Families are itching to get out and have some fun this summer, and packing everyone up and hitting the highway is a great way to do it. But, when you have kids, a road trip can be more of a challenge. So, what can you do to ensure road-trip success when you’re on the open road with your kids? Let’s go over a few helpful tips to make the trip easier for everyone.

Couples counseling can get to the roots of your relationship issues and serve as a neutral space for you to work things out with your partner. You’ll learn better communication skills, how to handle arguments, and how to show more vulnerability. 

Raising a resilient kid means raising a child that will get back up again when life knocks them down. They will be able to face obstacles with strength and determination, rather than giving up on themselves when things get hard.

Unfortunately, nobody wins when there’s a power struggle. It’s exhausting, emotionally draining, and can cause lasting struggles between you and your child even as they get older.  Thankfully, you don’t have to deal with constant power struggles with your preteen or wonder about it getting worse. But, you may need to make changes to how you and your preteen relate to each other.

When you adopt a child (or multiple siblings), you understand that they have a past. No matter what they share with you, you’ll never fully know the things they’ve experienced.

The same rings true for step-parents, though in a different way.

Do you ever feel like you’re alone in your family’s challenges?  Do you feel stuck and isolated when you can’t figure out what to do next? 

Parent counseling gives you the tools and resources you need to feel more confident in your parenting abilities. Again, you don’t have to have every answer. You don’t have to do everything perfectly. 

While there are many benefits to smartphones, tablets, computers, and technology in general, it’s hard to deny that our kids are spending too much time in front of these devices. With summer just around the corner, it’s a perfect time to “unplug.”

Summer is finally here. This year, perhaps more than ever, creating a summer full of fun memories is at the top of everyone’s list!

But, if you’re a parent, you might already be anticipating some of the questions and comments that come along every summer: 

“I’m bored.” 

“Can I watch TV?”

“There’s nothing to do.” 

It is worth taking a more intentional approach to your parenting, acknowledging that your kids may have different needs than you did, and that they might respond to parenting styles in different ways.  We don’t have to fall comfortably back into the parenting style from our childhoods. We can change or improve on the approaches our own parents used. Each family is unique and our kids deserve a more tailored approach that reflects their needs, their strengths, and their environment.

They say opposites attract. But when it comes to parenting styles, opposite (or differing) approaches can add to the tension in your home and in your relationship with your partner. When families experience stressful events, or kids have additional needs that can make connecting with everyone more complicated, clashing parenting styles tend to muddy the water even more.

You know what those on the outside looking in may not: your child often wants to follow your direction, but they just struggle to figure out how.

So the challenge remains: How to support and guide your child while creating a compassionate, encouraging environment that allows you both to overcome daily challenges well.

If you’re like many parents, you are not only existing in a state of physical, mental, and emotional fatigue; you’re carrying shame and guilt about being burned out, too.

“Bad parent” and mental health stigmas often lead to avoidance and a prolonged downward spiral. The resulting depression, anxiety, and chronic disease can thoroughly upend a family.

The key to resolving such distress? A healing balance of practical steps, prioritized care, and emotional support.

Even though the disorder is such a common one, it’s still easy to feel like you’re struggling as a parent when you don’t know how to help your child. The good news? There are things you can do to help them and to make life easier for both of you. Just because your child has ADHD doesn’t mean they can’t have a perfectly normal and fulfilling life.

The additional stressor for parents of these kids:  How can I inform the teacher of my child’s needs and how to work best with my child, without labeling or stigmatizing my child AND without stepping on the teacher’s toes/coming across as a hyper-vigilant helicopter parent?

Parents who are still being at-home superstars with their kids, which means parents who are desperately in need of a break right now. You know who you are. And you know how hard it is to get some alone time these days, especially with kids who, as soon as they stop moving, are looking to you to fill the next second (and the next, and so on) with fun creative activities.

A lot of kids need some quiet time during the day to regulate and recharge, just like we adults do. Unfortunately, I have yet to meet a kid who can recognize and articulate this need. And I’m sure many of you parents are familiar with the kind of reaction that often follows the suggestion to take some “quiet time.”

How do you, who may be at that point where you feel you’ve been white-knuckling this parenting thing for the last several weeks, get a break when it doesn’t feel safe to get a sitter and leave the house for a while? How do you structure your days so summer feels fun and different from the rest of the year, when your vacation plans have been canceled? How do you, the overworked and exhausted parent, safely create some time and space to recharge, or zone out, or even nap, when your kids are ALWAYS RIGHT THERE WITH THE “WHAT’S NEXT? I’M BORED!”

Children who have experienced trauma, abuse, or neglect at any point in their lives, may struggle to feel safe- even if they are currently surrounded by safe people. Counseling sessions using Theraplay techniques provide the setting and strategies to help children feel nurtured, treasured, and safe with their caregivers.

Here’s the thing: Kids who have already lived through food scarcity and other traumatic experiences can smell the b.s. in your Pollyanna statements. They know, with a deep-down-unshakeable certainty that all things are not always okay. And that past evidence shows them they can easily go from a safe situation to an unsafe one.