Parenting – Therapeutic Center For Hope

13Apr 2023 by alexiamcleod

Supporting Your Child Struggling with their Mental Health: Strategies to Encourage Growth and Resilience

Parenting

Caring for a child with mental illness can be a challenging and heart-wrenching experience for any parent. Mental health struggles can impact a child's emotional well-being, academic performance, and overall quality of life. As a parent, it's important to provide unconditional love and support, while also encouraging your child to keep going and growing despite the challenges they may face. In this article, we will discuss how to support your children who are struggling with mental illness and how to push them to keep moving forward on their journey to recovery. Educate yourself and seek Professional help Educating yourself about your child's mental illness is crucial to understanding their condition and how to support them effectively. Learn about the symptoms, triggers, and available treatment options. It's also important to…

26Mar 2023 by alexiamcleod

Navigating Divorce: Tips on Keeping Your Family Strong Throughout the Process

divorce, Parenting, Tips

Divorce can be an emotionally challenging experience for any couple, especially when children are involved. It can be difficult for parents to navigate the process of separation and divorce while still maintaining a sense of normalcy and stability for their children. However, with the right approach, it is possible to successfully get through a divorce with children and help your family transition to a new phase of life. Talk to your children One of the most important things you can do when navigating divorce with children is to communicate with them. Children may have a lot of questions and concerns about what is happening, and it is important to be open and honest with them. Try to explain the situation in a way that is age-appropriate and reassuring. Let them know that…

22Aug 2017 by alexiamcleod

Recognizing Bullying

Blog, Parenting, Therapy

With the start of a new school year, there can be worries that your child may be bullied. It’s not a thought that goes through every parent's mind, however, it’s important to be aware that there’s a possibility of bullying occurring at school. A child can be bullied at any moment no matter the circumstance. However, children who are visibly different, are part of a certain group (LGBTQ youth, a child with a disability, race, etc.) or may be socially isolated are common risk factors for a bully to begin picking on them. There is no exact reason or methodology a bully uses to choose their “victims.” Sometimes it can just be that the bully likes seeing whose buttons they can push and they will continue to push those buttons…

10Aug 2017 by alexiamcleod

LGBTQ Couples and Adoption

Adoption, Blog, Motivation, Parenting, Therapy, Tips

Children can bring couples many delightful memories. They can also help the couple feel like a true and complete family. However, we must acknowledge that couples are no longer only men and women, but there are plenty of openly same sex couples who would also like to have a complete family of their own. Many LGBTQ couples want the same opportunities to adopt and have a family just as heterosexual couples. However, the route to completing their families through adoption can be extremely difficult. It can be especially difficult if the state they live in has strict laws on LGBTQ couples adopting and what state or country they are deciding to adopt their child from. Since 2010, in the Sunshine State, the ban on gay and lesbian adoption was ruled…

08Aug 2017 by alexiamcleod

Surrogacy as an Option

Adoption, Blog, Motivation, Parenting, Therapy

The joys of starting a family can be challenging for some. However, there are several options that can help your dreams of having a family become reality. There are various options that you can choose from to start a family like adoption, traditional surrogacy, and gestational surrogacy. Although adoption is one of the most common routes for couples who would like to start a family, surrogacy is also a common option. The process of surrogacy depends on the type of surrogacy. As mentioned there are two primary types of surrogacy, traditional and gestational. Traditional surrogacy is when the surrogate carries the embryo and is the donor of the egg, making her the biological mother. In this case, the surrogate will be impregnated with sperm from the intended father, who will…

21Jul 2017 by alexiamcleod

The Importance of Spending Quality Time with Your Child

Blog, Health, Motivation, Parenting, Tips

Spending quality time is better than just killing time with your child. Being a parent can be a challenging time. Especially if it’s your first time or if it’s been awhile since your last child. It’s hard enough when you’re worried about your child’s well-being. Whether they are eating right, getting the right amount of outside playtime, etc. But what about the time you spend with your child? What are you doing to make it memorable? Are you spending quality time with them or is it just time spent with them? It’s one thing to have them by your side all the time, making sure they aren’t getting into trouble. But that doesn’t necessarily count as quality time nor will it impact them in a positive way in the future. However,…

28Jun 2017 by alexiamcleod

Effects of Postpartum Depression

Blog, Health, Motivation, Parenting, Therapy, Tips

1 in 7 women experience postpartum depression according to a study of 10,000 mothers with newborns. Postpartum depression is a type of depression that mothers may get after having a baby due to hormone changes and stress. It also may be more likely to occur if the mother has a history of depression. Postpartum depression can start anytime during your baby’s first year, but it is more common to feel the effects during the first 3 weeks after birth. You may feel sad, hopeless and guilty because you may not feel like you want to bond and/or care for your newborn. The diagnosis of postpartum depression can only come from a doctor, but if you think you may have it, it is best to schedule an appointment with your doctor.…

26Jun 2017 by alexiamcleod

Dating as a Single Parent

Blog, divorce, Parenting, Therapy, Tips

When dating it can already be difficult to find a person who you find interesting and willing to put your effort into. However, when you are dating as a single parent not only are you concerned about your interests but it can also be a bit more challenging because you are thinking of your child, too. There’s also the challenge of letting the people you date know you have a child. So many questions start to pop into your mind. It can become a huge headache for you that you rather not try, but rest assured that you are not the first single parent to date and will not be the last to do so. When setting out to the dating scene it’s important to let your dating partner know…

21Jun 2017 by alexiamcleod

Co-Parenting After Divorce: Positive Childhood Memories for Your Children

Blog, divorce, Parenting, Relationship, Therapy, Tips

Divorce is hard enough when it is between two people who loved each other very much but no longer feel like it will work out no matter how hard they try. However, dealing with divorce when you share kids can become extremely complicated real quick. One parent ends up spending more time with the child/children than the other, sharing and making more memories with the kids than the other parent. This alone can lead to problems because one parent can feel left out and as if they are not having the same quality time with their child as they were spending before the divorce. It also can be a stressful and confusing time for the children involved. Especially if they were used to both of their parents always being involved…

16Jun 2017 by alexiamcleod

How to Get My Child To Want a Healthy Lifestyle

Blog, Health, Motivation, Parenting, Tips

About one in five school-aged children from the ages of 6-19 are obese. According to the CDC, the percentage of children with obesity in the United States has more than tripled since the 1970s. But what is the difference between being overweight and obese? Well, the National Institutes of Health defines obesity as having excess body fat. While being overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors. For children with a BMI (Body Mass Index) at or above the 85th percentile and less than the 95th percentile are considered overweight. However, if your child is past the 95th percentile they are considered obese. There are a few factors that can contribute to childhood obesity. For…

Category: Parenting