Raising Mentally Healthy Kids with Michelle Nietert

In the first half of my conversation with Licensed Professional Counselor – Supervisor Melissa Clark, we discussed how we can prepare our kids to return to school well and help them manage back-to-school stress. In this episode, we're focusing on asking our kids the right questions to help them problem solve effectively and sharing about the power of intention to create calm in a chaotic situation. We also discuss how to help our kids with perfectionistic tendencies and how praying can give them confidence.

Key points from our conversation:

🥅 Having a purpose creates focus and intention, so helping your child set one goal for being at school can build confidence and lead to better mental health.

🤝 Serving others is one of the best things we can do for our mental health. Thinking outside ourselves distracts us from our worries and creates calm in a chaotic situation.

💪 Ask your kids about a problem they're facing and ask them to think of 1 or 2 solutions. Bringing them into the process helps empower them to problem solve and ultimately acclimates them to life.

🧠 It's important to help children with perfectionistic tendencies verbalize and understand they're being perfectionistic. Often kids are identifying through academics instead of Christ and need to develop self-compassion.

📚 Every child faces personal challenges at school, but it's important they understand that the messages they receive about themselves don't define them. Ask them what they're saying to themselves about themselves and the school year.

❓ Don't monologue, ask questions. When you ask a question, you're inviting your child to think and showing respect, then they model it back to you.

🙏 Spirituality is a strong component of mental health. Praying for our kids can give them confidence that God is with them. Encourage them to tap into God's power throughout the day. Modeling prayer is also important. Ask them how you can pray for them.

Resources mentioned:

Love Her Well: 10 Ways to Find Joy and Connection with Your Teenage Daughter

Connect with Melissa: website | Instagram | Facebook

You can find more resources about mental health, parenting, and coping with anxiety at MichelleNietert.com.

Please be sure to subscribe to the Raising Mentally Healthy Kids podcast on your favorite podcast player so you never miss an episode! And if this episode helped you we'd love it if you'd leave a review to help other parents find this resource.

And don't forget to join the conversation about raising mentally healthy kids with Michelle on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

One of the things I've been asked most about this fall is how we as parents can help prepare our kids to return to school. For this episode, I've invited my friend and Licensed Professional Counselor – Supervisor Melissa Clark to talk about how we can help empower our children to be flexible, confident, and competent this semester and offer some strategies to create a safe space for your anxious kid to process in a healthy way.

Key points from our conversation:

🚌 When encouraging an anxious child to return to school or other social situations, you need to know the difference between pain and pressure. There is no definitive line; you will know what they need by spending time with them.

✨ It's challenging, but it's important for us to be reflective of how God uniquely made our children and ask how we can shepherd them well; not coddling them but helping them make better decisions.

😷 As kids return to school with varying mask protocols, it's important for them to practice flexibility and the best way for us to help them learn is to model it ourselves.

🎒 Anxiety is a feeling of powerlessness, so it can be helpful to make a plan with your child about navigating their day and finding safe spaces. "When we take control over what we can in the present, it shapes resiliency."

🗣️ We should be helping our kids (especially younger kids) build their feelings vocabulary and teaching them to express their emotions. It can be helpful to use a feelings chart.

😫 If your child gets overwhelmed, give them a safe space to process. Try journaling. Offer to send them to a counselor or find mentors they can speak with. Spend one on one time with them and ask them what emotions they're experiencing.

Connect with Melissa: website | Instagram | Facebook

You can find more resources about mental health, parenting, and coping with anxiety at MichelleNietert.com.

Please be sure to subscribe to the Raising Mentally Healthy Kids podcast on your favorite podcast player so you never miss an episode! And if this episode helped you we'd love it if you'd leave a review to help other parents find this resource.

And don't forget to join the conversation about raising mentally healthy kids with Michelle on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

In the second half of my interview with psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen we're breaking down some of the hidden influences covered in his book Your Brain is Always Listening: Tame the Hidden Dragons That Control Your Happiness, Habits, and Hang-Ups. We also discuss the impact of regular exercise on mental health as well as offer some practical advice about setting goals and bonding for parents who want to raise mentally healthy kids.

Key points from our discussion:

🐉 Some of the hidden dragons in his book include Dragons from the Past that ignite your most painful emotions; Negative Thought Dragons that attack you, fueling anxiety and depression; They and Them Dragons, people in your life whose own dragons do battle with yours; Bad Habit Dragons that increase the chances you'll be overweight, overwhelmed, and an underachiever; Addicted Dragons that make you lose control of your health, wealth, and relationships; Scheming Dragons, advertisers, and social media sites that steal your attention.

🏃‍♀️ If you want a healthy brain, exercise is critical. Walking increases blood flow to the brain and has been found to be an effective treatment for depression when done 20-30 minutes 3-5 times a week.

👍 Affirmations help retrain your brain. If you want to get the affirmations to root more effectively, say them while you walk.

📝 Write down your goals and assess daily if your behaviors fit the goals you have as a parent.

⛓ If you're bonded with a child, they will pick your values; if you're not, they will pick the opposite simply to irritate you.

👩‍👦‍When kids start rebelling, they need more connection, not more discipline. Connected kids are more cooperative kids.

👂 Connection requires time and willingness to listen. Talk less and try using the prompts "tell me more" and "what I hear you saying".

📏 Rules are good but should be simple such as "don't make a problem" and "do what we say the first time you're asked." Setting healthy boundaries is essential and beneficial for both parent and child.

💕 We need to stop asking what's wrong and focus on what's right with our families.

Resources Mentioned:

Your Brain is Always ListeningThe Relentless Courage of a Scared ChildParenting with Love and Logic Learn more about Dr. Amen's supplements

Follow Dr. Daniel Amen: website | Instagram | Facebook | podcast

You can find more resources about mental health, parenting, and coping with anxiety at MichelleNietert.com.

Please be sure to subscribe to the Raising Mentally Healthy Kids podcast on your favorite podcast player so you never miss an episode! And if this episode helped you we'd love it if you'd leave a review to help other parents find this resource.

And don't forget to join the conversation about raising mentally healthy kids with Michelle on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

Medical professionals often assess your mental health based on a set of symptoms rather than the biological data of what's happening in your brain. In part one of my interview with one of America's leading psychiatrists, Dr. Daniel Amen, we're discussing how a brain-imaging tool called SPECT can help accurately identify underlying brain issues. He also walks through the model for addressing mental health from physical, relational, and spiritual aspects, explains why he prefers to use natural supplement support rather than medications and discusses possible causes of ADD.

Key points from our discussion:

🧬 SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) imaging is used to help accurately identify underlying brain issues that can contribute to symptoms. This means you get the right diagnosis and most effective treatment for faster healing.

🧠 Avoid the term "mental illness." Mental health conditions are actually brain health issues that steal your mind. If you get your brain right, the mind will follow.

✨ You are not your diagnosis. Your symptoms can change with intervention.

🏥 The model for mental health treatment should address issues with the physical brain as well as stopping automatic negative thoughts and tackling bigger psychological issues. It also extends to our ability to create healthy connections in our relationships and the spiritual beliefs that anchor our behavior with purpose and meaning.

🌿 In his research, Dr. Amen has found that some medications made the brain better and some made it worse. Treatment using natural supplements supports and optimizes the physical functioning of the brain.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Kids with ADD typically have parents with ADD. It can also be induced by head trauma. People with ADD function better with structure.

Resources Mentioned:

Change Your Brain, Change Your LifeAmenClincs.com

Follow Dr. Daniel Amen: website | Instagram | Facebook | podcast

You can find more resources about mental health, parenting, and coping with anxiety at MichelleNietert.com.

Please be sure to subscribe to the Raising Mentally Healthy Kids podcast on your favorite podcast player so you never miss an episode! And if this episode helped you we'd love it if you'd leave a review to help other parents find this resource.

And don't forget to join the conversation about raising mentally healthy kids with Michelle on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

In the second half of my conversation with author Crystal Paine, we're continuing our discussion of what to do when your child talks about suicide. During our chat, she shares the advice that a counselor offered her about her approach to her child's mental health that changed her perspective (and yielded better results). She also gives some suggestions about how we can create connection over correction to help our children grow and offers some encouragement to moms who feel like they're facing this struggle alone.

Key points from this episode:

‍‍‍ Parents should be involved in their child's treatment plan. The best therapy impacts the child and the entire family system. When Crystal stopped trying to fix and correct her kid and focused on loving them and walking with them through the process, it helped her look objectively at how she was parenting. We create connection with our children by stepping into their world and engaging with them in things they're interested in. "Don't listen to fix, listen to hear." After 4 years of therapy and meds, Crystal says her child is totally different, but the process hasn't been easy. It's taken education of how their child's brain works and daily practice of modeling emotional language. Medications are intimidating, but they can be a great resource to help regulate the chemical imbalance a child is experiencing. 🤍 If your child is suicidal, you are not alone. Find a few trusted people to love you through the journey and provide wise counsel. When in doubt, check it out. It's worth it to do the hard work. Set aside your pride and get help.

Resources Mentioned:

More Than Moody

Follow Crystal Paine: website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

You can find more resources about mental health, parenting, and coping with anxiety at MichelleNietert.com.

And don't forget to join the conversation about raising mentally healthy kids with Michelle on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

With 94% of kids expressing anxiety and 84% experiencing depression, mental health has hit an epidemic level for today's youth. In this episode, I'm talking with author Crystal Paine about what it's been like to have a suicidal child, the signs of anxiety and depression leading up to a diagnosis, the process of finding a counselor, and different levels of mental health care.

Key points from today's episode:

In teens, it can be hard to identify what is typical hormonal change behavior or something more. When the severity of the outburst doesn't match the severity of the situation, it's a sign of stored anxiety.

✅ "When in doubt, check it out."

🧠 A child experiencing mental health issues or expressing suicidal thoughts is traumatizing for parents, so it's important that parents are also processing their PTSD in healthy ways.

️ In the faith-based community, we link poor choices with character. With mental health issues, that does them a huge disservice by creating a guilt-shame cycle.

Giftedness changes the intensity of a person. If not managed well, it can become overwhelming and result in unhealthy behaviors.

🧭 Navigating mental health may require a team of doctors, counselors, and therapists as well as investment from the parents, both individually and together. It takes time to find the right combination, but it's worth the investment to find the right fit.

Resources Mentioned:

Love Centered Parenting Smart, but Scattered

Follow Crystal Paine: website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

You can find more resources about mental health, parenting, and coping with anxiety at MichelleNietert.com.

And don't forget to join the conversation about raising mentally healthy kids with Michelle on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

I am so excited to present to y'all my new podcast, Raising Mentally Healthy Kids. As a parent, you need to realize that your child's mental health starts with your own mental health, and that's what Episode 1 is all about!

Key points from today's episode:

🧠 Raising mentally healthy kids doesn't mean you can't struggle with mental health as an adult.

😅 Mentally healthy parents exemplify to their kids how to manage emotions, handle unexpected circumstances, and walk with competence.

💬 Renew your mind by deciding how you want to feel and what thoughts you need to think to feel that way.

👟 Create movement with your kids and move with them!

🛏 Prioritize sleep! (Leave those dishes for tomorrow!!)

🥑 Find practical ways for your family to eat healthily. See if your health insurance covers one visit to a dietician so you can get family health ideas (most insurances do cover this).

⏱"The other 6 days and 23 hours"

❤️ Scripture referenced: Psalms 118:24, 1 Corinthians 6:19, Proverbs 29:18

You can find more resources about mental health, parenting, and coping with anxiety at MichelleNietert.com.

And don't forget to join the conversation about raising mentally healthy kids with Michelle on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

You're listening to the Raising Mentally Healthy Kids Podcast with host Michelle Nietert who's been a licensed professional counselor for over 20 years, An award-winning author, previous creator of a large school district crisis counseling program and the clinical director of Allen Community Counseling Associates located in the Dallas Texas area.

With the increase in mental health statistics regarding kids and teens along with climbing suicide rates, Michelle is passionate about equipping parents to understand and talk with their kids about the mental health issues they encounter in our culture every day.

This week on Raising Brave Beauties, Lynn Cowell and I are joined by Rebecca Peet and her daughter 10-year-old daughter Myla for a refreshing episode on personality types and facing fears.

Rebecca has a background in theology and has worked in church ministry. She currently co-hosts a podcast, Woven, and is a certified Enneagram coach. She can be found on her website RebeccaPeet.com.

We're talking about:

💛How to find a counselor for your child

😓 Courage isn't the absence of fear, but walking through the fear

👩‍👧Using the Enneagram to become self-aware and a better parent

✈️ Planning new and exciting experiences and trips with your girl

Be sure to check out our book "Loved and Cherished: 100 Devotionals for Girls" now available on Amazon or at lovedandcherished.me 🌸✨📚

This week on Raising Brave Beauties, Lynn Cowell and I are joined by Liz Rasley and her daughter Claire for a motivating episode on growing up and taking positive risks.

Liz is the author of "Levity: Humor and Help for Hard Times" and a preschool teacher! She can be found on her blog lizrasley.com.

We're talking about:

🎨 Having an artistic, creative mom

👂🏻 How to listen more and talk less

🌱 Taking risks that allow your child to grow

✝️ God made you as you are for a reason and you are His creation

And be sure to check out our book "Loved and Cherished: 100 Devotionals for Girls" now available on Amazon or at lovedandcherished.me 🌸✨📚