It's not perfect. It's parenting.
Sometimes you need answers to the little everyday things that parents encounter. And sometimes, you just need someone to encourage you through all of the craziness and challenges of parenthood. Welcome to Parent-ish, a blog from the experts at Children's Mercy.
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Category: Tough topics
Resources for helping kids process the tragedy of the Super Bowl parade shootings
It’s never easy to talk about senseless violence with our kids. With your guidance, though, they can find a safe space to process what’s happened. To assist you in these tough conversations, we’ve outlined key ways you can help them, things to look for in your child and additional resources for support.
How to talk to your kids about their first heartbreak
Our first love can be a highly emotional experience and the same goes for first heartbreak. It’s never easy to see your child hurting, but you can ease their struggle by remaining open and available to listen.
The power of self-esteem: How to prevent bullying in children
Self-esteem begins to develop in early childhood when children start to develop their sense of self. As children begin to understand and know who they are, they start to identify the key qualities and aspects of themselves. Self-esteem plays an important role in early development and continues to be impacted over the course of development for a child.
Keeping kids safe while safely storing firearms
Conversations about firearms are tough conversations to have with a child. However, gone are the days of only teaching kids about gun safety to keep them safe. Telling your child not to touch a firearm if they find one is no longer enough. Now, firearms are the leading cause of death among children and teens in the United States. The best way to keep your children safe is keeping firearms stored safely.
How to support families with critically ill kids
It’s easy enough to offer support to a family whose kiddo has the flu or a broken bone, but it can be a challenge to know how to be there for friends and family when a child is facing a more serious illness. From our professional and personal experience, we’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t. We want to equip everyone to offer much-needed support for these families. Community help can make all the difference and build stronger relationships in the long run.
What parents should know about synthetic drugs
My nephew, Cooper, was a fun, adventurous, outgoing kid that everyone loved to be around. He was kind-hearted, strong-willed and hard-headed. He was drawn to extreme sports like snowboarding, rock climbing, motorcycles and cliff jumping. He was a risk-taker…absolutely fearless. Cooper also thought he was invincible.
Marijuana edibles: Staying safe around kids
With the recent legalization of recreational marijuana in Missouri, we are seeing more children accidently consume marijuana edibles. As these foods often look like your everyday treats—cookies, brownies, chocolate or gummy candies—children may eat them, unaware they contain marijuana. Despite preventive regulations for child-resistant packaging, warning labels and public health campaigns, unintentional ingestion continues to rise, so below are some frequently asked questions about the dangers of marijuana ingestion in children, how to safely secure these items and what to do if you expect your child has ingested edibles.
Lying to your child: Is it ever OK?
If you’ve ever stretched the truth to get your kids to behave, you’re in good company. According to a study published in the International Journal of Psychology, 84% of American parents they surveyed reported lying to their kids to get them to stop unwanted behavior or encourage good behavior. It’s safe to say that lying to children is common. Still, it could come with some guilt and you may wonder whether it does any harm.
Conversations about weight: A focus on overall health
Talking about your child’s weight may feel uncomfortable or challenging to bring up for a variety of reasons. But what if “weight” wasn’t the main focus of the conversation? While weight and height are important numbers to measure as your child grows, there are many factors that contribute to overall health. As a parent, you can be your child’s greatest advocate and help them form healthy habits at an early age.
Getting teens to talk
If you have a teenager in your family, chances are they are less chatty with you than when they were little. Before, they used to tell you every detail of their day whether you wanted it or not, but now you ask about their day and they say it’s, “Fine.” A normal part of kids growing up is that they create some distance from their parents or caregivers, but that doesn’t mean it feels good to experience the distance. If you miss talking to your teen, don’t worry, there are things you can do to make conversation more likely.
Ways to support LGBTQ children experiencing discrimination
Wanting your child to feel included, loved and supported is one of the top hopes for any parent. When children are discriminated against, it can leave both the family and the child feeling targeted and worried. Here are some ways to help a child feel supported if they are facing discrimination.
Put your oxygen mask on first: a letter to parents after tragedies
It's OK (and maybe even expected) to not be OK this week and beyond. We, like you, are a twisted mix of anger, sorrow, relief and guilt. We are broken, confused and called to action yet unable to move.
Are you ready to talk about the birds and the bees? A parent's guide to the sex talk
There is no easy way to say this - it's probably time to have the talk. The sooner you start preparing for it, the better. “The talk” is a rite of passage for most parents, but it can be uncomfortable. I get it. So, just how do you talk about sex in a clear, meaningful way with kids? Let’s break it down.
Preparing your child for social media
Allowing your child to join social media is a heavy decision many parents must make. It can feel like every kid has a phone, and almost every kid is on some type of social media. If you’ve ever asked yourself if you should let your child have social media accounts, here’s where to start.
Parent resources about school tragedies
In response to the recent school shooting in our community, the Developmental & Behavioral Medicine team at Children’s Mercy Kansas City have compiled some resources to help families.