After parenting through the past 3 years, most parents have some degree of health anxiety. If you find yourself very anxious about the start of school and respiratory season, here are some helpful tips.

The start of the school year is exciting, but it is also filled with anxiety - whether your child is going to school (or daycare) for the first time or not. Here are some tips to manage separation anxiety for kids — and a few more for parents, who often get overlooked when this is discussed.

Box breathing is an easy technique that is taught to US NAVY Seals (and pediatrician’s kids!) for those moments of overwhelm. I started working on the skill with oldest when she was 3. In our house, it has come in handy for insomnia, tantrums, and even when we had to go to the ER recently for a laceration repair.

Anxiety, untreated ADHD, depression, sleep issues, or other conditions such as autism and developmental delay can all be reasons for tantrums that are beyond what would be normal.

When your child has a tantrum, their primitive brain takes over: the amygdala and the hypothalamus. These trigger a fight-or-flight response, which is why you will see your child flush, breathe more heavily, and even sometimes have a racing heart during a tantrum. The only way to respond in these moments is to allow time, create connection, and give the body a chance to turn off that fight-or-flight response.