Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative Blog
Suicide is a challenging topic to discuss, but we know that connecting with others, even when difficult, can change the course of a friendship or a life. September is national suicide prevention month. Let’s remind ourselves how we can best support each other. If someone you care about has died by suicide, please know it […]
Exhausted. Nervous. Cynical. Headaches. Sad. These symptoms persisted, and I began to realize this wasn’t me. I used to feel optimistic, light, and joyful. These emotions appeared after a profoundly stressful time at work, and I didn’t like who I was becoming. Sometimes, I knew exactly why: there were WAY too many things on my […]
In 2020, when hiking with a friend who is a primary care physician, I asked her how her practice was going. She talked about the COVID precautions and struggles and also shared that she had never seen so many teens struggling with anxiety. She was deeply concerned, and we discussed how to support them through […]
Being a parent is one of the hardest things some of us will do in our lifetime! Especially when it comes to how we are disciplining our children when each of them has their own personality! To help clarify what discipline is, it is when as parents we take what we learned growing up and […]
Discussing mental health has become more popular lately. Folks may have suffered in silence in past decades, but awareness and education are shifting the conversation. Researchers have studied what makes us struggle and how to alter our state of mind. We can use this month to learn about resources and work toward a stronger sense […]
April is an opportunity to learn more about and celebrate the over 40,000 Arab Oregonians and an estimated 1.5 million Arab Americans. Arab Americans often have to navigate bias and hate directed toward them. Although our government’s census and many official documents determine that Arab Americans are white racially, many people move through the world […]
As an early childhood education student, the more I learned, the more I decided that best practices for young kids were best for us all. We can all benefit from slowing down, making time for wonder, delighting in simple joys, playing, snuggling, moving outdoors, giggling, and maybe even napping. How can we invite these practices […]
As my sister prepared to adopt her daughter, our family excitedly gathered clothes, books, and toys for her. My sister shared photos and advice that she received from her case workers. She read about how best to transition a child to a new home and planned as much as she could for a new addition […]
When I volunteer, I step outside of my world and away from my worries. I focus on who is before me and how I can help. I gain perspective of the world around me and of my existence. I feel grateful for the privileges I have. But I don’t sign up to volunteer because it […]
During our quarantine time, I realized how meaningful our social connections were to our mental health. I desperately missed my therapeutic conversations with close friends and chit-chat with acquaintances I ran into around town. Connecting with others gives us opportunities to feel happier and reduces feelings of depression and anxiety. How can we cultivate our […]