Conversations on Mental Health, Human Connection & Healing

Parenting Woes & Permission to Rest

Hello friends,

Well, it's been another interesting week in our household! 😊

We're navigating some changes around our daughter's screen time, and my goodness, parenting a 13-year-old is quite the experience!

We're trying to create healthier boundaries and encourage more family time. But of course, she's 13, and hanging out with her friends online is a pretty big part of her social life right now. And I get it. I really do.

So we're trying to find that balance: giving her independence, helping her build healthy habits, and making sure we stay connected as a family. Add her ongoing mental health challenges into the mix, and some days feel a little more complicated than others.

Here's the funny part. It feels like history repeating itself. We went through so much of this when our son was 13, and I find myself having déjà vu moments almost daily.

I even said as much to him recently. His words of wisdom for his mother?

"Hang in there, Mom. She's just going through the process of being a teen." 😂

Out of the mouth of the young man who once put us through it himself. I'll take the advice.

One thing I'm learning is that parenting doesn't suddenly get easier because you've learned more about mental health. Sometimes you know all the right things and still struggle to put them into practice in your own home!

So, no big revelations this week. Just another chapter in the parenting journey, and I'm sure many of you can relate.

We're figuring it out, one day at a time.

💛 Something for Our Parent Community

I'm excited to share that we're getting ready to launch our first Path To Hope™ Community Education Series program at Ellie Mental Health – Concord on October 25th!

Our first offering is designed for parents of children with ADHD, with practical education, tools, and support to help families navigate everyday challenges. The website page to register is being built as we speak. But here is a flyer for your information!

If you know a parent, caregiver, educator, or family who might benefit, please pass this news letter along. Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is connect someone with a resource they didn't know existed.

🎙️ Path To Hope™ Podcast Update

The guest line-up is coming together, and I'm so excited to share a little more.

Week after next, I'll be recording my second guest, Dan Cohen. His career and life experience are awe-inspiring, and I'm grateful for the challenges he's willing to share, because I know they will help so many others.

And honestly, I'm just in awe of this line-up. I have a guest who became a clinician and coach because he wants to help others come out of the same storm he was once in. I have another who has quite literally beaten the streets and is now helping so many youth do the same. I have the founder of Dork Dancing, who found dance to be his own way through his mental health journey. And of course, I have my dear friend who guided me with her lived experience while we were navigating that tough journey with our son, and whose daughter designed the cover of my book. 💛

I am so grateful for the guests I've lined up so far. Each one is helping shape the Path To Hope™ Podcast into what it was always meant to be. If YOU would like to be a guest, please don't hesitate to let me know!

Here's what I picture when I think about it: these conversations reaching corners of the world, playing in living rooms, changing one family at a time. More than anything, I want this to be a place where families and individuals can find out who they are and connect deeply with themselves, and therefore with others.

Because that's how peace and joy is spread.

🌱Path To Hope™ Learning Corner

Rest without guilt.

If you're feeling overwhelmed lately, here's something I want you to remember.

It's okay to rest. And I mean really rest. Without feeling guilty about it.

Think about how much we take in every single day. Emails. Text messages. News. Social media. Work. Family responsibilities. Appointments. Decisions. More decisions.

From the moment we wake up until the moment we go to bed, our minds are going, going, going. And somehow, we've convinced ourselves that if we're not being productive, we're wasting time.

But our minds and bodies aren't meant to be switched on for 16 hours a day!

Sometimes you need to sit quietly. Take a nap. Go for a walk without your phone. Listen to music. Or do absolutely nothing.

And here's the important part:

You don't have to earn your rest.

You don't need to finish every task on your list first. You don't need to justify it to anyone. And you certainly don't need to feel guilty about it.

I'm reminding myself of this as much as I'm reminding you.

So this week, give yourself permission to slow down.

Rest. And rest well. No guilt. Period. 💛

Until our next conversation,

Saroni
Author • Speaker • Mental Health Advocate

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis in the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If there is immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Founder, Path To Hope™
Owner, Ellie Mental Health Concord, MO

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