Trauma-Informed Parenting

Original post in Children's Bureau Express Whether a caregiver is a birth, foster, adoptive, or grandparent, the role can be as challenging as it is rewarding. The stress associated with caregiving can lead to burnout, which can adversely affect relationships and one's capacity to provide care. Alia released Caregivers Guide to Wellbeing to highlight the importance of self-care and support and inspire caregivers—including those caring for children or adults—by providing them with the...

By Jessica Grose, Image by Davin G Photography/Getty Images The New York Times, June 11, 2022 Lately, I’ve been saying that my level of burnout feels like “Covid of the soul.” Which is to say I mostly feel normal, and that we’ve gradually been able to ease back into the rhythms of our prepandemic life, but there remains a residual exhaustion, partly psychic, that I haven’t had time to fully resolve. There are some days when my alarm goes off and the first thought that occurs to me is: I...

March 2022 | Uncommon Ground with Van Jones D r. Nadine Burke Harris joined Van Jones to answer a series of listener questions, such as, “How can we help to make sure our children are still socialized during periods of isolation?” and “How do we help our young ones grieve?” More details on the podcast: “The thing that is most important for us as parents and caregivers is this: to be able to be there for our kids, we gotta take care of ourselves.” Former California Surgeon General, Dr. Nadine...

It can be hard to come up with words to talk about violence and grief with our children, especially when our own hearts are so heavy and scared. Here are a few places where you can find more resources to help you find words... Please share other resources in the comments below. Trauma Care Resource Hub from ZERO TO THREE These resources are available online in English and Spanish at zerotothree.org/care to help adults meet the unique needs of infants and young children in addressing the...

By Allison Slater Tate, Today, March 8, 2022 (updated April 25, 2022) After student athletes Katie Meyer and Sarah Shulze died by suicide one month apart, parents have questions. This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources. When news broke in March that Stanford senior and soccer star Katie Meyer,...

By Eboo Patel, Image by Arne Bellstorf, The New York Times, May 10, 2022 I first heard the phrase “white supremacy” in my introductory sociology course at the University of Illinois in 1993. The image of men wearing white sheets and burning crosses came to mind, and I figured my professor was referring to ancient history. But I remember her continuing: “White supremacy is the assumption that the cultural patterns associated with white people — from clothes to language to aesthetic...

By Derek Thompson, Image from Getty, The Atlantic, April 11, 2022 Four forces are propelling the rising rates of depression among young people. The United States is experiencing an extreme teenage mental-health crisis. From 2009 to 2021, the share of American high-school students who say they feel “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” rose from 26 percent to 44 percent, according to a new CDC study. This is the highest level of teenage sadness ever recorded. The government survey...

By Claire Cain Miller, The New York Times, May 11, 2022 When it came to who lost jobs, education mattered much more than gender, a broad new analysis found. For mothers during the pandemic, the usual push and pull of work and family life has felt more like a tug of war. Yet despite concerns that they would quit their jobs en masse, most succeeded in keeping them, two new data analyses show. In fact, one group of mothers — college graduates with babies and toddlers — became significantly more...

Parenting kids is tough, but it is even more difficult when your child is struggling with mental illness. Here in Ontario, as many as 1 in 5 children and youth will experience some form of mental health problem. The toll that takes, not only on the children, but on parents, too, is enormous. You may find that you are struggling to manage your households or perhaps you are missing a lot of work because you need to spend that time with your child. We also know that many of you are finding it...

The Perspectives on Early Relational Health Series from the Center for the Study of Social Policy brings together a diverse group of parents, pediatricians, researchers, and providers to share their perspectives on why Early Relational Health matters, and what they are doing to support and promote foundational early relationships. We hope these conversations inspire new insights and motivate you to join us in our collective movement to support healthy early relationships, so every child and...

Discussing what to expect when an emergency occurs with your child beforehand can positively impact their ability to react appropriately during an event. Doing so supports their overall resilience, which can improve their ability to recover after a stressful situation. Explore the American Red Cross library of fun and engaging animated videos that help children learn how to help stay safe during a variety of emergencies and cope with any thoughts or feelings that might come up along the way.

If your child is a perfectionist, or you're worried they might be, you might find these resources helpful: Is your child a perfectionist? Here’s how to help. By Jennifer Breheny Wallace, The Washington Post, March 8, 2022 Perfectionism in Children Can Be Moderated by Parents By Marilyn Price-Mitchell, Roots of Action, February 24, 2021 Letting Go of Perfect: Overcoming Perfectionism in Kids (book) by Jill L. Adelson and Hope E. Wilson 7 Great Children’s Books About Perfectionism From...