Healthy Brain Support for Kids

By: Cindy Guillory

A child’s brain develops rapidly during the first few years of life. As parents it is crucial that we consider the best ways to support healthy brain development for our children. The first years of life set important groundwork for the rest of their adult lives. Do you want to know how to best support your little ones brain development? Here are 10 tips:

  • 1. Make sure your child gets adequate sleep.
    • Sleep is the most crucial way for a child to be able to rest, retain and process the information that they learned that day. Studies have shown that lack of sleep in children is associated with poorer academic performance and academic function. Children need adequate quality and quantity of sleep to develop their thinking skills and ability to retain and recall information they learned. Lack of sleep has been shown to negatively affect a child’s school performance and test scores. Aim for your child to get an appropriate number of hours each day of quality sleep. Their brain needs it!
  • 2. Nourish their body with foods that benefit brain health.
    • Eggs are a rich source of vitamins and nutrients that are highly linked as supportive to brain health. Eggs contain choline, an essential nutrient which aids in brain cell formation and development.
    • ·  Foods rich in omega 3s are also crucial for brain development. You can find an abundant source of omega 3s in a variety of fish, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, nuts, edamame, and kidney beans.
  • 3. Don’t skip breakfast!
    • Individuals that skip breakfast are more likely to perform worse academically. The brain performs best when it is fueled by food, and when a child skips breakfast it can result in poorer cognitive function, lower rates of memory retention and can lead to fatigue. When a child’s blood sugar level is stable, they can better focus and have the energy necessary to do well in school.
    • When serving breakfast to your child, aim for high protein foods such as eggs, sausage and meats. Smoothies are also a great way to add protein to their day! Oatmeal with fruit is also a slow burning carb that allows them to feel fuller longer. Avoid breakfasts high in sugar such as cereals and pancakes, as those do not sustain them as well as a high protein filled breakfast.
  • 4. Supplement if necessary.
    • Supplements that have been best associated with increasing brain health are omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, Vitamin D and Magnesium. Diet is superior to supplementation, however if you are lacking in areas such as fish consumption, supplementation is a good idea.
  • 5. Engage in brain boosting activities.
    • Play is essential for proper growth and development. Encourage your children to play with activities that challenge their brain such as blocks, puzzles, mazes, word searches, etc. Activities that require some thought are great ways to boost brain health!
  • 6. Encourage physical activity
    • Daily physical exercise brings higher levels of oxygen directly to the brain which aids in overall brain health. Studies have shown that those that regularly participate in physical activity have lower rates of Alzheimer’s and dementia, and improved memory and thinking skills.
  • 7. Limit screen time
    • Excessive screen time daily has been associated with a variety of negative outcomes. Children under the age of 2 should not regularly participate in screen related activities. Studies have shown higher incidences of mental health disorders such as ADHD and processing delays in children that are regularly exposed to excessive hours of screen time at a young age. 
  • 8. Encourage reading
    • Reading enhances speech and brain development. The more you read to your child, the more exposure they get from vocabulary expansion to comprehension benefits. Reading is essential for brain development as it promotes cognitive health and better brain function.
  • 9. Talk to them constantly!
    • Talk to your children as much as you can. Narrate your day to your babies and toddlers! The more language they are exposed to, the better start they will have building a foundation of speech. This exposure to language helps build neurons in the brain and supports their cognitive function and overall development.
  • 10. Get your kids outside in nature!
    • Studies have shown a multitude of health benefits for those individuals that participate in outdoor recreational activities. Spending time in nature improves mood, cortisol levels, mental health disorders and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. Spending time outside is a great way to keep your brain healthy and clear and support your overall health.

For more information, check out these websites:

Help, September Is Here!

By: Jessica Tjhin Southworth
Can you hear that? It’s the sound of September barging right through the front door, alarms blaring at 6:30 AM, and the sudden, horrific realization that your child’s toes are jammed into shoes two sizes too small.

If school is already starting—or literally started yesterday—and your heart is doing a nervous jitterbug, welcome to the club. The Post-Labor Day Panic has officially entered the chat.

One minute you were floating through the chaotic bliss of summer bedtime rules, and the next you’re hyperventilating in the Target aisle because the supply bins are picked clean and your child’s teacher explicitly asked for primary colors only.

When September hits and we feel behind, our brain pulls a classic move: the panic-driven urge to fix our entire existence overnight. Meal prep three months of lunches by tomorrow? Sure! Build a color-coordinated calendar of activities tonight? Absolutely! Reorganize every closet in the house before sunrise? Why not!

Except trying to pull off a total life overhaul after the bell has already rung is precisely what sends us over the edge.

The Damage Control Plan: How to Fix Things Retroactively

If you didn’t spend August color-coding school year calendars or gracefully shifting sleep schedules, take a collective deep breath. You haven’t failed, and you don’t need to fix everything by tomorrow morning. You just need a retroactive slow-burn strategy.

  • Ditch the “Fix It All Tonight” Trap: You cannot catch up on a month of prep in one evening. Pick one single micro-task to tackle each day. Monday is ordering the shoes. Tuesday is hunting for lost backpacks. Wednesday is staring into the abyss. See? Balance.
  • Course-Correct Bedtimes After the Fact: If week one hit your kids’ sleep schedules like a freight train, don’t force a two-hour leap tonight. Shift bedtimes back by just 15 minutes every few days until you reach sanity. The mornings will be spicy for a minute, but everyone will adjust.
  • The “Good Enough” Bento Box Rule: Put down the cookie cutters. Your child does not need star-shaped cucumbers or gourmet charcuterie boards to survive September. A sandwich, an apple, and goldfish crackers constitute a five-star culinary achievement.
  • Embrace the Retroactive Checklist: Missing a form? Forgot the exact brand of disinfectant wipes on the teacher’s list? Send an email, order it online, and move on. Teachers are in survival mode right now, too—they care far more about a supported kid than a perfectly timed box of tissues.
  • Lower the Bar for the Whole Month: If September involves cereal for dinner three nights a week and a forgotten library book, you are not a disaster—you’re just transitioning.

Take a deep breath, mama. The kids are going to be fine, you are doing a fantastic job, and September doesn’t get to steal your peace just because you didn’t start in August. Now go pour yourself a fresh iced coffee—you’ve earned it.

Tips for talking to kids about substance abuse

By: Cindy Guillory

1: Start early.

               It is never too early to begin the conversation surrounding drugs and alcohol. Children will witness people engaged in smoking and drinking, so it is never too early to start addressing some of the things they will see. Try to keep the conversation age appropriate. Find scripts online if necessary.   

2. Keep it simple, yet on-going

               Keep the conversation simple but create an open dialogue that is more constant and on-going, rather than a one time “talk”.  Keep the dialogue open as they are growing up so that they know you are open and available to discuss the subject.

3. Let them know your expectations

               Explain to your kids your expectations of them regarding drug and alcohol use. Be clear with them how you feel about it, and how you would feel if they broke that trust. Parents have a strong influence on their kids and the decisions they make.

4.  Explain both the immediate and long-term consequences of drug and alcohol use.

               It is important to discuss not only the long-term effects of drug and alcohol use, but the short term effects as well. You could explain to them that smoking will cause their teeth to yellow, their breath to smell bad, how it will affect their athletic performance and the costs associated with it. Children and youth sometimes have a hard time visualizing consequences that are far in the future, so sharing immediate negative consequences is a good way to deter them from participating in those activities.

5. Discuss peer pressure

               Explain to your kids about peer pressure and how likely and common that occurs. Share personal stories from your own life and let your child know that it is normal and common to feel pressured by friends. Explain to them that they can always use you as an excuse, and how the two of you can come up with a secret code word to use whenever your child needs to be picked up without an explanation. Let your child know that you are always available, any-time day or night to help them.

6. Explain Addiction

               Explain how consuming drugs and/or alcohol can lead to addiction. Discuss the life-altering effects of an addiction and how it physically changes their brain. Explain what happens to those people who suffer with addiction and the struggles and obstacles that they face. Explain how difficult it is to get over addiction and how it is best to avoid anything that can lead to addiction.

7. Know the facts

               Be informed about the facts surrounding substance abuse in America. Be a good source of knowledge regarding the subject and share what you know with your kids. Keep up to date on popular drugs in your area and how they are obtained and used.

8. Let your child know how loved they are

               Build your child’s confidence by letting them know that they are loved and cared for, and the reason why you worry about them is because you want the best for them. A parent’s job is to guide and protect their children, and to keep them safe and secure. Let them know that the conversation is always open, and they can ask you any questions they have. Try not to get upset or show too much emotion during these conversations so as to not deter them from coming to you at another time. Children need to feel like their parents are their balanced and secure anchors, the port that keeps the ship safe, therefore do your best to remain calm, level-headed and compassionate during these conversations.

Know the signs of substance abuse in teens:

As parents it is necessary that we know the signs of substance abuse to look out for in our children. These symptoms can both be physical and behavioral.

Physical signs could include:

Changes in eye appearance (like bloodshot eyes), changes in weight, smell of smoke, shakiness, fatigue or hyperactivity, sudden changes in appearance, etc.

Behavioral changes could include:

Changes in emotional stability, mood swings, anger, temper, depression, withdrawing from family and friends, changing their friend group, avoiding eye contact, wanting to be left alone, personality changes, etc.

What to do if you expect your child is using drugs

If you suspect that your child is engaging in substance abuse, here are some tips on moving forward:

Confront your child with a calm manner at a time when they are not under the influence and are available to talk.  Find a script online and rehearse it prior to beginning your conversation. Make sure that your child understands how much you love and care for them, and how you are only concerned about their wellbeing and safety. Talk to your child’s pediatrician to have the situation evaluated and then decide if more professional help is needed to address the situation. Rely on family and close friends for support during this time, you do not have to act alone in this situation.

Additional Resources:

https://www.healthparkpediatrics.com/tips-for-talking-to-kids-about-drugs/

https://www.turnbridge.com/news-events/latest-articles/talking-to-kids-about-drugs/

https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/substance-use/talk-to-child-about-drugs-alcohol

https://www.newportacademy.com/teen-substance-abuse/signs-symptoms/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=NA_leads_performancemax&utm_term=&kpid=go_cmp-17884784088_adg-_ad-__dev-c_ext-_prd-&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsPCyBhD4ARIsAPaaRf1DeHF0Ir-iASLmZlbuV2MgAjJiZ36egUczKukhJ3UOyGTlJy837asaApFQEALw_wcB

https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/teen-addiction/drug/teen-using-drugs/

Road Trip Snack Ideas

By Cindy Guillory

If you’re like our family, summertime means plenty of road trips! And as a mom of four little ones, I have plenty of mouths to feed. I’ve realized that the key to a happy and smooth car ride is to have plenty of snacks (and a fun variety!) Sometimes when traveling we end up in rural locations with very limited options, so I like to pack healthier snacks that can sustain us if our food options are scarce.

Here are some of our families’ favorites snacks for long road trips:

  • Beef sticks
  • Trail Mix
  • Granola Bars
  • Fruit snacks
  • Protein bars 
  • Fig bars
  • Fruit bars
  • Apple sauce
  • Crackers
  • Goldfish
  • Veggie straws
  • Fruit such as clementines, grapes, etc.
  • Pretzels
  • Cereal
  • Juice boxes

We also like to pack up a variety of snacks that we use in times of desperation (mostly instances where our little ones are dying to get out of their seats, and we need to buy more time). These would include things like gummy bears, lollipops and other small (toddler safe) candies. We try to use those when we really need it, but it’s good to have them on hand when necessary. 

I hope this list is beneficial to you as you shop before your road trip! I would love to hear other snack suggestions if you have them! 

I’m just not cut out to be a mother!

I’m just not cut out to be a mother!

By Stephanie Simmons

Has this phrase ever passed through your thoughts? As the frustrations of motherhood boil up and, yet again, your kid is cutting and rude to you, it is easy for negative thoughts of failure to surface. Or perhaps you are just overwhelmed with all of the hats you wear as a mother, the endless things that need to be done. You see the friends around you, some with younger kids, some with older ones, and they seem to have it all together. Their kids seem to get along and listen to them when they are asked to do something. They respond so lovingly and patiently to their kids. The kids all seem so smart and happy, so your friends must be doing something right that you are not doing yourself. How do they do it, day in and day out? And how do they make it seem so easy? They must just be good at it and you are not. Sound familiar? Well, stop right there! We see a small snippet of the lives of the people around us and then we take that snapshot and blow it up to be the entire picture of their lives, seeing the happy and good moments, but it is not the whole picture. And we compare ourselves to that. That fiction that we think others are living and we want but do not have.

I find that some of the most important things in life are hard to obtain and maintain. They take effort and there is opposition in the pursuit. And that opposition and effort/sacrifice are exactly what is needed to help the thing be meaningful and valued. There is great opposition to motherhood. There is great sacrifice in motherhood. There needs to be great effort put forth to make families work. Some of the opposition to motherhood is external and some is internal (in our minds). 

I remember after I had a couple of kids, I was talking with another woman when she was deciding whether or not to have kids, the discussion led to pros and cons of motherhood. And I realized that if you list out on paper the contrast of pros and cons, it might not look so appealing to become a mother. There are plenty of logical reasons not to start or increase a family. But the weight of the pros to having children far outweighs the cons. If you could place a point value to the line item on your list, the points on the pro list would be greater than the points on the con list. It is important to focus on those positives and remember them often. What are your reasons for being a mother? What do you want motherhood to look like?

When I was younger, I always wanted to be a mother when I grew up. I enjoyed being around kids. I was a good babysitter. I was the fun and favorite aunt. I became a mother and assumed I would naturally just be good at it. Not so. I worked a full-time job as an accountant before I became a mother. When our first child came, I was ready to quit there and start in the part of life I had always wanted. I became a full-time mother and that is when I learned that this is not an easy role to fill! For some reason, I was not aware of how hard it actually was. I sometimes think about how, as an imperfect person with many weaknesses, I am now responsible for teaching my kids how to be better than I am. My weaknesses get thrown back in my face constantly. In fact, some weaknesses I thought I had overcome from my youth (a short temper and lack of patience being a couple), are very much still a part of me. I will be “getting my kid in trouble” for something that he saw me do… and that is frustrating for me. 

It is interesting to see the different phases in motherhood when looking back. You don’t realize them until you move into another phase. I can look back to see the things I have learned and realize I have so much more to learn. It is important to remember that you aren’t yet done being “cut out” as a mom. All of life is a process of improving, learning, and becoming. Motherhood is the same. We are mothers the moment we have children, or are responsible for the nurture and influence of a child, but we are not yet cut out, or finalized. Just because we have children doesn’t make us the finished product of a “mother.” We are still in the process of being cut out of that paper. The scissors are still moving around, creating that shape. Don’t give up, and don’t give in to those negative thoughts telling you that you can’t do this. It is a lot of sacrifice and effort, but you CAN do it! Keep trying, one snip at a time.

 

Photo by Krzysztof Maksimiuk on Unsplash

Mental Illness in Motherhood

Picture this: you’ve just gotten home from a two day hospital stay. You’re sore, exhausted, and anxious. You’ve just gotten your older kids to bed but you don’t feel any relief. You’re terrified to go to sleep because you know that means you’ll have to wake up the next day and take care of the kids. You just want to curl up in your husband’s arms and sob. You peek over at him and are filled with anger. Not at him–but at who he is holding. Your brand new baby. You need your husband right now but this baby is taking all of his attention. This baby who is going to keep you up night after night and suck up all of your time. And dang it, you feel angry. That’s when the shame hits too.

This was me the day I got home from the hospital with my third son. I had cried more times than I could count, had at least five different panic attacks, and was angry at my innocent little newborn for stealing my husband. Not to mention–I felt like a failure for not being able to breastfeed AGAIN. Of course, bottle feeding doesn’t mean you’re a failure by any means, but 48 hour postpartum Alisha was certainly not thinking very logically and I was most definitely the worst of the worst. I mean, I was so sure I’d be able to do it this time and I really wanted to!

So here I was–the worst mom with nipples as useless as her husband’s all alone with no love because it was all very obviously being sucked up by an evil (albeit super adorable) 2-day-old. Pretty sad, right? This is the part people don’t talk about. The shame. The anger. The anxiety. Of course, postpartum isn’t the same for everyone.
Now; before we dive deeper, you need to know that I–Alisha– am not a medical professional. If you have serious concerns, please consult a professional. This blog post was just written to provide awareness to certain postpartum mental illnesses and to share my experiences. Understand? Good. Let’s get to it!

March of Dimes reported in 2025 that up to 80% of women experience the “baby blues”. According to them, the baby blues start shortly after birth and typically lasts 2-3 weeks. It consists of feeling sad and can be caused by things such as hormone changes and lack of sleep (lack of sleep ALONE turns me into a monster). March of Dimes warn of signs that point to Postpartum Depression (PPD) including “feeling overpowering guilt, sadness, or panic […] scary thoughts about yourself or your baby […] [and] [doesn’t] get better after 2 weeks”.

The CDC did a study of Postpartum Depressive Symptoms (PDS) in 31 different locations and found that its prevalence was 13.2%. These are not the only mental struggles that can affect women after giving birth. There are also Postpartum Anxiety and Panic Disorders, Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Postpartum Psychosis.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to a medical professional if you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of any of these illnesses. Immediate action can help save lives. You are not alone in this. You are not bad. You just need support. Please accept it.

Resources:
https://www.marchofdimes.org/find-support/topics/postpartum/baby-blues-after-pregnancy

http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6919a2