Out In Nature During COVID: Not Your Typical Walk In the Park So Watch this SAFETY Video BEFORE You Go!

Part of Lake Erie Bluffs Trail

If you're planning to combat cabin fever by getting outdoors, and especially if you plan on heading to a nearby park, it's not going to be like it used to...

This is a photo of a trail in the Metroparks my family and I visited a couple of summers ago. I have been to Lake Erie Bluffs several times since. There is an amazing observation tower (which I imagine is closed to the public right now) but there is also a very beautiful long set of trails.

While we all need the exercise and to get out of the house and go somewhere (this place offers both a long drive in the car which is a good idea and nice trails) this trail will most likely not be as empty as you see it here. Not with COVID in the picture.

SOOOOO...PLEASE watch this video recording by Brian Zimmerman, CEO of Cleveland Metroparks, before you head out on your trail walk. A lot of very good information (like make sure you potty before you go and MORE)!

Please share this! There is also an article that details these guidelines. Both in the article and the video, there are also ideas for you to help your kids at home learn new things while during your virtual learning schedule. (Hint hint- it's for those who are itching to get to the ZOO!)

Back to School Anxiety: Bullying

Download “School Boy Being Stressed” by David Castillo Dominici via freedigitalphotos.net I recently wrote about how to help your child if they’re struggling with going back to school because they were bullied. My biggest most important tip was to listen, because I honestly could not write a ‘How-to-make-them-not-afraid’ column. Frankly I thought that was absurd. Fear is sometimes real. Anxiety is sometimes truly there, and for a good reason. Our job as parents isn’t to try to make it go away, it’s to try to find out the true source of those worrisome feelings. If you’d like to read more, click here. And if you’re child is struggling to find excitement about the new school year, don’t deny it, just accept it and move forward gently. Here’s some more on bullying: Family Matters Links: A Touching Story/Song Bullying: A thing of the past A Peace Poem By My Teenage Daughter A Deeper Insight into My Thoughts on People Who Bring Harm to Others Other Links: Stop Bul

6 Ways to Support Teens and Mental Health (Column Related)

Enjoying a trip to see family and exploring the outdoors. May was Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s over now, but it shouldn’t be. I’m not a medical professional or anything even close, but I am convinced that every person on the planet (no matter age, economic status, profession, race, or gender) is vulnerable to events that can alter their state of mind. If you’re not sure about this, just research the increase in the amount of people seeking psychological help due to the pandemic, then try getting an appointment with a therapist or counselor that doesn’t require weeks or months on a wait list. There are so many things damaging our mental health that we don’t even realize. Add underlying issues not yet detected and undiagnosed…it’s a bad situation made worse, and the need for support more urgent. Many teens are struggling with mental health issues right now and many of us don’t even know it. How could we? Not too many teens feel comfortable talking to adults about ‘their stuff’ a

Green Punch Buggy....!!!!

Green Punch Buggy...No Punch Back! As I was writing this blog post, my son came to me showing off his Lego creation. And don't you know I got hit at least five times since on my computer screen was displaying at least five different punch buggies, of five different colors thanks to Google Images. (Bad timing I'm thinking...) How can we possibly have world peace with these silly cars in the world!? ;) Don't the owners of these cute-but-obnoxious-cars understand that driving these things around town promotes violence!? ;) Anyhow.... The original purpose of this blog was to ask parents everywhere this question: Do you find yourself saying 'PUNCH BUGGY *BLANK-COLOR*! ' to yourself, even when the kids are not in the car??? I do! Isn't it funny how those games we used to play as a child are still around? I bet our parents say the same thing.... HAPPY FRIIIIIIDAAAAYYYY! P.S. I got hit at least ten more times, since as my son stood beside

Search This Blog