many victims, counselors, professionals, lawyers, and law enforcement officials, the below list is a summary to begin the conversation as to why “just leaving” is not that simple. ...

As soon as I heard about you, I looked you up on Facebook. My heart broke when I saw you’re a mom. I scrolled through your page. While I know everything is not as it seems online, you seem like a nice person. You seem like a good mom. Being a single mom is hard. Trust me, I know. Being a single mom that is balancing romance with mothering is hard. However, being a single mom in a toxic relationship… that’s something I would not wish on anyone. My friends and family want to reach out to you. They want to send you his page on the sheriff’s inmate roster. They want to send you the narrative I wrote to obtain...

When did the norm become filtering our lives down to only the perfect details to brag and show off? To get the approval of others? Scrolling through perfectly curated feeds being influenced to buy outfits that make us match every other girl out there? Do NOT get me wrong, I LOVE a good blog just like the next girl. But I think I am finally exhausted of it all. I am worn out of looking at sales that are not sales, beauty products that might not even work, and a filtered snapshot of what seems to be a perfect life.Yes, I know, “instagram is only a snapshot,” and I’ve seen the “instagram Vs reality” posts. We all read about bloggers going...

Disclosure :: This post is sponsored by Ochsner Health.  7 Mental Health Tips for Parents Between the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and hurricane season, it’s easy for parents to forget to take care of themselves. However, it is important for parents to prioritize their own mental health. Not only does it make you feel better, but it models positive health behaviors for your children. Here are a few tips to help you maintain your mental health and warning signs to look for in children and other family members. Create a morning routine. Having time to yourself before the craziness of the day begins is a great way to feel grounded, centered and ready to tackle your day. Start your day with activities...

Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson made her way back in the news a couple of weeks ago. While I’ve never watched an episode of “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo," I do know the basics: Her mother encouraged her toddler to be all kinds of sass in front of a camera. There’s sexual and substance abuse in the family. People love laughing at the nonsense that was paraded by the family to the public. Reading Alana’s recent “Her Name Is Not Honey Boo Boo” Teen Vogue interview made me fairly emotional. Sure, firstly, from the perspective of a mom watching a young girl fight for her dignity back (DID WE NOT LEARN OUR LESSON FROM BRITNEY, PEOPLE?!), but also from the...