Strengthening Families |

How to Build Resilience in Your Child

January 21, 2026 No Comments

Seven years ago, my husband and I became foster parents. As a foster parent, I have seen my fair share of kids who have been through traumatic experiences. At first, I wanted to ease their pain and shield them from any hardships they might encounter, but through multiple trainings I realized that it doesn’t heal them. Teaching them resilience does. The American Psychological Association defines resilience as “the process and outcome of successfully adapting

You’re Doing Better Than You Think: How to Calm Your Inner Parenting Critic

October 29, 2025 No Comments

Your Own Worst Critic It’s 9:00 p.m. The house is finally quiet. You think back on the morning rush, the spilled cereal, the tantrum before school, the moment you lost your patience. A thought slips in: “I’m a bad parent.” If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone — you’re human. Every parent has moments of

Intentional Mealtimes: the Key to Familial Bliss

June 4, 2025 No Comments

Family meals: a topic that strikes fear into the hearts of many overwhelmed parents and angsty teenagers alike. While often a challenging ordeal to organize, intentional family mealtimes are incredibly beneficial to every member of a family. Far too many individuals use mealtimes as opportunities to catch up on work, watch TV shows, or call

Protective Factors for Families: Social and Emotional Competence of Children

April 30, 2025 No Comments

Imagine two little 3-year-olds building a creation out of blocks. Just as she wants to take the last red block, another child snatches it away. Maddy’s reaction is to grab the block, shout “No!”, and start to cry loudly when the other child does not return the block. Escalating into anger and frustration, she throws

Protective Factors for Families: Social Connections

April 24, 2025 No Comments

Of all Five Protective Factors (aka Five Strengths), Social Connections is the strongest predictor of well-being. When we have positive, accessible connections with supportive others in our lives, we can ask them for help, find emotional support, and share parenting experiences and information. These positive experiences also build resilience and help support children’s social and

Protective Factors for Families: Parental Resilience

April 16, 2025 No Comments

It’s been a long day, and you’re running on empty. Everyone is hungry, and you’re trying to get dinner ready. Suddenly, your preschoolers get into a fight about a toy they both want to play with, and your baby starts to cry. What happens next? Parenting is both rewarding and challenging. The 2023 Stress

Protective Factors for Families: Concrete Support in Times of Need

April 9, 2025 No Comments

You just got into your car, after finally getting your 3-year-old buckled into her car seat, and… the car won’t start. For some reason, the battery died, and now you fear being late for work, after dropping your child off at preschool. What would you do next? Everyone needs help sometimes! In this example, maybe

Protective Factors for Families: Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development

April 2, 2025 No Comments

Parenting is a journey! Before a baby is born, parents-to-be often feel excitement that can oscillate between happy anticipation and anxiety about the unknown future. After the baby is born, a process of adaptation follows. In a way, parenting is a process of constant adaptation and readjustment. Especially in the early years, children develop so

Nourishing Family Strengths: Protective Factors

March 26, 2025 No Comments

Like a tree in a storm, families can be shaken by the many challenges that life brings. A storm can sometimes swoop in unexpectedly, causing the tree branches and leaves to wildly move back and forth. If the roots aren’t strong, the tree can be uprooted. If the trunk is dry, the tree can break.

Change Starts with You: Building Healthy Screen Time Practices for Parents

February 26, 2025 No Comments

It’s a new day. In the early morning hours, your phone alarm goes off with a pleasant ping. With sleep hanging heavy over your head, you unlock it without a second thought and check to see who texted you since you fell asleep. As you read and respond to the messages over a bowl of

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