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Guest Blogger Jill Gaines, Kinship Navigator Kinship Connections There are many people from every community, every ethnic group, every socioeconomic level, and every age group who fly under the radar while doing heroic deeds every day. Alongside the healthcare and essential workers, it is a time to recognize and honor Kinship heroes this Month for National Kinship Care Month. Just like the superheroes in the stories, there is a part of kinship life that the public doesn’t see. We see the 77-year-old great-grandmother who opened her home to three of her great-grandchildren. What we do not see is how she works miracles trying to feed, clothe, and educate them on Social Security or a fixed income while at, or slightly below the poverty level. We see a new retiree who was only supposed to take the children for two weeks continuing to care for his relatives now two years later. What we do not see is the depleted 401k account due to childcare expenses and summer camps now that he has had to return to work to meet the family’s needs. Retirement plans have been set aside indefinitely. We see a young woman with five children in tow, buying a used van she doesn’t think she can afford. What we do not see if how her utility bills doubled when she took in her nieces and nephews. We do not see her sleeping on her couch so the children can have her bed, even though she has had two back surgeries. Consider the relative who is fighting to keep a sibling group together so children that have been separated into various homes can stay bonded. She just found out that a foster family is seeking to adopt a sibling, resisting a family’s efforts to keep an older sibling in touch with his baby brother.Yes! These heroes often must navigate child protective services and the legal system without adequate legal representation or financial support. The struggle is real. Throughout these stories, we can see the courage, resilience, persistence, bravery, and love from kin-caregivers who are fighting for kids, their families and are changing lives every day. It’s amazing that they somehow handle their families doubling, and sometimes tripling, overnight. Through struggle they manage to smile and triumph in some way! Still, many more heroes have done kinship care while fighting cancer, divorce, and being underemployed. Many had not received much, or any, help before as they struggled to navigate the complexities of the legal system, their lives, and numerous other priorities. This month, the navigators and educators of Beech Acres Parenting Center’s Kinship Connections honor these heroes by standing in their corner, advocating for them, supporting them, and filling in the gaps caused by the instant changes that have happened within their families. Although the financial vouchers, referrals to agencies, food assistance, clothing referrals, tutoring, and other supports are all needed and appreciated, more still needs to be done. These are some of the stories and voices of kin-caregivers! Please join in as we honor these unsung heroes. We will continue to assist them as they live and provide for children every day. Thank you, kin-caregivers, for taking care of your communities and your families! “When I think of my experience with kinship, one word that comes to mind is resilient. I didn’t know what to expect from Kinship Connections, but this program has been a great experience for me and my family. The staff is very attentive and tremendously helpful. I really appreciate how they have stuck with me to assist me with my family’s needs. I wouldn’t have known about or received these resources if it wasn’t for this program. Thank you so much!” –T.W.

Each of us has an essential strength profile as unique as our thumbprint. When you discover your strengths, you can use them and enjoy life more, as well as handle stress and deal with life’s challenges. Take the Spotlight on my Strengths survey to discover YOUR strengths today!

Guest Blogger Erica Shultz We haven’t always been homeschoolers. When my children were coming to school age, it wasn’t even something I had considered. My friends and family had all attended public school, and many of my friends were public school teachers. It wasn’t until my oldest daughter was ending 3rd grade and my youngest daughter ending 1st grade that I started looking into homeschooling. A few things prompted our transition into homeschooling, the first being that the stress and pressure of testing throughout the school year seemed to have a major effect on both girls’ self-esteem and their previous enjoyment and desire to learn. The second reason we started looking into homeschooling stemmed from my youngest daughter being diagnosed with Type One Diabetes. While the school was fantastic with making accommodations for her and making sure she had the flexibility to take care of her medical needs it was the push we needed to reevaluate how things were working for us in our lives.  Starting out on our homeschool journey was exciting and terrifying at the same time. I feel like as a parent you are constantly wondering if the choices, we make are going to mess up our children forever. Every choice prompts the thought “is this going to make them hate me when they’re older?”.  On top of that I wasn’t completely certain of where to start. The majority of the resources I came across were for Christian based homeschooling which wasn’t what I was looking for in terms of curriculum. I was lucky enough to have a friend who had started their own secular homeschool journey to help guide me through, although they lived two hours away. We have now been homeschoolers for going on our fourth year and we have had plenty of changes and growth while on our journey.  When we first started as homeschoolers, we started with an all in one computer-based system where everything was planned out for us in advance. This worked great for us starting out because all of the stress and planning was taken care of for us so we could find our own stride. From there, our curriculum has evolved into a blend of computer-based programs, mixed with literature, and hands-on learning. We have found that homeschooling really allows us to take into consideration learning styles for each of the girls and be able to adapt our teaching to the best style for each of them. Also, interestingly enough, I have found it allows us to have more control of our own narrative. Homeschooling allows us to dive into difficult topics, explore histories from different viewpoints than our own, as well as be able to pivot and start learning about relevant topics of the day such as being able to learn about pandemics and viruses when their whole worlds seemed to change almost overnight.  Many people think that with being homeschoolers the changes that COVID-19 has brought wouldn’t affect us much, however a majority of our learning doesn’t necessarily come from inside the home. As it turns out socialization isn’t so much of an issue when you’re attending gymnastics, nature classes, art camps and karate. COVID-19 has put a pause on all of those things for us so we have had to look back online for a replacement in the meantime. Luckily, we live in the age of the internet and we have been able to utilize website such as Outschool and Varsity Tutors to be able to attend virtual group classes in a variety of subjects. This hasn’t been an exact replacement to our previous extracurriculars, but it has allowed us some unique opportunities like being able to take a class on insects with Coyote Peterson, one of our favorite wildlife educators.  Homeschooling isn’t always perfect. We’re still individuals who have our good days and our bad days. Not every day inspires great learning. We have our days when hormones of preteen’s changing bodies take over and there seem to be tears around every corner. However, homeschooling has brought us a renewed love of learning. There is great power in being able to dive deeper into topics that interest you and being able to take the time you need to explore it. It also has allowed us to follow our curiosity and take a detour from our original learning paths to indulge in topics that pique our interest. There are many people this year faced with the difficult decision to send their children back to school or keep them home for remote learning or homeschooling. I would encourage those who decide to choose learning from home to keep an open mind and to remember that home learning isn’t supposed to mirror learning in school. Learning in public school is geared to teaching several children at multiple levels of learning at the same time. Homeschooling on the other hand allows us to teach children as individuals. If something isn’t working its okay to try a different approach. If they’re having a bad day it’s okay to change the learning environment. One of the easiest ways we have found to make a day more enjoyable is to just take our learning out into the sunshine. Use this time together to develop your strengths of perseverance, creativity, curiosity, and love of learning. For any parents interested in getting started homeschooling there are a variety of resources available ranging from where to start to support groups and class offerings. Ohio Homeschooling Parents is a great resource to help you get started. https://ohiohomeschoolingparents.com

August 11th is National Son’s and Daughter’s day! A day set aside for parents to celebrate their love of their children. At Beech Acres Parenting Center we believe this is every day, but appreciate the sentiment of setting aside a day to recognize the joy our sons and daughters bring into our life. Set an intention today to be present, to be mindful, and to be in the moment with your child. Let them know how much you love them. We believe this is important every single day, so why not make it a habit? This is also a great opportunity to get started discovering and building on your son’s and daughter’s innate strengths! Download our Natural Strength Parenting™ Starter Kit today. This kit is full of fun activities to learn more about your family’s strengths and really start to build upon them. Want to go further? Contact us today to schedule a Parent Coaching session with one of our Parenting Specialists.

Guest Blogger Medina Rahman, M.Ed., LPCC-S is a Supervisor of Behavioral Health at Beech Acres Parenting Center.  As Minority Mental Health Month comes to an end, I thought it would be most appropriate to provide some education on the establishment of the month and why it is necessary. Many mental health professionals are aware that the month of May is observed for mental health but unaware that this month exists. After asking several professionals in my network who represented mental health, business, and education they had no clue that July was Minority Mental Health Month. Each of them believed it was a month that was created this year after the nation had an awakening of racism and its focus to suddenly combat it.  I was included. As I researched the inception of Minority Mental Health Month, it triggered my first memory of this month in 2008. I read about Congress establishing the month and honoring the late Bebe Moore Campbell who was a renowned African American author, member of NAMI, and my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. As a result, my sorority established a partnership with NAMI eleven years ago.  I have even been an active participant in the partnership for several years. How did I as an African American mental health professional forget? Is this representative of how African Americans are underserved in mental health? Does it represent the stigma associated with mental health in the African American community? Did I compartmentalize it because minority mental health is a daily work and there is no separation?  Reflecting on my career in mental health, reducing the stigma to address the mental health needs of minorities has been my purpose and is a daily work. No separation needed, but for a nation that does not see minorities as “equal” human beings, this month is necessary.  Growing up as a minority, mental health issues of family members were kept a secret. It was not discussed. When I inquired about odd behaviors exhibited by a certain member of my family I was told “momma just acts like that sometimes when she gets into one of her moods.” As a young teen, I did not quite understand what that meant and did not dare ask for further explanation. I recall observing my grandmother who was raised in the small town of Weedowee, Alabama. Weedowee was a place where segregation continued into the 1990’s experiencing its first interracial couple attending a high school prom and made national news. My late grandmother was a very religious woman who allowed no profanity or secular music played in her home.  She owned a lumber company, did not drive, and was a stay at mother. Her “moods” consisted of extreme use of profanity and grandma shedding light on other people’s truths. During these times I enjoyed going to my grandparent’s house to watch the show and trying to see who my grandmother was going to “cuss out” next. Although, for me, they were times of comedic relief I cannot imagine what my grandmother was going through. There were periods of time my grandmother would be missing, and the grandchildren were told she was on vacation. Later to find out the periods of vacation were hospitalizations in a psychiatric ward.  The United States of America, with the essence of its fabric weaved out of slavery, has impacted minority people in epic proportions. According to Mental Health America, “historical adversity, which includes slavery, sharecropping, and race-based exclusion from health, educational, social and economic resources, translates into socioeconomic disparities experienced by Black and African-Americans.” These disparities attribute to increased risk for poor mental health.   Seven million people in the U.S. identify as Black or African American. Approximately 16% reported having a mental illness and 55% of all Black or African Americans live in the south. Although my grandmother did not grow up poor, she did experience those disparities in the south. Upon my grandmother’s death, January 25, 2008, after the inauguration of President Barack Obama, I began to ask questions about my grandmother. The questions I was too afraid to ask as an adolescent. My aunt shared riveting stories about my grandmother’s past that were kept secret for years and explained why my grandmother often went on her periods of “vacation.”  I cannot fathom the trauma she endured as a young black female living in the south and not being able to access adequate health care. For this reason, it is important that there is a voice for the voiceless, and the stigma associated with mental health be eradicated.   For additional information on mental health please visit: National Alliance on Mental Illness  https://www.nami.org Mental Health America https://mhanational.org/ National Institute for Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml

Believe it or not, it’s already time to start preparing your family to head back to school. Back to school season can be incredibly stressful for kids and parents alike. Fortunately, you still have some time to utilize Natural Strength Parenting™ to mentally prepare your family before that first chilly morning at the bus stop. You can also connect with a Parent Connext™ parenting specialist to develop a plan to succeed this year. State an Intention Start by setting an intention with your child for the new school year. Ask, “what can you do to make this year your best yet?” It may be as simple as building independence to get ready on their own in the morning or something more aspirational like balancing academic achievement and extracurricular activities by developing and using time management skills effectively. Whatever the intention, work closely with them to develop the skills, provide encouragement, and celebrate with them when they are successful. Critical to their success is the specifics of the intention they set. Get curious with them and ask “What do you need from me to succeed?” Then make sure to build in accountability. “What steps will you take to succeed?” “How will you know if the intention you set is working? How will your experience at school be better?”    When your child sets an intention, with your support and encouragement, they will be focused and more confident as they move into the new school year. Build On Their Strengths Change can definitely be a trigger. Consider how you felt your first day at a job or on a new team at work. It’s ok to acknowledge your child’s fear and anxiety and offer the idea that these feelings subside as you become familiar with what was once ‘new’. You may help them to remember a time when this has happened for them in the past and how it felt better over time. This is a great time to focus on your child’s innate strengths and which of those they may have used to manage a new situation in the past. Every person has 24 character strengths inside them. You can discover your family’s strengths by taking the VIA Character Strengths Survey located on the bottom of this page. Back to school time is a great opportunity to lean into your child’s strengths of Bravery, Love of Learning, Leadership, and Curiosity. “It’s very brave of you to sign up for a new club this year.” “I am excited that you used your Love of Learning to try an honors class this year.” Focusing on your child’s strengths rather than trying to “fix” something helps them feel valued. Take a Mindful Minute Sometimes, despite your best intentions, your kid will be anxious about returning to school. This is your chance to be fully engaged with them in the moment. Actively listen to their concerns and let them know you are listening. “I hear that you are worried about your first day of school, but you smiled when you talked about seeing your friends again?” Offer them a different way to envision the first day of school. “What would it look like if you spotted a friend and were able to walk in together on the first day?” If necessary, take a moment just to breathe with them. These calming moments can deepen your relationship and positively affect their mental health heading into the chaos of back to school. Take Time For Yourself Remember this time of year is just as stressful for you as it is for your kids. Back-to-school shopping, coordinating carpools, rearranging schedules, and doing your regular everyday responsibilities can be overwhelming. Set an intention for yourself to be prepared and ready to help your kids succeed (or at least appear to be prepared!). Lean into your own strengths: Love, Fairness, Judgment, Leadership, and Perseverance. Your kids will look to you for guidance, and your tone sets the tone for the family. Take a moment for yourself. Sit outside and take a moment to appreciate the beauty of these final summer days. Back-to-school time can be chaotic, but it doesn’t have to affect your family’s mental health adversely. Setting a clear intention for your kids, discovering and building upon their strengths, and taking meaningful time to be present and engage with them will go a long way in relieving some of the stress of this busy time of the year. Download our Back to School Quick Tips.

Use Natural Strength Parenting™ to help your family ease back into the school year. Need additional support this year? Connect with a Parent Connext® parenting specialist today. State an Intention Start by setting an intention with your child for the new school year. Ask, “what can you do to make this year your best yet?” Get curious with them and ask “What do you need from me to succeed?” Then make sure to build in accountability. “What steps will you take to succeed?” “How will you know if the intention you set is working? How will your experience at school be better?” Build on Your Child’s Strengths Acknowledge your child’s fear and anxiety, and offer the idea that these feelings subside as you become familiar with what was once ‘new’. Every person has 24 character strengths inside them. You can discover your family’s strengths by completing the Spotlight on my Strengths survey. Take a Mindful Minute Actively listen to their concerns and let them know you are listening. “I hear that you are worried about your first day of school, but you smiled when you talked about seeing your friends again.” Be present in these moments. Use them to take a few deep breaths or otherwise relax with your child. Take Time For Yourself Take a moment for yourself. Sit outside and take a moment to appreciate the beauty of these final summer days. Stay Healthy Ensure your child understands the importance of following your school’s safety protocols. Download our Back to School Quick Tips and Spotlight on my Strengths survey here.