by Kerrie McLoughlin
Kids love any excuse to make a day extra special, so why not March 17 of every year? You certainly don’t need to be Irish to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day with your kids and to honor St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. On this day, everyone has a little Irish in them! Here are some ideas for traditions to start this year!
Warm weather is coming soon and the kids are ready to get outside and play! Swing-N-Slide wants to remind families that compliant backyard recreation is the safest way to play. Outdoor play is important for building a child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Checking your play set for wear and tear will allow for longer and more productive play time.
Here’s a quick check list to inspect your play set for a spring and summer filled with fun and creative play:
by Heidi Smith Luedtke, PhD
You hurry all day, tackling your too-long to-do list. By mid-afternoon, you want to collapse on the couch or get a quick fix of caffeine and carbs. Don’t. We have expert advice on how to get – and sustain – the physical and emotional energy you need.
by Minette Riordan
A staycation is when you stay home instead of going away. Whether money is tight, time is short or you just don’t like to fly and road trips make you crazy, a “staycation” can be a fun alternative. Here are a few tips on how to make the most out of your spring break staycation.
A woman I know named Mary had a teen son with anxiety issues. Things escalated with him and he began to refuse to go to school. Eventually, he was placed in an outpatient program through a psychiatric hospital and also attended group sessions with other anxious kids. His life improved and he returned to school. However, a few months later he began skipping school again. The woman decided to get some help for herself. After learning some important things she began to realize that she had been contributing to her son’s anxiety issues. Mary was able to see that she had always seen her son as ‘fragile’ and treated him that way. She had ‘let him off the hook’ over and over again throughout his life, thinking he was incapable of being responsible, towing the line, learning from his mistakes. Her vision of him was a weak one, and it was very perceptible to him and others. Therefore, his vision of himself was a weak one, creating lots and lots of anxiety within his psyche.
