We all know that “just 2 hours” at the barn can easily turn into 6. Our non-equestrian family tries to be understanding but it’s truly a balancing act sometimes. We do our best to juggle caring for our horses, spending time with our family and managing a household. While our passion for horses can be […]
Many individuals recall the day that they brought their baby into this world as one of the most joyous days of their life. For others, it may be one of the most horrifying. If your birth did not go as expected, and you feared for your life – or for the life of your child […]
In our previous blog, we talked about helping teens with food allergies and anxiety. In this fourth, and final blog in the series, we will be discussing how stress goes hand in hand with being a food allergy parent. You worry about food, checking ingredient lists, accidental exposures, healthy eating, and cross contamination. You worry […]
Last time, we talked about young children with food allergy related anxiety. In this third article in our series, we look at teens with food allergies who start to experience heightened anxiety. Adolescence is full of changes and adjustments that create additional stress for teens. Peer dynamics shift, thinking becomes more complicated, and teens crave […]
In the first part of our series, we discussed what anxiety related to food allergies may look like. This time, we look at the unique ways elementary school children show anxiety and how to help. Signs of anxiety in young children Repeated reports of headaches, stomachaches and other physical pains Clinginess including unwillingness to separate […]
Today Brave Minds invited Lauren L. Drago, MSEd, LMHC, LPC, the founder of Lauren Drago Therapy in Old Saybrook, CT, to provide us with some tips for connecting with teens. _____________________________ Having a teen can be tough. If I had a quarter for every time I heard, “Help! My child feels like she’s been replaced by an […]
mom… Mom.. MOMMMMMM!! I need a bandaid. I need one more kiss. I’m not tired. DON’T GO!!! This is how it would go with 9 year old Hardy*, ever since school ended. His parents were initially compassionate. Then annoyed. Eventually, they were sleep deprived and had lost much of their patience. So goes the story […]
Living with food allergies is like entering an alternate reality. You continue to live right next to everyone else, yet your whole experience has changed. Most of those around you cannot completely understand the fears that occupy you daily. Fears that one wrong morsel could create a life-threatening reaction. It doesn’t end there. Navigating this alternative […]
We can all agree that chores are good for kids. A consistent, yet manageable list of chores for children increases their sense of responsibility, improves their work ethic, and helps them contribute to the household. Furthermore, completing chores is an opportunity for your child to feel accomplished and appreciated (even if they don’t […]
Welcome to the club. You’re human. It’s hard to like anyone 100% of the time, even people we love. “But doesn’t that make me a ‘bad’ parent?“ No. It makes you a honest parent. A human parent. Have you ever wondered to yourself, while struggling with your child, “What’s wrong with my child?!?” Or as […]