Trauma-Informed Parenting

By Karen Garcia, Image by Kassia Rico / for The Times, The LA Times, September 28, 2022 Norma Fabian Newton had heard of other new mothers experiencing the “baby blues,” short-term sadness and anxiety. But when she had her first child in her early 30s, she described her experience as a “constant barrage of thoughts.” “I was constantly thinking, ‘I’m not equipped to be a parent, I hate myself, or I hate this decision,’” she said. “In so many ways I had everything, and yet I felt so empty and...

By Jeffrey D. Shahidullah, PhD and Rebecca A. Baum, MD, FAAP, Healthychildren.org Children, teens and families are navigating difficult times. Sometimes it can be hard to tell whether day-to-day stress is getting the best of us, or when something more serious may be going on. In either case, talking with your child's pediatrician is a great place to start. Starting the conversation Many pediatricians check for mental health concerns at well-child visits. The doctor may ask your child...

By Callie Holtermann, Photo by Christopher Gregory-Rivera, The New York Times, October 27, 2022 Relief agencies can help single fathers and mothers maintain the delicate balance between wage-generating hours, personal upkeep and family caregiving time. Someday, Ramiro Torres dreams of opening his own restaurant and serving the tortas, tacos and hamburgers that he loves to prepare to the public. At least one qualified critic, his 11-year-old daughter, Yanely, has long been sold on his...

By Diana Divecha, Greater Good Magazine, October 24, 2022 A new book explains how to feel secure in your parenting decisions so you can be firm but loving with your kids. Home is where we initially learn how to be in the world, and even the smallest interactions between parents and children can have an outsized impact, say Sheri Glucoft Wong, Bay Area family therapist, and Olaf Jorgenson, Silicon Valley private school head. Those little everyday moments together are our opportunities to...

ANI, The Statesman, October 22, 2022 As a result of strict parenting, the way the body perceives the children’s DNA might alter. Children who grow up with restrictions may have these modifications “hard-wired” into their DNA, increasing their biological risk of depression in adolescence and later in life. Presenting the work at the ECNP Congress in Vienna, Dr Evelien Van Assche said: “We discovered that perceived harsh parenting, with physical punishment and psychological manipulation, can...

By Audrey-Ann Deneault, Lorraine Reggin, Penny Pexman, Sheri Madigan, and Susan Graham, The Conversation, September 6, 2022 When children develop the ability to understand language, as well as speak and communicate, this helps them interact with others and learn about their world. Research shows that children’s early language skills have a long reach in affecting later life outcomes . Children with better language skills have an easier time regulating their emotions and interacting with...

By McKenna Saady, ParentsTogether, September 19, 2022 More than half of people experience a traumatic event at some point during their childhood — and more than a quarter of children will witness or experience trauma before the age of four. Between school shootings, COVID-19, and families being separated at the US-Mexico border, incidents of childhood trauma have pervaded the news in recent years. What is childhood trauma? Trauma is defined as the experience of an emotionally distressing...

This year, Mental Health America recognizes with their 2022 Back to School Toolkit that our youth are having "All the Feels" as they enter the new school year. These resources look at the issues young people face that impact their mental health and offer tips on how to deal with these issues and the resulting emotions. The MHA toolkit can also help parents and school personnel better understand the issues, such as the effects of social media on youth mental health and how to be supportive.

One of the first steps to parenting and caring for a child with loss/trauma is understanding your own Core Issues. The Seven Core Issues Workbook by Allison Davis Maxon and Sharon Kaplan Roszia, co-authors of Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanency , provides parents and caregivers with the opportunity to explore, identify and address their own issues as well as their child's through various experiential exercises and activities . The Seven Core Issues outlined in the workbook include:...

NeuroClastic provides articles by autistic writers and professionals. Articles range from topics related to autism to those about justice, culture and identity, and health. NeuroClastic also provides resources for specialists diagnosing autism in adults, people who are neurodivergent, parents, educators, physicians and therapists, and employers. NeuroClastic's mission statement helps educate about the importance of their work: We are a collective of Autistic people responsive to the evolving...

By The Associated Press, NPR, August 27, 2022 A school district in southwestern Missouri decided to bring back spanking as a form of discipline for students — if their parents agree — despite warnings from many public health experts that the practice is detrimental to students. Classes resumed Tuesday in the Cassville School District for the first time since the school board in June approved bringing corporal punishment back to the 1,900-student district about 60 miles (100 kilometers)...

By American Psychological Association, Updated July 6, 2022 Parents can offer assistance and support to help their children better manage life’s challenges by being available, listening actively and responding thoughtfully. According to APA’s annual Stress in America survey, many Americans—both adults and youth—report experiencing significant stress. Parents overwhelmingly reported concerns regarding child(ren)’s development, including social life or development (73%), academic development...