In the recent Advisory, Parents Under Pressure, the US Surgeon General noted that parents are currently more stressed, burned out, and lonely than ever before. The alarming statistics are not all that different than his Advisories on the Youth Mental Health and Loneliness Epidemics that have been escalating since the late 1970s.

In this episode of Shrinking it Down, Gene and Khadijah discuss this new advisory and what parents can do to combat these increased feelings of stress and loneliness.

• Parents Under Pressure (U.S. Surgeon General Advisory)
• Protecting Youth Mental Health (U.S. Surgeon General Advisory)
• Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (U.S. Surgeon General Advisory)
• Self-Care for Parents (MGH Clay Center)
• NAMI | National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Myths About the 12-Step Program (MGH Clay Center)
• Parental Stress: Practical Tips in Response to the Surgeon General (Clay Center)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let's be honest, we're all stressed.

We're stressed about climate change, world crises, the upcoming election, or even just the common stressors of everyday life: economic pressures, relationship issues, burnout, you name it. So, with all stress, our conversations can easily become more uncivilized.

In this episode of Shrinking it Down, Gene and Khadijah discuss the key elements of conflict resolution, strategies for civil conversations, and a special role-play scenario to help demonstrate positive conflict resolution.

• Political Polarization in the American Public (Pew Research Center)
• Conflict Resolution - 10 Tips for Families (Clay Center)
• Parents Under Pressure (U.S Surgeon General)
• Parental Stress: Practical Tips in Response to the Surgeon General (Clay Center)

Episode music by Gene Beresin

Episode produced by Spenser Egnatz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Special Education system in school can be confusing, especially if you haven’t been through the process with a child before.

In part 2 of this series, Gene and Khadijah continue their discussion with Ellen Braaten, PhD, and Eileen Hagerty, Esq, who specialize in learning disabilities and special education law. They discuss evaluation results, advocacy, and the importance of destigmatizing special ed.

• Learning & Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) (MGH)
• Ellen Braaten, PhD (MGH)
• Eileen M. Hagerty, Kotin, Crabtree & Strong, LLP (KCS Legal)
• Massachusetts Advocates for Children (Mass Advocates)
• Navigating Special Education in Schools Part 1: Legal and Practical Tips (Shrinking it Down)
• Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy (Wrights Law)
• From Emotions to Advocacy by Pamela Darr Wright and Peter W.D. Wright (Wrights Law)
• Parents Have the Power to Make Special Education Work (Amazon)

Episode music by Gene Beresin

Episode produced by Spenser Egnatz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.