Kristin Patten

summer boredom

6 Ways to Combat Summer Boredom

Summertime is the time when school is out, the sun is out and kids get to experience two very different things: freedom and boredom. It’s really a conundrum as a parent because you love seeing your kids enjoying time off from the rigors of school, but without 6-7 hours of their day taking up time, […]

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Being Too Busy

The Problem with Being Too Busy

Go, go, go and go some more. This is a common theme among most families. In fact, a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center found that in the last year, at least half of parents with school-age children say their kids have played sports, participated in religious instruction or youth groups, taken lessons

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Suicide Prevention

The Topic of Suicide and Children: A Parent’s Guide

In April 2019 CNN reported that between 2007 and 2015, the number of children going to ER with suicidal thoughts and attempts doubled. The article cited findings from the Center for Disease Control that found the number children between the ages of 5 and 18 who had received a diagnosis of suicidal ideation or suicide

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New Years Resolutions Parents

10 Healthy New Year’s Resolutions for Parents with Kids and Teens

Parenting is equal parts wonderful and terrible. Really, it’s true. One second you’re cooking in the kitchen with your bubbly 13-year old daughter, and the next, she’s slamming the door in your face telling you she hates you. Likewise, you could be having the most relaxing time sitting on the couch with your toddler reading

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Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder and Children: How to spot it and what to do next

As the year comes to an end, so do days with lots of sunshine. And, as those days get shorter, making way for more night hours, it gets cold. This means less time to spend outside, and more time to stare out the window at seemingly endless amounts of darkness. Waking up in the morning

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What Is My Child Watching

Why You Should Really Monitor What Your Kids Watch

The negative effect violent video games and shows have on kids, and what parents can do to help An 11-year-old boy sits in his room and plays the popular and rather playful game, Fortnite. He’s moving his player around with his gaming controller, scoping out the next player to kill. After successfully killing 99 other

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Is My Child's Temper Normal

Is my child’s temper normal?

Anger is an emotion that everyone has, and it is necessary to express that emotion when we feel it. Just look at a toddler for instance who gets angry at another child for taking her toy away, or when she can’t have something she wants. Maybe she is having a difficult time communicating due to

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