Mental Health

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...

If I had a dollar for every time a friend or family member told me they would start a big project soon … I’d be able to get CC’s twice a day. Think about how many times you or someone you know says the following: I’m starting a new diet on Monday. I need an entire day to clean my house because it’s gotten so out of hand. I think I’m going to sign up for the gym next month. I have an idea for a podcast that I’m going to start soon. I spent a ton of money this weekend, but I’m going to eat at home and bring a lunch to work every single day next week. ...

My sister recently told me about a t-shirt she noticed a mom wearing at the soccer field. The shirt read:I'm Fine, It's Fine, Everything is Fine This mom also had her hands full with water bottles, a toddler, and was pulling a wagon filled with chairs and other soccer gear. As I listened to my sister describe this woman and her t-shirt, I could not help but think of this scene as a metaphor for motherhood. How often are you carrying around a heavy load, whether it be physical or mental? Often times from the outside mothers appear to be completely FINE; however, on the inside we are feeling quite the opposite. Why is it mothers feel the need to...

For those of you who are raising three-year-olds, you understand the dreaded “three-nager” phase. This phase comes with boundary testing and fierce independence. My youngest is a wild, free-spirited, little lady with a big personality and a ton of self-confidence! The more I think about it, I start to imagine what it would be like to live with the same unapologetic confidence as my toddler? There is nothing like confidence To prepare for a typical day, I lay out all of my children’s clothes the evening before to help our morning run smoothly. My youngest is used to this routine and rarely gives us trouble with getting ready. On one recent morning, I realized that Laurel hadn’t come out of her...