Did you know that taking a moment of silence in between statements is actually an important skill to mindful communication? Children (and adults) who don’t have the skills to control their impulsive behaviors tend to be more reactive (immediate and without conscious thought) than responsive (longer, thoughtful action) in a stressful situation. So when kids…
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Whenever you are spending time with your child, whether you are doing a craft together or taking a stroll around the park, do you ever stop and wonder what your kid might be thinking in that moment? We all do it, too. Children are use to giving us quick answers when we ask them “did…
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The Disaster Media Intervention (DMI) Toolkit can help parents or teachers discuss media coverage of traumatic events including racial injustice and police violence, pandemics, natural disasters, shootings, and more. There are three primary goals for discussion with young people: Encourage Dialogue: Encourage students to talk about their feelings and concerns with a trusted adult. Establish a…
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Cultivating good habits around screen time is important to child development. In fact, “the more screen time [children] logged, the lower their skills in language, literacy, imagery, and self-regulation. This was even found on a structural level – the white matter tracts within the brain were affected.” (source:https://www.forbes.com/sites/fernandezelizabeth/2019/12/12/screen-time-habits-start-at-a-young-age/#7ca3d7f92471) Still, this is a guilt-free zone, and right now…
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As we wrap up Mental Health Month, we are sharing Mental Health America’s Tools 2 Thrive toolkit, which is filled with tools and resources that everyone can use to improve their mental health, resiliency, and emotional safety. On average, 80% of Americans have experienced emotional abuse. Therefore, Eliminating Toxic Influences is one of the many…
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Did you know that every single person in Oklahoma, including you and me, are legally obligated to make a report if a child under the age of 18 is suspected to be a victim of abuse or neglect? In fact, under Oklahoma’s Title 10A, Section 1-2-101, it is a misdemeanor offense for anyone who fails…
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Are you curious to how your child is feeling but he or she struggles with communication? This can be very frustrating to parents and caregivers to not know how their child is feeling during difficult times such as experiencing a loss in the family, stay-at-home orders due to the pandemics, or even bullying situations. That…
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Do you sometimes catch yourself stepping in to help get your kids out of a sticky situation? Have they ever asked you to bring their homework to school because they forgot it at home and it was due? Been there, done that. But as a friendly reminder, it is also important to remember that children…
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National Prevention Week incorporates daily themes to focus on substance abuse topics and today, we will be talking about preventing illicit drug use and youth marijuana use. Did you know individuals between the ages of 12-25 years who use marijuana could potentially experience opioid misuse, heavy alcohol use, and major depressive episodes (SAMHSA 2019)? As…
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National Prevention Week incorporates daily themes to focus on substance abuse topics and today, we will be talking about preventing underage drinking and alcohol misuse. Did you know that 60% of individuals between the ages of 12-20 reported using alcohol in the past month were also binge alcohol users? Binge drinking equals 5 or more…
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