Why I Needed Quarantine
When you first see this title, it might seem insensitive to say that I needed quarantine. This time of isolation was caused by a global health crisis and response that is definitely on a much grander scale than my needs. However, I think this title accurately represents how God can use an international problem to […]
Build a Strong Relationship With Your Teen: Respond, Don’t React
“Responding” versus “reacting.” They sound like the same thing, right? These words sit side by side in the thesaurus, so surely they are interchangeable. That might be true at face value, but it is far from true when applied to the relational value these words hold. When it comes to our teens, responding to them […]
Parenting Through Adolescent Emotions
Parenting through the emotions of adolescents can be tough work. I like to think of it as attending a bad musical performance. The nervous singer belts out flat melodies. Guitars are in the wrong key. The piano hits those shrill notes that scrape your eardrums. That’s called musical dissonance or disharmony, and it’s no fun […]
All We Have Is All We Need: The Truth About Comparison
I’ve struggled with comparison ever since I can remember. As a child, one of the words we learn early on is “mine,” and as much as I hate to admit it, the word has stuck with me ever since. Now, you might be tempted to stop reading here because you’ve heard all the comparison talks […]
Supporting an Anxious Teen: A Parent’s Perspective
I have parented two children who both had their own experiences with different levels of anxiety but managed to adjust their lives in a way that addresses their specific challenges. Looking back on the journey, here is my advice to other parents: First, it feels like a parenting failure when you realize your child can’t […]
5 Tips on Learning to Love Yourself
Shortly after I graduated from high school, I quickly understood the meaning of anxiety and depression. You see, not only did the Columbine shooting happen during my last year of high school, but then just two years later, we experienced the most terrifying terrorist attack in the history of our nation, now commonly referred to […]
What To Do When Your Friend is Suicidal
Having a friend who has shared suicidal thoughts can be overwhelming and terrifying. You may feel an immense amount of pressure to do or say the right thing to help. Take a deep breath and know you are not supposed to be able to carry this on your own. Here are some steps you can […]
Parenting Through Adversity with a Growth Mindset
By Lindsey Ervin, MS and Tess Cox, MA “Relationships also help build resilience across childhood and into adulthood. The single most common factor for children and teens who develop the capacity to overcome serious hardship is having at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive parent, caregiver, or another adult.” – Center […]
From Graduation to Quarantine: A Note to the Class of 2020
We are the class of 2020. We thought that distinction would be something pretty special. What a great year to be graduating! 20’s themed dances, senior retreats, senior privileges, and traditions at school. We thought it would be a big celebration of the times that we’ve had. Now this crazy thing called coronavirus has taken […]
Class of 2020 Parents, It’s Okay to Be Sad.
Thousands of schools are closed nationwide due to the Coronavirus, which also means that the class of 2020 is experiencing the devastating loss of their senior year being cut short. I imagine many students are celebrating the fact that they get to sleep in late and escape the obstacles that come with being a high […]