5 Decisions You Shouldn’t Make For Your Child

Trisha and John Herrity had already raised their own four children when they assumed custody of their six-month-old grandson, Justin, and, later, his younger brother, Brian. Substance abuse prevented the boys’ parents from caring for them.

Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder often characterized as “extreme picky eating.” Food avoidance or restriction in ARFID can be due to any of the following:1Unlike other eating disorders, like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, the eating behaviors seen in ARFID are not associated with concerns about body weight or shape. Children with ARFID may struggle to meet nutritional and/or energy needs, and they may be dependent on nutritional supplements for functioning.ARFID often co-occurs with autism, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).2 Some symptoms of autism, like rigid eating behaviors and sensory sensitivity, overlap with ARFID.If you suspect that your child has symptoms of ARFID, answer the questions below and share the results with your child’s pediatrician or a licensed mental health professional who is experienced in diagnosing and treating ARFID.If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, contact the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) for support, resources, and treatment options. Call or text NEDA at 800-931-2237 or visit www.nationaleatingdisorders.org to reach a NEDA volunteer.This self-test was adapted in part from the Nine Item ARFID Screen (NIAS) and incorporates findings from research on ARFID.

Does this sound familiar? Instead of completing one task before starting another, you find yourself multitasking while fending off distractions and interruptions from coworkers, friends, or family members. This fragmented reality often leads you to lose your place in the task, procrastinate restarting the task, and/or forget to complete the task altogether.

A teacher’s negative comments about a student’s performance rarely motivate the child to do better. It’s quite likely, rather, that this criticism will anger and upset the child and the child’s parents.When this happens, how should parents communicate effectively without putting the teacher on the defensive? More broadly, how can we solve problems without others immediately disagreeing or rejecting what we have to say?First, ask yourself these two questions:Goals can be easily derailed if the words we use to communicate these goals elicit resistance rather than cooperation.

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Your newsfeed is overloaded with programs, apps, and interventions that claim to effectively treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Some are complementary treatments designed to augment an existing medication regimen; others suggest they should replace medication.

It was the first week of Third Grade when I found my son, Owen, curled up under a tree in his school playground. We’d agreed to meet there during recess, a particularly overwhelming part of his day for him. From his ragged breathing, silent sobs, and shaky hands, I knew that my son was having a panic attack.The deck is stacked against Owen.

Everyone feels sadness from time to time. You can feel sad for many reasons, like receiving bad news, fighting with a friend or significant other, or just having a stressful day at work. Although sadness is a normal and common (and believe it or not, healthy) emotion, it’s not something you should constantly feel.Persistent sadness can be overwhelming, especially when you don’t know why you’re unhappy.

Trauma dumping is defined as unloading traumatic experiences on others without warning or invitation. It’s often done to seek validation, attention, or sympathy.While some initial relief may come from dumping your trauma onto someone else, the habit actually does more harm than good.

Have you been feeling glum, unhappy, or out of sorts lately? Don’t worry – it’s normal to feel sad sometimes. When you’re down but don’t know why, it’s called feeling blue. It’s possible to feel blue without any obvious or apparent cause, but these low moods usually happen for a reason.

I’ve recently been reflecting on my relationship history and how often I did things I wasn’t comfortable with instead of speaking up.

Kids are tiny humans, with minds of their own, so it’s pretty easy to see how sometimes, they aren’t going to do as we wish for them too. Under the many pressures of parenting, this can cause immense frustration and for many of us, our first instinct when frustrated is to yell.However, when you yell at your kids, even if it releases your anger, even the slightest bit, you are not benefiting from the act itself. On the contrary, you are causing far more harm than good.

It’s not easy to be a mom, and most of us understand that. We spend the majority of our days, trying our hardest to do everything for everyone, which can make things difficult when you are depressed.Mom depression is a very real thing. Many mothers experience the depression and feelings of isolation that come along with being a mom, at least at one point or another.

Being a parent is a complex job, and we all seem to understand that. Now, imagine when this job is placed on the shoulders of one person, instead of two. Needless to say, it can be a very difficult experience.Now, that is NOT to say that being a single mom is not rewarding.

Having a nice cup of coffee is one of the best ways to start the day, providing you with the energy to tackle whatever obstacle comes your way. However, visiting your favorite coffee shop every day might not be the most budget friendly decision. Thankfully, there are some simple techniques that you can use to […]

I’ve had my share of bad friends in my life, but honestly, none of them impacted me as much as seeing my child deal with toxic friends. While I know I can deal with whatever, it really hurts my heart when I see my child struggle.When your child is dealing with toxic friends, it can be a hard situation to navigate. On one hand, you may want to swoop in and save them, while pushing the friends out of the picture, but on the other hand, you likely realize that you don’t want to make the wrong move and push your child even closer to the toxic friend.

Eating can be a reflection of your lifestyle. Your lifestyle can significantly affect the way you eat. Factors such as time constraints, social influences, and mental health can all lead to unhealthy eating habits. Poor dietary choices can lead to weight gain, chronic diseases, and eating disorders like bulimia. A healthy lifestyle means eating balanced […]

Marisa Padilla is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with her. She impressed us with her encouraging and motivating personality. She is a philanthropist, a life coach and a motivational speaker. She didn’t graduate from high school but that didn’t prevent her from chasing her dreams […]

Zehhra Mirza is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with her. She impressed us with her wisdom and expertise. She is a Personal Development Coach based in India, Mumbai. Clients fondly refer to her as Coach Z. We are astonished with the depth of her understanding […]

When emotions are high, things can get ugly fast, especially when you are dealing with a tiny person who has HUGE emotions. During these moments, you may struggle to understand how to help your child move through their emotions and reach a sense of calm, but thankfully, we have some helpful tips that will help you tackle tough emotions like a boss.It’s important to remember that some adults even have problems dealing with big emotions, so we must understand that little one who hasn’t fully emotionally developed should be expected to have a difficult time doing so.

Ting Wong is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with her. She impressed us with her dedication and persistence. She spent most of her career in the corporate world struggling to find herself and her true calling in life. Until she stumbled upon life coaching. She […]

The first time my son lied to me, I took it personally. Even though I knew it would happen one day, I couldn’t help but be worried.Then, I began catching him in more lies and started to wonder, “Is there something wrong?” However, I had to remind myself that kids are humans, and sometimes, humans lie. Now, don’t get me wrong, I wanted to get to the bottom of it immediately, to avoid future lies and problems.

No parent sets out to play favorites with their children. However, because none of us are perfect, there may be a child you are showing favor to without even realizing it.It is normal for a parent to feel a stronger connection to one of their children, but that does not make you a bad parent. However, it’s important that you show your children the same amount of love and care, otherwise your children may become insecure and struggle with themselves.

It’s that time of year again when the world screams, “New year, new you!”Every January, without fail, we are inundated with messages about transforming our apparent less-than-optimal selves into something better. (“Shrink your waistline in 30 days,” and “Power up your mental health with these protein shakes,” read the subject lines in my inbox, to name a few.)I have been trying to create a “new” me for most of my life. The “old” me, according to most, was too quiet, too intense, too awkward, too sensitive, and too focused.

Now, research is showing more and more the impact of emotional support and the impact on the way we talk to our children. If you find that you are saying any of the following, don’t beat yourself up, just make sure to begin using the better phrases provided instead.I grew up in a time when people did not understand that saying things like “You are fine, ” “Stop crying,” or the old “Stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about!” was emotionally invalidating. When you do this, you are making your child fear their emotions.

An epiphany is a sudden revelation — an “aha” moment — that often strikes after you’ve adopted a new perspective.My goal as an ADHD coach is to help people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) view their condition differently. When they finally get to me, I know they’ve not yet experienced this “aha” moment because their stories are almost all the same: They’ve tried it all — to no avail — and they’re drowning in strategies for managing their life with ADHD.This is when I can step in to help them reach a crucial epiphany: They’ve been looking at the roots of their ADHD challenges — from procrastination and motivation to prioritization and productivity — all wrong.Here are the most important ADHD insights I’ve collected and shared with my clients over the years to help them separate their symptoms from themselves and reach their goals.Every time we think, we engage our executive functions — a set of cognitive processes that allow us to plan, organize, remember information, and initiate action on a goal.

“Self-reflection is necessary to dig beneath our own layers and visit the inner crevices of our heart and mind to develop an understanding of life.” ~Unknown

When you think of your child’s needs, what comes to mind? While children do have physical needs, like food, clothing, shelter, and exercise, they have emotional needs as well, and those should never be overlooked.While taking care of our children physically by ensuring they have the right nutrition, clothing on their backs, and a warm home to sleep in are all important, it is just as important if not more important to ensure their emotional needs are addressed as well. Think of it this way: we are our children’s emotional support network and emotional coaches. For them to flourish as people, their needs need to be met fully.

Nadine Moussa is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with her. She impressed us with her Meet Life Coach Nadine Moussa: Name: Nadine Moussa Pillar: Who is this coach for: How they can help: First of all, how are you and your family doing in these […]

. Now, for the good news: Although there’s bound to be factors that are beyond your control, feeling more confident about your finances can help you navigate whatever comes your way.What does financial security look like in 2023? We talked with five experts about everything from the economy to the job market to financial markets to find out what to expect.

?The question is about as hard to dodge as the “So, are you dating anyone?” questions you hear at nearly every family function. As the new year approaches, we as a society tend to do a lot of reflecting on how the last 365 days unfolded. Did we like we planned? Were we able to impress our bosses enough to ? Did we find someone to love, or ?Although the holidays are a time of joy and gratitude, we often fill the last days of the year with forward thinking, our faces to the horizon, looking for ways to make the following year even better.

I have always aimed for raising honest kids. The truth is, that people, and more specifically, kids, lie.That is a harsh truth, we just need to go ahead and get out of the way. So, if you are aiming for perfection here, you are going to end up disappointed.

One of my biggest fears is waking up one day and realizing my whole life has passed before my eyes and that I have missed opportunities. It might sound silly to some, but if you have been there, then you know how very real this fear can be.Due to this fear, I have made it my mission to lead the best life I can lead. Part of this has been trying to not waste the precious time I have been given.

You and I will probably come across a hundred articles about New Year’s resolutions in 2023 … again. And, if you and I are like the majority—the well-intentioned, regular people who genuinely want change—we will aspire to big things and later get frustrated and give up on the list we made … again.

“Don’t mistake being informed by trusting what you hear or read in the news. The most trusted information is what you feel in your gut.” ~Charles F Glassman

“Sit with it. Sit with it. Sit with it. Sit with it. Even though you want to run. Even when it’s heavy and difficult. Even though you’re not quite sure of the way through. Healing happens by feeling.” ~Dr. Rebecca Ray

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“We eat the way we eat because we are afraid to feel what we feel.” ~Geneen Roth