Posts

How valuable is the parent-child relationship in protecting adolescents from the mental health impact of COVID-19?

By Julie J. Janssens, Reprinted from the Society for Research on Adolescence Janssens, J. J., Achterhof, R., Lafit, G., Bamps, E., Hagemann, N., Hiekkaranta, A. P., Hermans, K. S. F. M., Lecei, A., Myin-Germeys, I., & Kirtley, O. J. (2021). The Impact of COVID-19 on Adolescents’ Daily Lives: The Role of Parent–Child Relationship Quality. Journal of Research on […]

Show empathy and offer support gently: Tips for supporting students with mental health struggles.

Adolescents are readying for the next step in a seemingly endless set of challenges. Here’s how to help them regulate their emotions. By Lisa Damour, Reprinted from The New York Times Many young people are experiencing mixed feelings as they enter another school year that’s disrupted by the pandemic. In this article, Lisa Bamour shares […]

Sound it Out’s Caregiver Guide (Part 4): Read Between the Lines

   Reprinted from Sound it Out 1. Be mindful of moods You may start a conversation when your kid doesn’t want to talk, or isn’t able to engage. If that happens, it’s okay to let the conversation go. Your kid may not be ready to talk at that moment, but it doesn’t mean they won’t […]

Sound it Out’s Caregiver Guide (Part 3): Tune In

Reprinted from Sound it Out 1. Know when to comfort It’s never easy to watch a loved one go through hardships, much less one’s own kid. It may be tempting to want to jump right into neutralizing their emotions, but trying to get reasonable responses out of a kid while they’re feeling overwhelmed is rarely ever […]

Sound it Out’s Caregiver Guide (Part 2): Press Pause

Reprinted from Sound it Out 1. Look for a natural opening Everyday conversations with your kid can easily turn into conversations about their emotional wellbeing. Sometimes, you don’t even have to bring up emotional wellbeing directly. For example, if your kid shares something that’s happening with a friend or classmate, you can ask them how that […]

Sound it Out’s Caregiver Guide (Part 1): Understand

Reprinted from Sound it Out 1. What do we mean by emotional wellbeing? We refer to emotional wellbeing as the full range of a kid’s emotions, behavior, ideas, and relationships. When you think about it, your emotional wellbeing is comparable to that of your physical wellbeing, where the healthy side of the spectrum means your body […]