Today, in honor of Mental Wellness Month, our podcast host Cynthia Yanof speaks with psychologist Dr. Ken Wilgus about the struggles Christian kids may face.

Dr. Wilgus has been in practice for over thirty years in the DFW area and specializes in the treatment of adolescents and their families. He works with TCA families on a regular basis.

COVID is still contributing to stress in our kids' lives. Don't underestimate the amount of stress our children may be experiencing. If you are concerned about your child's stress level, the last year and a half are not indicative of how our kids will be.

For younger kids, our parental role is teaching. Routines in our families are important including prayer and teaching the faith.

For adolescents, our role shifts to training. Our kids are watching what we are doing as parents, not just what we say.

Dr. Wilgus reminds us to talk to our kids about performance anxiety. With children, we can teach children to let go of performance and shift their mindset. If you have an anxious teen, you may want to take the approach of walking alongside them and coaching them through it versus saying "don't worry about it."

He also reminds us how important it is to encourage children of all ages to engage with friends. We need to teach them the importance of loyalty and investing in one or two close friends. Let your kids be friends with who they connect with naturally. Model the need for connection with your own relationships.

We also hear about Dr. Wilgus' book Feeding the Mouth that Bites You and the theme of how to let go of the reins with teens. Parents may instruct, correct, and teach up until age 13. After age 13, you are parenting a young adult. Give them freedoms and let them begin to manage their own lives including their faith.

Dr. Wilgus also discusses issues our kids struggle with including social justice issues, drug and alcohol use, cutting and suicide, and the discussions we should be having with our teens. Relationships with our children and teens are key to having a voice in their lives. Teach your children, and train and walk alongside your teens.

We also want to remind you that TCA has three school counselors: Emily Eyre (LS), Shawn Ledebur (MS), and Rachel Armstrong (US). Our counselors offer short-term counseling and intervention for students on a variety of topics. They can also provide a list of Christian counselors if long-term counseling is necessary.

Click here for more information: https://www.trinitychristian.org/school-life/social-and-emotional-support Dr. Wilgus' Website: http://www.drwilgus.com/

Feeding the Mouth That Bites You is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Mouth-That-Bites- You/dp/1514762374/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1642094873&sr=