Category Archives: Helping My Children Cope with Stress and Trauma

Adolescent Depression – How To Help Your Teen Child Cope

While the onset of the ‘tween and teen’ age phase in any child’s life is usually subject to momentary blues, certain tell-tale signs that are similar to that of any occasional sadness or frustration could indirectly pinpoint to a more severe condition – teenage depression.

What with so many conflicts in terms of mood and personality, how is the average Mom or Dad to distinguish between the routine tantrums and any lethal implications of depression? Elaborated herewith is a short guide on how to determine so and tackle this situation; feel free to read on and know more!

First things first, what are some of the symptoms that can characterize depression in a teenager?

Although all teenagers suffer mood swings at some point of time or the other, mentally robust boys and girls are nonetheless able to pull through normal daily activities such as school and outings with friends fairly smoothly. In the case scenario of their depressed counterparts however, a keener observation is bound to reveal utter stagnation in terms of living and thriving, out of which include Bateaux gonflables:

  • Frequent outbursts of crying
  • A lesser amount of communication with others – always spending time alone
  • Restless nights
  • An unbalanced appetite
  • Suicidal thoughts/feelings, majorly expressed by means of journal entries, poetry or drawings
  • An extremely volatile behavior
  • Dependency on a particular object or activity (this could be anything from pornography to drugs)
  • A lack of interest in appropriate aspects of life such as lessons or family
  • Health-related complications such as aches and pains (in some cases, even beyond-average low blood pressure readings have been reported).

If you’ve sensed one or more of the above symptoms prevailing in your child, what are the necessary remedial actions that could be taken?

While the solutions are available, a holistic approach to sustainable recovery requires a substantial amount of effort and patience on your behalf as a parent. Therefore, keeping yourself calm and composed regardless of how traumatizing any situation relating to your son/daughter’s depression may be is key to achieving a desired state of mind for him/her.

On a fundamental level, here are some suggestions that may prove to be effective for the betterment of your teenage child:

(i) A one-on-one conversation with your teen: It’s most prudent to sit your child down and lovingly ask him/her as to what seems to be constantly bothering him/her and contributing to sadness. Offer to help without being judgemental. The last thing that your child will ever want to hear is nagging or unsolicited advice.

(ii) The help of a doctor: Consulting a family physician for the mental wellbeing of your child is absolutely ideal. Better yet, if you even have a family psychiatrist or counsellor at your call, resorting to get treatment henceforth is a valid option too.

(iii) The power of diversion: No matter what the woe, encouraging your child to participate in a leisure-oriented activity – be it dancing or Yoga is wonderful to help shift any negative focus far away from anything that would be troubling him/her inside.

About the Author

Jane Taylor is professional blogger who is interested in publishing dating tips and relationship advice. These days she is writing articles about introduction agencies London.

Image credit: martinak15

Baby Care Tips For First Time Parents

tiny foot Guest post by Jane Taylor

Being first time parents is a very exciting experience, but at the same time it is an equally terrifying experience.

Such a great responsibility in your hands!

Most of it is going to be a trial and error experience, but you’ll still be given advice by the hospital and other family members.

You don’t have to follow all of it, but rest assured you won’t be without guidance of some sort in this new endeavor.

Live-saving tip: trust your parenting instinct!

1. Why do babies cry?

This is a common question that most first time parents have.

But alas — there’s no single answer for that!

Babies are all different and even their needs are different. They may cry for various reasons.

Mostly, babies cry because they are hungry.

There is only so much space in a new born’s little tummy, so they need to be fed every 2 hours.

Actually, instinct plays well on this field: a new mother will soon get accustomed to the 2 hourly cries and she knows the magic answer.

When the baby cries even after feeding, new parents find it alarming. Most of the time the reason is that they don’t feel comfortable.

The bed cloth might be wet, or harsh on its delicate skin, maybe it is too hot or cold. Since they cannot talk, you have to check on all the possibilities that maybe uncomfortable for your little one.

A gassy stomach is another common cause that makes some babies cry.

That’s why it’s a good idea to gently burp the baby after each and every feeding.

Other times, no reason is the reason why babies cry.

(Yes, I know…)

According to pediatricians, some babies cry because that is all what they know to do.

You can try to calm the baby by carrying them around or playing some music or showing a pet to distract them from the crying reason.

2. Breast Milk or Formula?

Obviously mother’s milk is the best nature-created food for the baby.

Especially when the baby is fed for the first time after birth, mother’s breast milk contains fats and antibodies that give the baby a first immunization against the germs in the environment.

But there could be times where breast milk is not an option.

Or maybe certain occasions where the mother can’t be with the baby at all times and her supply dries up.

In such occasions, formula feeding shouldn’t be seen as a problem. In fact, it is advisable to feed the baby a bit of formula time to time so when the mother returns to work or has to be away from the baby for a few hours or days, the baby is used to formula.

Another important thing to remember is that feeding the baby is a time consuming task and the mother must be prepared for that.

The good thing is that this also works to the advantage of both mother and baby, as it gives them a chance to know each other.

Maintaining eye contact during the feeding helps to bond mother and baby.

3. A baby does not sleep like a baby

Even though babies seems to be sleeping all the time, they take cat naps instead of long comfortable sleeps.

So that contradicts the phrase “sleeping like a baby”: since they get hungry every 2 hours, its inevitable that they have to wake up.

Newborn babies don’t understand the difference between day and night, since it was the same when they were inside the womb.

So make sure your babies are in well lit rooms in the day time, and dim lit rooms when it gets dark.

About the Author

Jane Taylor is a blogger who is experienced in providing child care and beauty advice. These days she is writing articles about baby products and I tip hair extensions.

Image credit:  Pawel Loj

How To Help Children Cope With The Loss Of A Pet

A kid with his dog

When a pet dies, children often take it harder than an adult. Younger kids don’t understand why their beloved pet has gone and older children are just devastated at the realization they will never see their best friend again. If the pet died suddenly, the shock can be immense, but even if the pet finally passed on after a long illness or at the end of a long and happy life, the loss is still difficult for children to deal with. So how can you help your children cope during this difficult time?

Talk about Feelings

The best way to help a child deal with his or her difficult emotions is to encourage them to talk about how they are feeling. It can be tempting to try and gloss over the loss by pretending everything is ok, but attempting to shield your child from the pain of bereavement is not a good thing. The loss of a pet is difficult, but bottling up the emotion will only make the situation harder to deal with.

Have a Remembrance Service

Remembering...

One way of helping children come to terms with the loss of a pet is to have a remembrance service. You don’t have to go overboard and invite the whole neighborhood along, but a simple event with close friends and family will give your child the opportunity to say goodbye to their friend. How you organize the service will depend on the pet. Smaller pets such as goldfish or gerbils can be buried in the garden, at which point it may be appropriate to let the child say a few words. If you opt to have a larger pet cremated, you could decide to scatter the ashes somewhere meaningful and turn a sad event into a celebratory one. There really is no right or wrong way to hold a remembrance service—talk to your child and see if they have any ideas of their own.

Create a Memory Board

If a child is struggling to deal with the loss of a pet, encouraging them to create a memory board may help them work through some of their sadness and grief in a positive way. Look through photos together and choose some of your favorite ones. Turn these into a collage and add extra drawings or poems. Once everyone is happy with the finished memory board, hang it somewhere prominent. It will be hard to do, but facing the difficult emotions rather than pushing them aside will make the loss easier to cope with.

Talk about a New Pet

At some point the subject of bringing a new pet into the family home may arise. Some children may find the idea upsetting, so it is important to let them know that you are not trying to replace the deceased pet. Instead, impress upon your child that they will learn to love a new pet in a different way. Sometimes a new pet can help heal the pain of losing a beloved pet, so even if you are not keen on buying another pet, don’t be too quick to dismiss the idea.

Children are often more resilient than we give them credit for, but if your child appears withdrawn and depressed after losing a pet, keep a close eye on the situation and encourage them to talk about their feelings.

About the Author

Today’s feature contributor, Richard Earnshaw, works as an undertaker. He uses guest posting to share his thoughts on many life events and helps others overcome the loss of a loved one. His day job is at All State Cremation, a provider of simple cremation services in Cheshire CT.