Mental Health

Since our second child was a baby, my husband and I noticed unique quirks about his personality. We chalked it up to idiosyncrasies that were part of his overall character, but as he grew along with our understanding, we began taking more serious notice of these character traits. He was always distracted. We affectionately referred to it as being "in La-La Land." Anytime we'd give instructions, particularly multi-step instructions, he'd get lost in his own thoughts. Sometimes he'd get lost in his own room. We evolved in our parenting to develop coping mechanisms on our end and his. One night, I eliminated as many distractions as I could before I made eye contact, told him to go brush his teeth, had...

Alone time as a parent is rare. When it’s granted, we cherish it oh so preciously and do all the things we wish we could do if we didn’t have kids. We love our kids, but we also love the act of self-care and indulging in some “me time” every once in a while. It’s good for the soul, as well as the rest of the family. Sometimes we desperately need or want a break from our kids, but when they’re gone, we don’t know what to do with ourselves. Here is a list of my favorite “me time” indulgences. Sleep Can we get an AMEN? With kids running us rampant, sometimes a good nap or a morning to just sleep...

If you know me personally or have followed my posts here for any length of time, you know that I have been diagnosed with severe anxiety. For me, that means constant management of stressors to remain healthy. And it goes without saying that the holiday season is a source of stress for many reasons for many people. Unfortunately, I am not excluded from this group in the least. Over the past five years, I have found some interesting ways to avoid triggers and to maintain over all wellness during the holiday season. The Three Gift Rule: We have three kids, and shopping can become expensive and stressful if we let it. We limit ourselves to one big gift and two medium gifts per...

We don’t need another headline to tell us. We don’t have to wait for another hashtag or tragedy for this to be a priority. All we have to do is look around. Watch the face of your pastor and his wife and see the fatigue as they carry the burdens of many. Pay attention to the Facebook posts of your co-workers and friends and notice how much frustration and loneliness you see in a day. Listen to the weary tone in the voice of a mom in the grocery store, as she tries to wrangle her kids, and gather items to feed her family. It’s all around us, and we either miss it or ignore it daily - the cries...

As my youngest approached his second birthday, I hit a parenting wall. I had thoughts like "Can postpartum depression be delayed two years? Are my hormones out of whack? Maybe I'm not cut out for the toddler years." Then I started reading "Happiest Toddler on the Block" by Dr. Karp, and a light bulb went off! In part one, he writes "Toddlers are tricky even for experienced parents," and "Your tot's words or deeds may open up feelings of hurt and humiliation from deep in your past." My life as a mom was subconsciously reminding me of issues in my own childhood. It might sound a little kooky, but bare with me. Now that I had two boys who can (and still...