Advice from Our Professionals

Informative articles by Youth First’s Service Team

How to Talk to Children About Their Friends’ Mental Health

By Britney Wagler, MSW, LCSW - Dec. 11, 2025 - Our children often look to us for answers. Sometimes, when it comes to mental health, we don’t know what to say or how to support them. According to the 2024 KIDS COUNT Data Book,…

From a Pen to a Boat: How a Local High School Senior Raised $2,000 for Youth First

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By Julie Hoon, VP of Marketing & Communications - December 4, 2025 - https://youtu.be/ehXs1gTlmvQ Eighteen-year-old high school senior Wesley never expected that starting with a simple pen would lead to a $2,600 donation to Youth…

How to Respond When Children Lie

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By Lizzie Raben, MSW, LSW - November 19, 2025 - It can be so difficult to understand why teenagers - or children of any age - lie to us. Sometimes the lies feel especially frustrating because they seem so small or unnecessary, leaving…

The Importance of Family Traditions

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By Jordyn Bryant, MSW, LSW - November 12, 2025 - In today’s busy world, families are often pulled in many directions with work, school, sports, and endless to-do lists. It’s easy to feel disconnected from one another, even while…

Guiding Your Child Through the Journey of Loss

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By Hailey Hagan, MSW, LSW - November 6, 2025 - Coping with a loss can be challenging for anyone, but helping children navigate the complex emotions that come with grief is particularly daunting. If you are a parent or caregiver, it is…

Letting Go of Perfectionism

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By Niki Walls, MSW, LSW - October 29, 2025 - When’s the last time you tried something new without worrying about whether you would be good at it? As children, we would happily play and try something new; we were not consumed with…