Photo credit: Aled Lewis The holidays bring happiness to so many of us. The very idea of holidays inspires images of families smiling and laughing, feasting over perfectly cooked meals and sharing in the joy of being together. How could anyone hate this "most wonderful" time of year? That being said, most of us know someone who is a “Grinch” - an individual who does not share a love for the holidays and literally cringes at the thought of casseroles, Christmas carols, and gif

**This is Part 3 of Parenting with Intention; a 3 part-blog series by Aika Erlandson, LMFT-Associate at Austin STRONG: Relationship Building Center** Sometimes, parenting can be a stressful experience. When stress takes over the parenting, your child(ren) are paying very close attention and learning from your behaviors. Children look to their parents for support and modeling in figuring out how to manage emotions, especially when they feel distressed. As a parent, you may not

**This is Part 2 of Parenting with Intention; a 3 part-blog series by Aika Erlandson, LMFT-Associate at Austin STRONG: Relationship Building Center** Tips for Acknowledging your Child’s Emotions As your child learns to walk and talk, they will experience more of life, which also means an increased opportunity to feel more emotions. What your child needs the most from you is to help them figure out what emotions they are experiencing, why they are feeling the way they do, and

Part One: Fostering a Secure Parent-Child Relationship During the Holidays The holidays are fast approaching and it’s a special time for us to stop and consider what we are grateful for in our lives and set intentions for the new year. For some parents, it is easy to get caught up in daily routines--taking kids to school, going to work, picking the kids up, having dinner, going to sleep, and repeat--with little room to consider how you want to show up as a parent for your chi

**This is part 3 of a 3 part series on the Modern Parent. See The Modern Parent for part two of this series.** The journey to parenthood is, at the very least, a roller coaster full of ups and downs. So much is changing for both men and women that it can be difficult to remember the importance of making time for one’s self. Without proper self care and support from others, parenthood can be an exhausting, isolating, and extremely confusing time. Navigating the formation of a

What Happens to Our Identities When We Are Expecting A Baby? When do we “feel” like adults? This question seems to hang over the heads of most individuals. Passing legally defined age markers, gaining the right to vote, or turning twenty-one seems to do little to solidify one’s feeling on fully embodying what it is to be a grown up. According to researchers studying human development, the path to adulthood is bound to five central markers: Finishing school, leaving home, acqu