Special Needs Parenting

Sensory Tools to Help Your Child

I’m super excited to be able to tell you about today’s giveaway. Huggaroo has generously offered to donate all three of these prizes to one lucky winner.

Please note: Today’s giveaway is ONLY OPEN TO US RESIDENTS.

When it comes to sensory processing and even emotional regulation, the right sensory tools can make all the difference.

Sensory Tools to Help Your Child:

Weighted Blankets

Weighted blankets serve many purposes. Here are some of the potential benefits for adults and children:

firm, gentle pressure provides proprioceptive sensory feedback
eases insomnia
produces a calming effect for some who have sensory processing disorder
lowers stress
reduces anxiety
improves focus in those with ADHD
better overall quality of sleep
helps with emotional regulation and mood
can be used for other physical and mental health concerns such as restless leg syndrome, PTSD, autism, OCD, and fibromyalgia

A good night’s sleep is so important for us to function the next day, not to mention our overall physical and mental health. Using a weighted blanket can help you fall asleep faster, sleep longer, and wake up feeling more rested.

Weighted blankets are scientifically proven to lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety.

It accomplishes all of these impressive things through something called deep touch pressure stimulation therapy.

What is deep touch pressure stimulation therapy?

Deep touch pressure stimulation therapy is firm but gentle pressure applied through squeezing, hugs, or holding techniques that relax the nervous system. This produces a calming, soothing effect that can lower anxiety.

This pressure can be applied with an actual hug or through the hands such as a massage or through tools or products such as weighted blankets, neck wraps, compression sheets, or specialized clothing.

Deep touch pressure stimulation increases serotonin and dopamine, the “feel good” neurotransmitters and lowers cortisol, the stress hormone.

The pressure of a weighted blanket in some ways recreates the feeling of a hug. Now more than ever, that is so needed. This can be so reassuring for kids who may feel anxious at night without their parent.

When it comes to weighted sensory tools, it’s important that you get the right weight. Weighted blankets should not be used with infants and toddlers or those with certain health conditions. Consult your doctor before beginning to use a weighted blanket for yourself or your child.

Compression Sheets

Compression sheets work in much the same way as weighted blankets do. They provide firm, constant pressure in a gentle way.

They also offer essentially the same benefits because they provide deep touch pressure stimulation.

It’s a bit like swaddling a baby. Of course, it isn’t safe to use these sheets with infants or toddlers. You want to ensure that your child can safely crawl out of the sheet themselves.

While the obvious benefits are improved sleep, lowered anxiety, and sensory needs being met, these can also be used during the day to calm your child if you sense that a sensory meltdown is coming on.

The Huggaroo Pouch compression sheet fits your child’s bed like a sock, open on both top and bottom but snug around. It’s smooth and stretchy, offering tactile and proprioceptive sensory feedback. It’s a great alternative to a weighted blanket for those that don’t want the heavy weight or heat of a weighted blanket.

Neck Wraps

The benefits of weighted neck wraps are again similar to those of weighted blankets. One of the nice things about neck wraps is that they are more portable, and can therefore be used at home, in school, or in other settings.

Some of my kids with sensory processing disorder have found that neck wraps help them when they need focus and concentration such as when they are writing an exam. Weighted neck wraps can be particularly beneficial for those with sensory processing disorder, autism, or ADHD. They can help reduce excessive movement and provide more focus and calming.

I like the Huggaroo Weighted Neck Wraps. They are microwavable so they can be warmed. The combination of the proprioceptive pressure and the warmth is particularly soothing.

These are available in unscented or a subtle lavender scent which adds to the calming effect.

You can also set them in your child’s lap so they can double as a lap pad!

Sensory Tools Giveaway

The winner of today’s giveaway will receive a 7 lb. weighted blanket, a Huggaroo Pouch compression sheet, and a neck wrap!

(remember that today’s giveaway is only open to US residents)

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Mask Wearing Tips for Kids with Sensory Issues

By Sharla Kostelyk

Wearing face masks is becoming mandatory in many public spaces as well as many schools around the world. While for some, this is a minor inconvenience, for those with breathing difficulty, hearing loss, or sensory issues, it is much more of a challenge. Below, you will find a comprehensive guide of mask wearing tips for kids with sensory issues.Important note: I know that there continues to be debate over mask wearing. Regardless of how you personally feel about masks, the fact remains that more and more regulations are being put in place requiring the use of masks. This article is not meant to debate the effectiveness of face masks or whether or not they should be mandated. It is meant to address the practicalities of having children wear masks, particularly children who struggle with sensory issues and may therefore find it more difficult.

The Challenges of Wearing a Mask for Kids with Sensory Issues:

Texture or scratchiness of the fabric
Sensation or tightness against the face
Smell inside the mask
Heat and dampness inside the mask
Pulling or tugging on the ears or at the back of the head
Breathing out through the mouth can cause more dampness and the smell of recycled air.
Breathing in and out through the nose can feel restrictive.
Kids who struggle with oral sensitivities may suck on their mask, creating a wet patch. Experts say this renders the mask essentially useless.
Difficulty reading facial expressions on others who are wearing masks, particularly for kids who have poor visual perception skills.

You’ll want to play detective by observing and asking questions to determine what specific challenges your child is having with wearing a mask or keeping it on. This information will help you be able to address those issues and find solutions.

Tips to help kids with face masks:

Be a role model.

Wear a mask yourself and do so without complaining to your child about how much you dislike it. Our kids are watching what we do more than listening to what we say. Regardless of how you feel about mask wearing, if you know it will be required, make the best of it yourself. This will speak volumes to your child.

Practise, practise, practise.

Before going into a situation such as a public place or school where a mask has to be worn, allow your child to practise at home. Start with short bursts of time and increase the time gradually.

Practise with the mask when the child has a distraction such as when they are watching a movie or playing on a tablet. Some children also find it easier to practise outside as they feel less restricted and there may be less other sensory stimuli to contend with.

Plan low risk outings as practise where you can leave if need be and where there is not a lot of other competing stimuli.

Reduce other sensory stimuli.

Remember that no matter what mask your child wears, it will be more sensory input. Sensory overload will happen more quickly due to mask wearing. Sensory overload may lead to sensory meltdowns. You may also want to read more on preventing sensory meltdowns from sensory overload.

You can cut back on sensory overload by reducing some of the other stimuli in your child’s environment. You may also want to talk to their teacher about reducing some of the distractions in the classroom as well.

While reducing outside sensory stimuli is helpful, you’ll also want to ensure that your child also receives enough healthy sensory input during the day. Of particular importance is getting proprioceptive input. This helps with calming and self regulation. Using a calm down kit can be beneficial for children.

Ask for their input.

Allow your child to have a say in the fabric, print, and fit of their mask. Choosing a fun print on the fabric can help kids express their unique personality. If your child is old enough, you can even let them help make their own mask. There are many patterns for no-sew masks available online. Being part of the creation can make them feel more a part of this process.

Be sure to also listen to their feedback about what struggles they may be having with keeping the mask on to give you clues as to how best to help them adjust. You may be surprised by what you learn. This can help tremendously in coming up with solutions.

When kids feel like they have a say in choosing their mask, they are able to feel as if they are at least able to control something in a world that can feel pretty out of control.

Offer breath mints or gum.

Breath mints, hard candies, or gum help with the smell inside the mask. Gum can also give them oral sensory feedback and proprioceptive feedback which may help prevent them from licking or sucking on the inside of their mask.

Of course, hard candies or mints can be a choking hazard, so only use this tip with older kids and those who don’t have risk factors for choking.

Give those ears a rest!

Having a mask looped around the ears can cause discomfort for anyone and that discomfort is multiplied for those with sensory issues. Ear savers allow a mask to be attached behind the head instead of around the ears.

Provide ear savers, a headband with buttons for the mask to loop around, caps with buttons or snaps for the mask to attach to, or a mask that fits around the head rather than around the ears to alleviate the tugging on the ears.

Clear your nose.

Prior to putting on a mask, have your child clear their nose well. This can be achieved by using a Neti Pot (if they can tolerate it) or steam from the shower. Doing this will help your child feel that they can breathe easier with the mask on.

Mask brackets for the win!

Mask brackets are a brace that fits snugly inside your existing mask. They prevent the gagging feeling some people feel when the fabric touches their face. It also helps the nose tickling that many kids complain about. For younger children, be sure to buy a children’s size.

Play.

Help kids get used to the idea of face masks through play. Purchase or make a matching mask for your child’s doll or stuffed animal. This can help direct their play and they can even begin to work through some of their emotions as they role play different situations for themselves and their toy in regards to wearing a mask. Invite your child to draw pictures of themselves and their family or friends wearing masks. This can help them express some of the emotions they may have about this “new normal”.

This poster shows some beloved children’s characters wearing masks.

Completing a mask colouring book is another hands-on activity that can promote discussion. This free I Can Wear a Mask Easy Reader booklet is another good resource to use.

Keep hands busy.

One way to help kids resist the urge to remove their mask is to give them something else to do with their hands. Provide fidgets to keep their hands busy and to get their sensory needs met.

Explain the reason behind wearing a mask.

There are some resources that can help you talk to your child about why we’re wearing masks. We Wear Masks is a video social story that explains things very simply for younger kids. Note that the video does mention not being in school and that may no longer apply in your area.

This Face Mask Social Story is a really good way to explain things to kids and address some of their related worries.

Listen and empathize.

Even if you do everything in your power to make this easier, this big change will likely cause a mix of emotions. It is going to take a lot of adjustment for kids. Be there for them.

Be sure they know that they can share their feelings about these new rules. Acknowledge how hard this must be for them. Do not minimize their emotions. While this is something they may have to get used to doing, that doesn’t mean it will be easy and it’s okay for them to express that to you.

Create a safe place for them to say “this is hard. I feel frustrated.”

Choosing a mask:

Invite your child to be part of the decision about the type of mask they are most comfortable with.

Find a fit and fabric that your child can tolerate. Ensuring a comfortable fit will reduce the amount your child fidgets with their mask. It should fit over the mouth and nose and secure under the child’s chin. It should allow your child to breathe easily while worn.

Mask Types:

Reusable Fabric Masks

Choose a fabric that is most comfortable for your child. Soft cotton may be the most comfortable fabric for most, but some kids may prefer seersucker, satin, or synthetic fabric. Some parents add a softer layer as a liner as this will be what touches the skin.

Allow your child to pick a fun pattern as this can help them get more excited about wearing the mask.

Some fabric masks allow you to add a filter. For one of our daughters, the flap inside for the filter insert was driving her crazy, so we sewed that flap shut.

Disposable or Surgical Masks

Some people find that the disposable masks allow more air flow while others find them more restrictive than cloth. This is something you will have to experiment with to see what your child prefers.

I find personally that the 3 ply surgical style masks get less hot inside than the fabric ones. However, in winter, the warmth of a cloth mask may prove quite welcome!

Masks with a Built-in Filter

Masks with a built-in filter tend to be made of a heavier material and be a bit bulkier. They may, therefore cause more distress for kids with sensory issues. If you choose to go this route, be sure your child has rest periods where they can remove the mask for a time.

Clear Masks

One of our daughters is deaf and relies on lip reading to “hear”. As you can imagine, mask wearing, particularly by her teachers, therapists, and family members has made her life much more difficult, so we have instead used different versions of clear masks.

Cloth masks can be sewn with a clear window using clear shower curtains or clear page protectors. My neighbour and friend sewed some for me using this clear mask pattern.

You can also purchase clear masks or the type that are cloth with a clear window.

To keep the clear window from fogging up:

Add some Dawn dish soap or shaving cream.
Spread all over the window.
Allow it to sit for a time.
Rinse off and dry.

Face Shields

If masks are required at your child’s school, be sure to ask about the allowability of face shields as an alternative. Our school district will only allow face shields if a mask is worn underneath.

If your school will allow them, face shields are proven to be the easiest for those who are hard of hearing to be able to both hear and lip read and some kids find them much less restrictive than masks. You can purchase face shields in children’s sizes or adult face shields.

Neck Gaiters or Buffs and Bandanas

While many school districts do not allow the use of bandanas or neck gaiters in place of masks, some do. Again, some kids find these easier or at least more familiar to wear while others find them to be worse as they are bothered by the feel of it on their neck. It comes down to your child’s sensory preferences and what works best for them.

This is a possible alternative option to try if you haven’t been able to find a mask that suits your child’s sensory needs.

Mask fit:

The other important consideration is the fit of the mask. Some children prefer a more snug fitting mask, while others like there to be as much space as there can be.

Some masks fit around the ears while others tie or secure behind the head. Ear Savers can make around the ear masks fit more like behind the head masks.

Mask brackets help eliminate the side gaps and give a better overall fit.

Safety tips:

Be sure to follow safety guidelines such as not wearing a mask for children under 2, while exercising, while eating or drinking, or when in the water.

According to the CDC, children under age 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance should never use a cloth face covering.

I am not a doctor or medical expert. The tips in this article are designed as suggestions to help you and your child but are not meant to replace medical or expert advise.

What things have you found helpful when it comes to your child wearing a mask?

Enter your email below to get a free copy of the Pandemic Journal for Kids, printable pages to help them process their emotions and better express themselves.

You may also be interested in reading:

The Complete Guide to School at Home

Surefire Signs Your Child has Sensory Issues

50 Awesomely Simple Calm Down Strategies

Special Needs Resources

By Sharla Kostelyk

Parenting or teaching children with special needs comes with challenges and blessings. Having relevant resources can arm you with the information and tools you need to be able to better meet the needs of your child or students.Though I’ve found many excellent resources over the years that have taught me so much and helped me better help and advocate for my children, the thing I’ve found that is the best resource of all is actually parents of other children with special needs.

Those parents have pointed me to specialists, listened to me, shared their experiences with me, walked in my shoes and lived to tell the story, laughed with me, cried with me, and given me hope when I felt there was none. They understand in a way that no one else can.

While no other resource can offer that, today, I’m excited to share with you some special needs resources that will arm you with more tools to help your child or students.

Special Needs Resources:

The winner of this day of the 12 Days of Christmas giveaways will receive one of each of the following:

Basics of Fine Motor Skills (PDF download)

Fine motor skills are a key developmental skill. This book explores how gross motor, visual motor, and sensory processing skills affect this development. Learn what red flags to watch for and get activity ideas for all types of fine motor development based on your child’s skill and ability levels.

This book is a wonderful resource for parents, teachers, and therapists.

Thank you to Heather Greutman, OTA and author of this book for donating this resource for one winner.

Sensory Processing Explained, A Handbook for Parents and Teachers (PDF download)

In Sensory Processing Explained, discover…

easy to understand sensory information that you can share with parents and educators to help explain a child’s behaviour
how to explain sensory processing to those who just don’t get it
what calming techniques and strategies can work during a sensory meltdown
sensory ideas you can easily replicate at home
how teachers can accommodate kids with sensory processing challenges
strategies and activities that can be used with an entire classroom
information on all eight sensory systems and how they can affect behaviours (plus strategies and activities that can help with regulation)
just figuring out where to begin if you feel a child could be struggling with sensory processing

Plus get informational printables that make it easy to share about sensory processing with families, clients, or co-workers.

This book will forever change how you view your child’s sensory responses.

More Calm in the Chaos Special Needs Printable Planner (PDF)

This printable planner was designed with moms of special needs kids in mind (by a mom of special needs children). It includes everything a regular planner would but also includes what moms like this need:

appointment log
appointments at a glance
mileage and expense tracker
medication and supplement list
IEP meeting notes
sensory triggers log
behaviour tracking log
and more!

Integrated Movement Warm-Up Activities (PDF)

The Integrated Movement Warm Up Activities PDF from Integrated Learning Strategies is an excellent resource for parents, therapists, and teachers. One of the things I especially like is that they include actual photos of the activities in action as well as instructions, making it easy to follow and understand. My thanks to Integrated Learning Strategies for donating their warm-up packet for our giveaway.

Creating Connections with Autistic & Hyperlexic Children Using Their Interests and Passions (PDF)

If you are parenting a child with autism or hyperlexia, this ebook will inspire you to use your child’s interests and passions as a way to connect with them and teach them new skills.

It includes:

worksheets that will help you identify your child’s interests and strengths and target skills
prompts to help you come up with the connections you’d like to make with your child
suggestions on how to adapt different interests to work on skills such as math, sensory, fine motor, and literacy

Dyan Robson is kindly donating one copy of her eBook to the winner.

The winner of today’s giveaway will receive one digital download (PDF) of each of the following: Basics of Fine Motor Skills, Sensory Processing Explained, More Calm in the Chaos printable planner, Integrated Movement Warm Up Activities, and Creating Connection with Autistic & Hyperlexic Children Using Their Interests and Passions.

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Moms, I Need Your Help

By Sharla Kostelyk

Moms, I need your help. Three of my children are black and they have suffered horrible overt racism. They have also suffered more subtle racism.

I’m sharing this because I NEED you to talk to your kids. I need you to educate your kids. I often wonder if the parents of the kids who have done these things to my kids know what their children have done.

These are just a few things that my black kids have suffered:

my son had kids he didn’t even know throw rocks at him and chase him at the bike park while calling him the “n” word
my teen son had to move to a different high school after suffering extreme racism. He was daily called the “n” word, for weeks after his Social class watched Amistad, he was called “slave”, and the final straw, when he went to sit down with his ‘friends’ at lunch, he was told “you can’t sit here. We’ve joined the KKK”.
when I went to the administration at that school, I was told that my son would “have to get used to that in his life” because he was black.
none of the students who admitted to those behaviours received suspensions even though IF my son had hit them, he would have been suspended or possibly expelled.
at the new school, that same son has been called “shadow” and “Oreo” (because he has white parents so they joke that he’s black on the outside and white on the inside)
treating our black daughter as an adult (she’s 14) for about the last 5 years such as her being given wine menus in restaurants. Research shows that white people see kids of colour, especially girls, as being much older than they are
being called the “n” word at the playground even as young children
my two black sons were pulled over by police while taking my husband’s car to the car wash. They were ticketed for a rolling stop, but it was a full stop and an excuse to pull over two black teens driving a nice car to check if they stole it. almost $400 ticket for being black.

My daughter wrote a poem and asked me to share it. It breaks my heart that she is afraid that she could die because of the colour of her skin.

My kids are getting older and no longer always have me with them.

This is why I need you. As one mom to another, I’m begging you…

Please, please talk to your kids. But before you do, educate yourselves. Do not use terms like “colourblind”. Do not say “All Lives Matter.” Accept that you have white privilege and let that make you uncomfortable. Listen to the black community and the pain they have suffered and then do your part to make it right.

We can and should do better.

Sharla

P.S. While I have written articles over the years on racism and books for kids about black heroes, instead of sharing those today, I would rather take this opportunity to point you to articles written by those who are black as it is their voices that should be heard above all right now. Here is just a small list to get you started:

Dear White Moms: What I Need You to Know
Helping Kids Process Violence, Trauma, and Race in a World of Nonstop News (and how to speak openly, honestly, and age-appropriately)
Free printables, crafts, and colouring sheets with diverse characters
31 Children’s Books to Support Conversations on Race
White Kids: Growing up with Privilege in a Racially Divided America (podcast on What is Black)
The White Families’ Guide for Talking about Racism

An Open Letter to School Boards

By Sharla Kostelyk

My daughter was 8 when she started to lose her hearing. We didn’t notice at first because she became so good at reading lips that it wasn’t until we took a family camping trip that I clued in. In the van while I drove, I realized that she couldn’t hear me because she didn’t have those visual cues to help her discern what I was saying. All she could see was the back of my seat. When schools reopen in September, if you require masks to be work by staff or students, you will essentially be asking her to spend the year staring at the back of that seat again. Even with the use of adaptive equipment such as an FM system, she can’t understand what is being said without reading lips.

I know this for sure because of the times I’ve spent in an audio booth with tears streaming down my face as the audiologist said “ice cream” with her mouth covered with a paper and my daughter repeated “baseball”. Watching your child struggle to understand is heartbreaking.

I can’t imagine being in your position and all of the factors that need to be weighed in order to consider when reopening schools safely, but I need to give my daughter a voice. I urge you to also consider those who are deaf or hard of hearing when you sit down to make your new policies.

I have other fears as well about schools reopening as well as do many parents such as kids under heightened stress not being able to learn effectively and I’m losing sleep thinking about all the what ifs.

What if play and hands-on discovery are no longer part of the school day?
What if students are required to wear masks and those with lung conditions can hardly breathe?
What if the students with special needs – those on the autism spectrum or sensory processing disorder or attention deficit disorder or learning disabilities or anxiety fall further through the cracks as schools struggle to meet the physical, emotional and educational needs of even their “in-the-box” students?
What will childhood look like if restrictions continue but also what cost in lives may there be if they don’t?

These are challenging times and I can’t imagine that creating new policies is simple, but please do not make a blanket policy for teachers to wear face masks. To do so would condemn my daughter and others like her to certain failure.

Let’s Talk Childhood Mental Illness

By Sharla Kostelyk

Childhood mental illness is on the rise. A 2010 study by The National Institute on Mental Health found that one in five youth are affected by at least one type of mental disorder. There is a lot of speculation about why that is. Is it the rise in technology, the decrease in time spent outdoors, reduced face to face interactions, environmental toxins, social media, sleep, or economic downturn? Or is it just that there is more awareness and therefore an increase in diagnosis?

I am not an expert in psychiatry, science, or medicine. Therefore, I am not going to attempt to tackle those questions.

What I am is a parent. A parent whose life has been deeply affected by childhood mental illness.

Two weeks ago, I wrote an article entitled Admitting Your Child to a Mental Health Hospital. The words and experience resonated with other parents. Some even used the article to reach out to their circles for sometimes the first time to share with them what they had been going through.

That article was shared tens of thousands of times.

Since then, the flood of emails and private messages has been overwhelming. I’m honoured that people chose to share their personal stories and emotions with me and I carry them close to my heart. It is for those people and others like them that I am writing this follow-up article.

Some of the stories were so heavy that they were hard to carry. I had to step away from my computer for two days that first week as the weight of it became too much.

Children with anxiety so debilitating they no longer attend school, teens lost to addiction or suicide, parents signing over their rights as the only way to keep their child safe, families torn apart.

I tell you this because I need you to understand that there are so many families walking this road. Their stories are all different and yet, there are choruses that ring the same.

They all love their children fiercely.
They are weary.
Worry keeps them up at night.
They fear for how this is affecting their other children.
They worry that they are not enough.
Their whole family is suffering.
They don’t know where to turn or what steps they should take to help their child. This sometimes paralyzes them.
There are not enough supports or programs available in their area.
Parents carry with them the additional burdens of guilt and shame as they keep the secret of what is really going on in their homes.

Can we rise up and make our voices heard? Mental illness in children is becoming an epidemic.

The demand for qualified professionals and effective treatments is rising faster than it seems the nation can keep up with it. While I can’t solve that, I know that silence is what perpetuates this.

Join me in erasing the stigma of mental illness by sharing your story.

Know that you are not alone. There are so many who are also walking this road.

Let’s talk about childhood mental illness and the effect it’s having on our society, our schools, our young people, and our homes. Just as we would share with friends and family if our child were suffering from a cold or the flu or had been diagnosed with a more serious physical disease such as asthma, we need to be sharing about how our kids are doing from a mental health perspective.

What if you didn’t have to carry this burden alone?

The magical thing about when we share our truth is that it allows others to share theirs.

Last week, when I shared about our decision to admit our daughter to a mental health treatment facility, it gave others the courage to tell their stories too. I’m not suggesting that you need to do as I did and announce it to the world. I’m not even saying that you have to announce it on Facebook.

But what if instead of being isolated and feeling like no one understands, you chose one or two trusted people to share with?

When I was debating whether or not I should write our experience, my friend said to me “Feeling alone is the cancer that fuels this. We worry about judgement, blame, and carry so much guilt. Which isolates us more. Are we perpetuating the stigma against mental health issues by being quiet about it?” So I put my thoughts to paper in the hopes that I could help others share their stories and feel less alone.

I’ll share with you the power of choosing the share your story. In my article about our daughter going to a mental health hospital, I shared this:

This kind of life can be so isolating. There are things that have happened in our home that unless you are also walking this path of mental health disease in your children would shock you. My husband and I have literally said to each other, “who could we ever tell this to?”

Last Sunday night, my husband and I sat around our friends’ kitchen table. We found the answer to the question “who could we ever tell this to?”. Because they had walked this road too. They understood. By the end of the evening, we were even laughing about the fact that none of us would ever have thought we could share our calling 9-1-1 experiences with others!

It felt so good to be around others who “get it”. To be able to be real and not worry about judgment. I want that for you too.

But for us to be able to get to that place, we first had to take a deep breath and say “my child struggles with mental health issues”.

Help me end the stigma. Not just for our kids who are suffering. But for us. I want you to be able to sit around your friend’s kitchen table and be real and raw and still know that you are loved.

Join me for a free 5 part email series, Little Hearts, Big Worries offering resources and hope for parents.

You might also be interested in reading:

Admitting Your Child to a Mental Health Hospital