Becky Greenwood

Hi parents, if your reading this-then it is most likely you have kids at home and concerned about how to keep them occupied. Having kids home all day everyday can be a bit much at times. One suggestion is to keep everyone on a schedule. Kids do much better when there is structure and a schedule is one way to accomplish this. When putting a schedule together get the kids involved- they are more likely to embrace this when they have some input. The schedule shouldn’t be just chores and homework, that will get old quick and you might have a revolt on your hands! Alternate the “have to’s” with some fun activities. Below are some ideas- from a scavenger hunt in the house to in-door gardening. The possibilities are endless! So, keep the kids busy while creating great memories at the same time. Here are some ideas, with their links.

Live Cams

San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants

Smithsonian’s National Zoo

The 5 Best Live Cams From The African Wild | Rhino Africa

blog.rhinoafrica.com/2017/08/22/5-best-live-cams-african-wild Ø LIVE African Wildlife Coverage – WildEarth and Africam …

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Scavenger hunt in the house –  https://www.mykidstime.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Indoor-Scavenger-Hunt-Download-Mykidstime.jpg

15 Entertaining and Fun Indoor Games for Kids Of All Ages – https://www.mykidstime.com/things-to-do/15-entertaining-fun-indoor-games-for-kids/ Indoor Gardening

19 Best Easy Indoor Gardening with Children

www.pinterest.com › nationalplt › easy-indoor-gardening-with-children

Art projects

This site gives the future artist step by step pictures to learn how to do draw a variety of things.

https://artprojectsforkids.org/

80 creative activities for kids

Ideas like making a lava lamp or ice cream in a bag are only a few actives you can easily do with things you might already have around your house.

80 Easy Creative Projects for Kids

Audiobooks for Kids | Audible.com- While school is out audible, kids can listen for free.

www.audible.com › kids-audiobooks

Netflix Party

www.netflixparty.com

Netflix Party is a new way to watch Netflix with your friends online. Netflix Party synchronizes video playback and adds group chat to your favorite Netflix shows.

Social Distancing Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt– A fun idea for those family walks in the evening-

Check this out:

One way a community came together in a fun (but physically distant) manner was by holding a neighborhood shamrock scavenger hunt on St. Patrick’s Day. One parent, via her neighborhood’s listserv, suggested all the kids in the neighborhood make a shamrock to display in the front door or window of their homes. Within a day, 80 families signed up and shared a Google doc to post their cross-streets. Have fun with the ideas, our neighborhood had a teddy bear hunt- it was fun to see all the bears in the windows! https://offspring.lifehacker.com/host-a-social-distancing-neighborhood-scavenger-hunt-1842427054

Card Games A fun and inexpensive way to have fun with your kids.

www.todaysparent.com › family › activities › 10-kid-friendly-card-ga.

Board Games – Board games are a fun way to pass the time-here are just a few suggestions:

https://www.myus.com/blog/fun-family-board-games/

· Monopoly & Monopoly Junior

· Beat the Parents

· Head Banz

· Ker-Plunk

· Trivial Pursuit Family Edition

· Apples to Apples

· Clue

· Connect 4

· Mastermind

· 5 Second Rule

· Taboo

Cooking with kids-

Food Network offers kid friendly recipes, how to videos, for all different levels of home cooks.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/recipes-for-kids/cooking-with-kids

 

We’d love to hear from you-what are you doing to keep your kids busy? Share your ideas and we’ll pass them along.

Rebecca (Becky) Greenwood, MS, LPC, NCC – Therapist – San Marcos location

It isn’t always easy to know the difference between teen moodiness and depression.  There are signs and symptoms that every parent, grandparent or caregiver should be aware of.  The teen years can be pretty tough for many adolescents and depression affects more teens than many parents realize. It is estimated that one in five adolescents will suffer from depression at some point during their teen years. Depression reaches across economic, cultural, urban and rural areas alike- it is indiscriminate. Sadly, many teens never get help, even though depression is highly treatable.

Know potential red flags.

Depression in tweens and teens often goes unrecognized. The symptoms can be confused with adolescent moodiness, changing hormones, and emotional flux. It’s difficult to know if this is a phase or something more serious. Possible signs to look for include:

• personality changes and behavior outside of your child’s norm.
• fatigue or loss of energy.
• increased frustration and anger.
• being uncharacteristically “down” or irritable for several weeks.
• lack of interest / withdrawal from friends.
• reluctance to participate in activities, and hobbies that they once enjoyed.
• changes in appetite (eating too much or not enough) and sleep (sleeping too much, not sleeping well, sleep avoidance).
• obsessing over body image.
• overwhelming feelings of worthlessness, guilt or a significant decrease in self-esteem.
• stomachs, headaches or other body aches that can’t be explained and don’t respond to treatment.
• Difficulties concentrating or completing simple tasks.
• Declining grades.
• Self-destructive behaviors, such as cutting or burning.

Know where to turn for help.

If your still not sure whether it is normal teenage “moodiness” or depression consider how long the symptoms have been going on, how severe, and how different your teen is acting from their normal self. Many tweens and teens will cycle through symptoms routinely. That does not always mean they’re suffering from depression. If the symptoms last more than two weeks, consider enlisting support. Consider connecting with your tweens/teen’s teachers, school counselor and or other adults who might have regular contact with your child.

Depression is very damaging when left untreated, so don’t wait and hope that worrisome symptoms will go away. If you suspect that your teen is depressed, bring up your concerns in a loving, non-judgmental way. Even if you’re unsure that depression is the issue, the troublesome behaviors and emotions you’re seeing are signs of a problem that should be addressed. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and to listen. Give your teen the message that they are loved and that you are always there no matter what. Keep repeating this even when the say “I got this” keep letting them know they are loved and that you will be there for them.

 

By Becky Greenwood, LPC, InMindOut Therapist, San Marcos

Separation and divorce are painful processes that disrupt the lives of many families. The effects of a parents’ divorce for many children can be modest and short-lived. If divorced parents get to a place where they can have polite but distant communication with an ex-partner their children in turn adapt to the new living arrangement. Nevertheless, many children report having painful feelings about their parents’ divorce and some children can have a prolonged reaction when they are caught in their parents’ divorce.

When children are not shielded from the fighting or when parents share the gruesome details of why they are divorcing (e.g. mommy had an affair; or daddy is lazy and won’t get a job) the effects can be harmful to the children. According to Lee & Bax  (2000), children who experience their parents’ divorce may have show signs of anxiety, depression, and irritability; have more problems with peers and struggle in school.

It is important for kids, that parents learn how to have a co-parenting role in their kids’ lives.  There is a clear consensus among researchers and clinicians that the child’s best interests are served by maintaining a relationship with both parents, except in cases of severe marital conflict and abuse.

Here are some ways to help your child during the divorce:

1. Keep visible conflict, heated discussions, and legal talk away from the kids.
2. Minimize the disruptions to kids’ daily routines.
3. Confine negativity and blame to private therapy sessions or conversations with friends outside the home.
4. Keep each parent involved in the kids’ lives.

Parents going through separation or divorce need support, and parents should seek this through friends, family, clergy or therapy. Parents should not use their kids for this kind of support, even if the child asks for it or tells you its ok.

Just like the parent who is going through their own grief and loss of the relationship, kids need time to grieve the loss as well. Encourage your children to be honest in what they are feeling, help them to put difficult feelings into words, validate what your child is feeling and offer them support. Remember you are not alone if you are not sure how to react or offer your child these supports ask for help, friends, family, your child’s teacher or a therapist can help guide you through these difficult times for you and your child.

 

By Becky Greenwood, LPC, InMindOut Therapist – San Marcos

 

 

Lee, C. M., & Bax, K. A. (2000). Children’s reactions to parental separation and divorce. Pediatrics & child health, 5(4), 217–218. doi:10.1093/pch/5.4.217

Lyness, D. (2015). Helping your Child through Divorce. Retrieved from: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/help-child-divorce.html