Nicole Thomson, LCSW.R

08/18/2021

07/14/2021

Parenting a child with a developmental delay or disability can be isolating for parents and caregivers. Parent to Parent offers a virtual opportunity - called Caregiver Connection - to meet other caregivers who may be having similar experiences.

The next meeting is via Zoom on July 21st at 7 pm. If you know of other people who might be interested in attending, feel free to pass this along.

When: Jul 21, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMuf-yvrDojHNNjxQcYRU77sxJKFgIqdBDI

05/07/2021

03/28/2021

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/24/980776808/how-to-talk-and-listen-to-a-teen-with-mental-health-struggles

Over a year into the pandemic, many teens are missing milestones and struggling with their mental health. Here's how to spot red flags and when to get help.

02/12/2021

I’ve lost a year with my kids battling over school and I’m done.

My seven year old and I were in the midst of our usual asynchronous day battle. I had his writing homework in my hand from school. He’d written several full, well-thought-out sentences.

But he won’t do the same for me, at least not without a fight.

I told him he didn’t have to write about his best day like his teacher asked, he could write about his worst. He could write about whatever he wanted as long as he wrote a few sentences.

He said he’d get in trouble. He said he was doing a bad job in first grade. He was on the brink of tears but didn’t know why.

And it hit me.

Instead of getting frustrated and pushing the assignment, I sat down with him at his desk in his superhero bedroom.

I said “you won’t get in trouble and you can’t fail first grade. In fact, you’re kind of a superhero yourself.”

He sat up in his chair just a little and looked at me with disbelief.

I said, “Do you know that no kids in the history of kids have ever had to do what you’re doing right now? No kids in the history of kids have ever had to do school at home, sitting in their bedroom, watching their teacher on a computer. You and your friends are making history.”

A visible weight lifted from his seven year old shoulders, “What does that mean?”

I told him it means I haven’t given him nearly enough credit for rolling with the punches. I told him how proud I am of him and his friends. That kids this year are doing the impossible and they’re doing a really great job.

I apologized for not saying it sooner and more often. A little tear fell down his cheek.

We’ve thanked everyone from healthcare workers to grocery store employees but we haven’t thanked the kids enough for bearing the burden of what we’ve put on their shoulders this year.

We’ve said kids are resilient, and they are. But they are the real superheroes in this whole scenario for having ZERO say in their lives but doing their best to adjust every day.

We closed his school-issued laptop and spent the rest of the day playing. This was supposed to be temporary and here we are a year later still trying to hold our head above water.

This is our home and I won’t turn it into a battle ground anymore over something we can’t control. Something that no longer makes sense.

Hug your little superheroes today and don’t forget to cut them the slack we’ve given everyone else.

Join me in the trenches at Christine Derengowski, Writer !!

02/09/2021

A great breakdown of the Ted Talk from the late Rita Pierson!

Who was your champion?

You can listen here ⬇️
https://www.ted.com/.../rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a...

image:

12/25/2020

So important for parents and caregivers to take care of themselves during the holidays = particularly this year. Wishing all the followers of this page a peaceful and healthy holiday.

12/19/2020

Just as our understanding of trauma’s long-term impacts has grown in recent years, so too has our grasp of how to treat and prevent it. And this evolution has continued during the pandemic, forcing those who are giving and receiving treatment to adapt. Special correspondent Cat Wise and producer R...

12/14/2020

Be ready next time your child is aggressive, anxious, or struggling with big emotions, Use these tips to create a plan in advance so you will be ready to support your child.

12/13/2020