By Brooke Skipper, MSW, LCSW, Youth First, Inc. If you have a perfectionist child, you most likely already know it. You’ve witnessed the crying episodes, self-doubt, and meltdowns. Perfectionist children set unrealistic goals and then place enormous pressure on themselves to reach those goals. While it’s good for kids to hold high expectations of themselves, […]
By Abby Betz, MSW, LSW, Youth First, Inc. Now that our youngest children are back in school, it is time to start thinking about college-aged students returning to campus. We spend lots of time preparing our youngsters for going “back to school,” but what about our college students? Are we preparing our young adults for […]
By Heather Miller, MSW, LCSW, Youth First, Inc. Sometimes anxiety happens without much warning. One minute everything is fine. The next minute, “what- ifs” can become all consuming. Typically, teens and adults have a smartphone readily accessible. It may be feasible to grab your phone and try the following tips to help manage anxiety. Anxiety is a […]
By Lisa Glahn, MSW, LSW, Youth First, Inc. From time to time, we all have the need to burn off energy; some more than others. Personally, I tend to click my pens, bounce my legs, and tap my feet. Sometimes I am not even aware that I am fidgeting until someone calls my attention to it. This can be […]
By Lori Powell, MSW, LSW, Youth First, Inc. As I prepared for my school day on August 10, 2022, the sun was shining and the temperature was warm. I was excited to greet students with the last names starting with K-Z at Vogel Elementary School in Evansville, IN. It felt like a normal first day […]
By Camryn Cater, MSW, LSW, Youth First, Inc. Emotional communication is a key component in our lives. It helps us form relationships and make connections with family, friends, coworkers, and even strangers. As children learn to emotionally connect and communicate with others, they are building emotional skillsets that will help them develop relationships for the […]
By Diane VanCleave, MSW, LCSW, Youth First, Inc. Some say, “If parenting does not feel like white knuckle time, you’re not doing it right.” Parenting has its complexities and challenges, and a parent or caretaker needs to provide age-appropriate guidance. A child’s growth progresses through executive function efficiency. Executive function (EF) is the interconnection and […]
By Kelly McClarnon, MSW, LCSW, Youth First, Inc. Since I began working in a school setting, I’ve noticed increasing rates of mental health concerns among adolescents. It’s not just my personal experience; a quick Google search will pull multiple articles about a “mental health crisis” within this population. There are many factors that contribute to […]
By Jennifer Bouchie, MSW, LSW, Youth First Inc. Goal setting is important at all stages of our lives. Whether we are talking about our kids or ourselves, knowing how to set obtainable goals is key to finding fulfillment. The struggle with goal setting is that sometimes we see the big picture but have a hard […]
By Diane Walton, MSW, LSW, Youth First Inc. Family meal times are such a valuable experience, with a wide variety of benefits for both children and parents. More shared meals together correlate to greater benefits seen; however, children will benefit from as little as three family meals each week. Shared meals promote healthier eating habits, […]