NY Times article - To Raise Resilient Kids, Be a Resilient Parent

This helpful article in the NY Times highlights a major point I see in my practice, whether it be the young adult who has been overly protected in life thus never experiencing adverse emotions, or the parent who is so nurturing that they fear for any emotional discomfort for their child.

Part of life is to experience the good and the bad; one cannot feel happiness without feeling sadness. 

Being a parent is the most challenging job and I understand the initial instinct for many is to protect their child from any discomfort. As shared in the article, Take a Breath and Let Emotions Happen. You are doing the best you can. Allowing your child to experience discomfort is part of being a good parent; validate, acknowledge the emotions and allow your child to build their own sense of worth by getting through an adverse experience. By being resilient yourself you are raising a child to become resilient.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/well/family/to-raise-resilient-kids-be-a-resilient-parent.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share

Three great articles to read in this week's issue of Time magazine

Time magazine’s February 12, 2018 issue includes a few articles that are worth reading.

A short article about Parenting by Donald L. Rosenstein and Justin M. Yopp highlights Donald Winiccott’s concept of the “good enough” mother, and how it applies to fathers as well. As a clinician, I find myself educating parents on this concept – and not only for parents who have young children, but ones who have adult children and feel guilt over what more they could or should have done.

Photographer, daughter, and mental illness advocate Melissa Spitz (@spitz_melissa) shares her life story in pictures. Her mother has been struggling with severe mental health issues since Melissa was a young age, and through her photographs and stories, we learn just how hard and one-sided our society can be on individuals and the loved ones of those living with severe mental health issues.

Finally, just in time for the Olympics, skiing champion Mikaela Shiffrin (@mikaelashiffrin) opens up about her crippling anxiety and shares that with the help of a sport psychologist, she has been able to shift her thinking before races. As a former competitive figure skater (for close to two decades of my life!) who also struggled with anxiety, I use my experience to help athletes of all ages worth through their performance anxiety. I appreciate Mikaela’s vulnerability in opening up. As I always preach, in order to reduce the stigma, we must be open and talk about it!

#timemagazine #mikaelashiffrin #2018olympics #goodenoughparent #reducethestigma #mentalhealthawareness