is a normal part of life, but an excess of stress has an impact on everyone in the family. When parents are stressed, children feel stressed too—even in the womb, babies’ health is negatively affected a mother’s high stress levels. Early stress affects a child’s physical and emotional development, ability to manage behavior, and learning. Taking time to learn to de-stress improves your life—and that of your child.
Talking to Kids about Economic Downturn and the Pandemic 2020 was the “Year of Explaining”: “Mom, why can’t we go see Grandma?” “Why do I have to wear a mask?” “Why can’t I visit my best friend?” And now, as we enter the challenges of 2021, we might find ourselves...
Beyond Pandemic Survival Mode: Feeling the Feelings We have looked for silver linings, counted blessings and tried to feel grateful. In the midst of adversity, instability and losses, we have worked to stay as positive as possible. In experiencing collective trauma...
Ages and Stages: Building Resilience Skills Even for the youngest among us, life is full of challenges. From dealing with small stresses like a skinned knee to recovering from serious trauma like a natural disaster, resilience skills help us manage specific problems...
Managing “Holiday Stress” for Busy ParentsIs the holiday season really “the most wonderful time of the year,” as the old song says?Well, maybe — though more than 60 percent of people surveyed by Healthline reported that their stress levels surrounding the holidays are...
Multigenerational Conflict Resolution When multigenerational caregiving plays a role in a family, conflicts may come up more often, and with more grandparents than ever caring for grandchildren, resolving differences may be a challenge. Modeling appropriate behavior...
First 5 LA’s Five-Minute Halloween Costumes for Busy Parents Too busy to think about a Halloween costume? Never fear, parents — First 5 LA is here to help! Bunch of Grapes You will need: Purple or dark red balloons* Safety pins Green or brown clothing — shirt, pants,...
Self-Care for Multigenerational Parents Multigenerational parenting is often satisfying, but it can also be all-consuming. With the amount of time and energy spent caring for babies and children, it can be easy to forget to take care of yourself. While making sure...
Multigenerational Parenting: Staying Active Did you know that the number of children who are obese has almost tripled since the 1970s? It is more important than ever to get kids moving, but being active may be more challenging than the first time you took care of...
STEAM: The Importance of Arts EducationWhen we think of school and learning, the first things that may come to mind are subjects such as math, science and reading, without an emphasis on art or music class. While the components of STEM (Science, Technology,...
Easing Back-to-School Jitters If you or your child feel a little nervous about the first day of school, you are in good company! Anxiety before the first day of a new school year is common. Fears or concerns may surface the most when a child is going to preschool or...