|
I am officially up and running as a provider for the Children's Health Plan Plus (CHP+)! I am accepting new clients at this time. Please spread the word!
Please note: I am only able to accept CHP+ plans that are managed by Colorado Access. Now that January is almost halfway over, how many of you are still on track with your New Years resolutions? It is common for the excitement of the new year to wear off as your family returns to the routine of work and school. It is just as common for the motivation to meet resolutions to diminish.
Now is a good time to re-evaluate your resolutions. Why have you abandoned your well-meaning resolutions? As discussed in the last blog entry, maybe your goals were not realistic or perhaps you did not have a good plan and support system in place. Take some time to read through my resolutions blog and get a more realistic plan set. You can do this! If you need a little extra support, Bethany is here to help. Give her a call at 720-722-0527, email her or fill out the contact form to get started today! Happy New Year! 'Tis the season to examine our progress over the last year and make resolutions for the new year. Many people make resolutions with good intentions but fail to follow through in the long run. Why is this? Perhaps it is because the resolutions are not realistic. Maybe some people do not have a way to hold themselves accountable to their resolutions. Here are a few simple ways to make those resolutions reality!
Write it down. The first step in making a resolution is to ensure you remember your goal! Post your resolution on the fridge, the bathroom mirror, in the car, even as a reminder in your phone! This will ensure you have not forgotten about your goals by the end of January! Be realistic. One of the biggest barriers to accomplishing our New Years' resolutions is not having a realistic goal. Losing 50lbs by your spring vacation may not be realistic. Choosing to exercise regularly and eat better will help you lose weight and feel better by the time you leave for your trip. Quitting smoking cold turkey may not be realistic for everyone. Choosing to use a cessation aid (i.e. nicotine gum or prescription medication from your doctor) may help get you started on a realistic plan to quit. If you aren't sure how to make your specific goal realistic, you might want to do some research. Read about the topic and talk to your friends, family, doctor or therapist for help! Baby steps. Keeping resolutions and meeting goals is all about action steps and meeting smaller daily, weekly and monthly goals. What specific steps do you need to take to achieve weight loss, improved health, better relationships, debt reduction or any other resolution you have chosen? Break it down, write it out and get started! Accountability. You don't have to do this alone! Talk with your loved ones about your resolution. Is there some way they can aid in the process? Don't be shy, ask them to help! Some resolutions may require professional help from a financial planner, personal trainer, doctor or therapist. The sooner you get your team of helpers into place, the sooner you will be on your way to meeting your goals. Do you, your child, teenager or family have resolutions but need help putting them into action? Bethany can help! Give her a call at 720-722-0527, email her or fill out the contact form to get started today! How to Survive the Holidays (and maybe have some fun, too!) The holidays represent a time to celebrate family, friends and, for many, faith. However, for some teens and families, the holidays are stressful due to busy schedules, strained relationships and difficult behaviors. Here are some tips to help manage this busy, often stressful time of year!
1) Take a break. You are not required to attend every holiday party or community activity to which you receive an invitation. Rest and quiet time at home will help you be more flexible in stressful situations. 2) Have an ally. Talk with your partner, a close friend or trusted family member about how you are doing and any concerns you may have regarding schedules, difficult relationships or troubling behaviors by your children. Using your support network will help you manage difficult situations more easily than trying to do it on your own. Provide support to your children and teens during this busy time of year. Be sure to carve out quiet time with them during the holiday season. 3) Stick with the household rules. Children and teens should continue to complete their responsibilities and get to bed at a decent time, even if they are out of school. Keeping a schedule will help keep order during a traditionally busy time of year. This will also help decrease difficulties in returning to a normal routine after the holidays. And, yes, it is alright to give consequences to children and teens for not meeting their expectations during the holidays! 4) Be generous and express gratitude. The old stat4ement "it's the thought that counts" is really true! It is not necessary to go into debt to satisfy your child or teen's holiday wish list. Teach your children about generosity by volunteer or buying gifts for underprivileged children. This will help them be more appreciative of the gifts they do receive. Writing thank you notes with your children and teens will help foster feelings of gratitude. 5) Create or continue meaningful traditions. Bake cookies, go ice skating, decorate the family tree and watch holiday movies. These traditions are what children and teenagers will remember and treasure as they grow older. It is hard to believe that it is the end of September and most Denver-area schools have been in session for over a month. How is your child doing in school? What problems, if any, have you and your children come across? Has your child revealed they are being bullied at school? Or have you learned that your child is bullying his or her classmates? This entry is the first in a 2 part series about bullying.
18.8% of Colorado kids have been bullied at school according to the Colorado Healthy Kids Survey and the Colorado Legacy Foundation (CLF). CLF research shows that kids who are bullied experience a variety of symptoms including poor school attendance, low grades and low motivation to pursue higher education. More serious consequences can include drug use, depression, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Parents and their kids both play an important role in standing up to bullying. Experts at Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHC) suggest that parents offer support if their child discloses they are being bullied. This is important as many children are hesitant to reveal they are being bullied for fear of being blamed for the bullying. Stopbullying.gov recommends that parents avoid placing blame on their child and provide a safe environment for the child to discuss what has been happening. Parents asking their children what they believe may be helpful to alleviate the bullying can also be beneficial. Parents may ask that school officials intervene. School counselors and staff can help children create plans to deal with bullying. Schools can also help mediate between the child and the bully. Parents should also be aware that the Colorado State Legislature passed a Bullying Prevention Law in 2011. This allows legal action to be taken in cases of bullying. Stopbullying.gov also recommends some specific actions for a child who is being bullied:
Finally, a child that has been a victim of bullying may benefit from speaking to a mental health professional about their experience. Bethany is available to work with children and families dealing with bullying. Whether your child has been bullied, or is the bully, Bethany can help. You can contact Bethany by phone at 720-722-0527 or send her an email to get started. The shooting at the Aurora Mall movie theater is a truly tragic event. My heart aches for those impacted by this tragedy. I would like to offer a free initial session to any teens or families who were present at the theater during this event and feel that they would benefit from speaking with a professional about their experience. My office is located in Aurora. Please contact me at 720-722-0527 or send me an email to request your free session.
Ahh, summer. The season kids yearn for and the season parents often dread. Have you ever found yourself wondering "how can I keep my teen busy over the summer?" or "how do I make sure my teenager stays out of trouble?" Below are 5 suggestions to help your teen have a fun and safe summer vacation!
1) Allow time with friends Spending time with friends is likely at the top of your teen’s list of favorite things to do. Allowing your child to spend time with friends is important. Also important is getting to know your teen’s friends and their parents. Have your child invite their friends over to the house. Drive or accompany the teens to an event. Both are ways for parents to get to know their child’s friends. Finally, enforcing rules around acceptable activities and curfew will help your teen spend safe and enjoyable time with their friends. 2) Stick to a schedule Most people love sleeping in, and no one loves it more than the teens in your life! There is something wondrous about crawling into bed, not setting the alarm, and waking up when your body is ready. However, imagine how difficult going back to school in the fall will be if your teen spends the summer staying up late and not rising until mid-to late morning? The National Sleep Foundation states that the average teenager requires 9 ¼ hours of sleep to function at their best. While school performance is certainly a part of a teen’s healthy functioning, it is not the whole story. Getting enough rest is integral to your teen’s ability to maintain a healthy attitude (mood) and body. See the full NSF article here. Help your teenager feel their best by setting a summer schedule at home that allows time for work, time for fun and time to get enough sleep! You'll be thankful you did when the first day of school arrives! 3) Follow the rules Teenagers thrive when they have a structured schedule to follow. Why? Experiencing structure and rules at home are how children and teens learn to follow society’s laws and the rules/expectations they will be subject to in school, jobs, and so forth. Just because it is summer and your teen does not have to be up early for school does not mean they automatically get to stay out late, skip chores and do what they want. Parents should enforce the house rules, give consequences when necessary and reward good behavior. Consequences should be reasonable and enforceable. Rewards should also be practical and feasible for the family. Rewards do not need to be monetary but can include extra free time doing an activity of choice or a special activity with the family or friends. Additionally, genuinely praising your teenager is a very powerful reward that can help strengthen your relationship with them and develop positive self-esteem. Check out this article from WebMD for more information on praising children of any age! Here is another resource for praising older children and teens. 4) Keep their brain and body busy Many teens may not want to be involved in a structured summer activity. However, this does not mean they should simply spend their summer sleeping, eating and playing video games! There are many ways to keep your teen active both in the home and in the community. The website Parenting a Teenager suggests that parents encourage teens to find a summer job, volunteer and stay active. Teens can also help with projects assigned by parents, other family members or neighbors. Doing yard or housework can help teens stay active. It also helps keep their parents happy! Joining a sports league, recreation center or YMCA are other ways for teens to stay active and healthy! Reading, going to the library, visiting a museum or joining a club can help your teen keep their brain active while they are out of school. 5) Spend time with them Spending time with their family is not a preferred activity for most teenagers. They are at a time in their life where peer relationships and feeling independent are increasingly important. However, teens that spend time with their parents experience a number of benefits including improved academic success, stronger emotional bonds with family members, lower rates of violent behavior and drug use. See Familyfacts.org for more information! Spending time with your teen allows them to ask questions, seek advice and share information about what is going on in their world. It is also a time for parents to ask questions and assess the physical and emotional health of their teen. Finally, it is a great way to have fun and create lasting family memories! I wish your family the best over the upcoming summer vacation! If you have concerns about your teen, please call 720-722-0527 or submit a message here to discuss how Bethany may be able to help! |
Welcome!
Every blog post you see on this page is written especially for teens and their parents! Like it? Pin it!
Follow me!
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed