Four ways to help your kids prepare for school, mid-pandemic
The last few weeks are starting to feel like a repeat of 2020 with COVID-19 cases on the rise yet again as our kids return to school. You and your child are likely anxious about what the return to the classroom will look like this fall. Here are four tips on how to talk to […]
Pride Month can be tough for LGBTQ+ youth
June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, a time to recognize the efforts to achieve equality and celebrate inclusion for our LGBTQ+ neighbors and those who support their equal opportunities. The full acronym – LGBTQQIP2SAA – stands for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, pansexual, two-spirit (2S), androgynous and asexual.” For the purpose of this article, […]
An insight into the foster care process
In Tennessee, approximately 8,000 children are in foster care at any given time, and with fewer than 4,000 foster families with open homes, the need for more foster families is considerable. May is National Foster Care Awareness Month so we are sharing some frequently asked questions we hear from potential new foster care parents. Who […]
April is National Volunteer Month
Every April, nonprofits across the country shine a spotlight on volunteers by celebrating thousands of donated hours of hard work and dedication that supports missions from the arts to zoos and everything in between. This year will be no different! Hands On Nashville (HON) reports that in 2020, even with COVID-19, there were more than […]
Monitoring your kids’ mental health during the pandemic
Recent national news stories have reported a startling upward trend in mental health struggles, especially among school-age kids over the last 12 months. The challenges can result in drug use, verbal and physical abuse, or suicidal ideation. In a recent study conducted by JAMA Psychiatry, the authors compared mid-March through October 2020 to the same […]
Celebrating Black History Month and Inclusion in February
February is Black History Month and serves as a great time to discuss inclusion, diversity, and racial inequalities as a family. It’s never too early to include children in this conversation and allow them to talk about their experiences and what they may already know about Black history. Last summer, racial tension in our communities […]
Youth mental health in 2021
Last year was hard. And while we’re all hopeful that things will change on January 1, 2021, the return to normalcy won’t be as seamless as a day flipping on the calendar. As of this writing, health care workers are starting to get the first round of FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines and we’re hopeful more manufacturers’ […]
Your kids, the Pandemic and the Holiday season
Holidays can be a time of stress any year, but this holiday season is just icing on the top of 2020. As of writing this piece in late November 2020, we don’t know exactly what the December holidays will look like for COVID-19 and group gatherings. A lot will depend on how people handled Thanksgiving, […]
National Adoption Day: Helping kids find forever homes
All children need a loving, safe, stable and supportive home. According to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, approximately 8,000 children in our state are in foster care and almost 800 children are in full guardianship and are available for adoption. There is a great need to find forever homes for these kids, and since […]
Mental health resources for you and your family
We’ve talked about mental health since March, probably more than ever before in recent history. Things are messy and uncertain right now. Keeping your mental health in check, at least knowing where you stand daily, is one good way to recognize if you start to have a slip of bad, negative thoughts that seem to […]
Suicide awareness month: Children and teenagers
September has long been recognized nationwide as Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. The increased rates of suicidal ideation and attempts over the last several decades are alarming, with a 30% increase in the last 20 years. The average individual has experienced mental health distress this year, with COVID-19 ramifications and the rise in police brutality […]
COVID-19 and the Fall school semester
As has been the case for months, the positive COVID-19 case numbers are changing hourly. August marks the standard start of schools from kindergarten to college, and most parents are in the midst of making the decision to send their kids to school or have them learn virtually. There’s truly no right or wrong answer […]
