In the journey of raising children, parents play a vital role in shaping their children’s mental health. A strong connection exists between parental influence and a child’s emotional well-being. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes that “… a child’s healthy development depends on their parents—and other caregivers who act in the role of parents—who serve as their first sources of support in becoming independent and leading healthy and successful lives.” A study from 2021 revealed that “poor mental health among parents or primary caregivers is associated with poor mental and physical health in children.” Read More

Christian Counseling Associates (one of the Center's ministry partners) featured our Executive Director, Dr. D. Merle Skinner, on their podcast, titled "Christian Education is Back."

Christian education is a very important conversation for us to have as Christian schools are places where kids can be surrounded by traditional values, truth, and the space they need to simply just be a child, so the podcast does cover a lot about the topic of Christian education, BUT it is jam packed with a lot of great content and covers much more than just a conversation about Christian education. In this podcast you'll hear Dr. Skinner & Dr. Rich Hoffman discuss things like....

• public school, christian/private education, and current trends seen in schools that kids are facing
• current political and legislative happenings surrounding Christian education and school choice
• the importance of worldview
• mental health crisis
• Christian counseling, current trends seen in this field, and how this relates to students today

 

You can find the podcast on youtube or podomatic.

 

Anxiety can feel like a beast that is daunting to defeat, but the good news is it is possible to overcome the sensations that flood our minds and bodies when anxiety hits. We can help our children by teaching them strategies that lead to a more peaceful mind and body. It's our job to walk alongside them as they learn to understand how their minds and bodies work. Read more to learn a few tips to help you calm your anxious child.

There is substantial evidence that the pandemic has increased the number of adolescents (and even some pre-adolescents) who are anxious. It’s no wonder, given that Covid lockdowns and distancing robbed teenagers of many of the activities they care about most, disrupted their education, and isolated them from their friends. We’re all hoping that as life returns to something like normal, adolescents will rebound. But anxiety in adolescents was already on the rise before the pandemic. Why? Experts cite increased pressure to succeed in school, a world that feels scarier and the toll social media can take on self-esteem. But nobody really understands it. It’s important to recognize the signs of anxiety, and get kids who are struggling help. Read More

When most people think of an eating disorder, what comes to mind is a painfully thin young woman who eats almost nothing. But there are actually three common eating disorders. Not everyone with an eating disorder appears underweight, and not all are women. Read More