Parenting | Page 3

Reminder: Healing Isn’t Linear

A friend recently left me a desperate 10-minute voice message. She is a foster mom from another state whom I met in a Facebook support group. She is just a few steps away from signing adoption papers for her 13-year-old foster daughter. When I saw that the message was 10 minutes long, I knew it …

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Shattered Pieces: A Story of Explosive Behavior in Foster & Adoptive Youth

I opened my bedroom door, trembling. All down the hallway were shattered pieces of a mirror. In a fit of fear and blind rage, my son had taken anything he could find in his room and broken it. My husband and I had gone into our room until the breaking stopped; it was best to keep ourselves safe …

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Last Minute To-Do’s Before Back-to-School

There’s no getting around it – summer vacation will soon be over. Parents everywhere are trying to squeeze in doctor visits, dental checkups, and last-minute road trips. Maybe you are wondering how to get your family off to a great start in the new school year. As usual, I recommend turning to …

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Navigating Power Struggles

I recently heard the term “power struggle” described as an emotional tug-of-war. I like to refer to it as a lose/lose situation. Power struggles are not enjoyable – when two people or parties are competing for control or influence, it makes for a very uncomfortable and frustrating experience. …

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Fishing for Health

Sport fishing is the lifeblood of the Mille Lacs Lake area in Minnesota where one of our youth residential treatment facilities, Nexus Family Healing’s Onamia campus calls home. It is one of the top fishing areas in the state, boasting many angling options including the Rum River, …

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Talking to Children about Difficult Topics or Events

Our first instinct as adults is to protect children from information that contains violence, depicts the suffering of others or is deemed as “too difficult to understand.” But you do not want to shield children from difficult conversations when they are already being exposed to real-life …

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Parent Resources

Nexus is committed to involving families in the treatment process. That includes providing information and resources to help you better understand your child’s mental health and family needs during this time. Below is a list of resources you can access at any time. If there is additional …

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Talking to Your Kid about Their Drug or Alcohol Problem

Do you suspect your child is abusing drugs or alcohol, but don’t know how to address the topic? Maybe you’ve noticed a rapid weight change, odd sleeping patterns, falling grades, or a change in the group of friends he/she hangs out with. Maybe your child’s mood or energy level has …

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Understanding Self-Harm

Helping Your Child Deal with Emotions Intentional self-injury is one of the leading reasons American teens and young adults end up in the emergency room. A national study of Medicaid data revealed that 80-90% of youth self-harmers meet the criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder. …

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Responding to Your Child’s Anger

All humans experience anger, and your child is no different. A child’s brain often cannot process their emotions, especially during a stressful time. That can result in an emotional or behavioral outburst. Parents typically resort to one of two reactions when their child is acting out. A …

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A Parent’s Shame

Having a Child with a Mental Health Issue You’ve probably seen failed exams and missed curfews, yelling and tears, tickets and fines, community service and jail time. But you’ve also likely seen the sideways looks of accusatory blame, sighs of exhaustion, curled lips of exasperation, …

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When Does Discipline Cross the Line to Abuse?

It can be a confusing distinction for parents: when does disciple become abuse? Even star athletes fall victim to the confusion. Just look at the recent case involving NFL star Adrienne Peterson and his son.1 Each state has its own definition of what constitutes child abuse, but a story in the …

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