EveryDay Strong

When our kids go off to college for the first time, it's a HUGE and sudden shift in our relationship with them. Up until now, we've been able to protect and shelter them from the worst of what life has to offer. But now they are on their own for the first time. They might struggle to make friends. They might struggle to manage their schedule. And sometimes we feel so helpless. You don't have to be...

One of the hardest things as parents is feeling helpless when we know our child has to come in contact with another adult who may be harsh or punitive. For example: if you are divorced and your child is court-ordered to spend weekends with their other parent. What can you possibly do to help your child feel strong, loved, and protected? Today I talked with Kelli Stout, who works as a therapist at...

"The boundaries you set for your kid make more sense when you do feel connected to them." A lot of us were parented in a very top-down way: "do what I say or you're grounded" kind of a mindset.  You might feel like you want to do a different kind of parenting. But the shift is not an easy one!  Today we're talking to a very average, but very stellar, parent Kristina Pexton. Kristina walk...

Your child's pediatrician is one of the most important players in supporting your child through anxiety or depression. They can prescribe medications, help you understand the chemical nature of what's happening with your child, and help you make sure all their physical needs are met (like helping them sleep or eat better).  But how can you make this relationship as optimal as possible? What d...

As we go out and teach EveryDay Strong in the community, there are a lot of parents who are very worried about their teenager who struggles to carry on a conversation. Basic social skills are the foundation for everything else in life, like getting a job or having meaningful relationships. But if you can't even talk to your teenager about how they can't talk to people, what are you supposed to do?...

You probably know this feeling: a child in your life needs professional help but you have no idea where to start. Psychiatrist? Psychologist? Therapist? LCSW? LMFT? CMHC? What do these acronyms even mean? Will my insurance cover it? What do I do if I don't have insurance? These are all questions that can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, you are not the first person to experience this and our commun...

This week I spoke with Rachel Mortensen, who currently serves as Miss Eagle Mountain, about what went well for her and her mental health during the pandemic. She shares some particularly insightful ideas about how having support beyond just your parents can make an incredible difference for our well-being. 

Bullying is something we don't ever want to see happen in our schools. Unfortunately, it still does from time to time. When it does, how can we meet the emotional needs of the kid being bullied? And how can we think about meeting the bully's needs for safety, connection, and confidence to help her or him make better choices?  School counselor Lynnete Nielson gives us her perspective and some...

Homework procrastination. It haunts parents across the world. The fights at the kitchen table, the refusal to cooperate. Sometimes, though, this behavior can be a sign of deeper anxieties--or even minor trauma--that we don't know about. So how can focusing on emotional security and a sense of peace and safety get better results with our kids' homework? Therapist Derek Larsen is here to tell us how...

When a kid isn't acting the way we need them to--they won't put away their stuff or do their homework--it's so easy to slip into frustration and blame. We don't like it, but that little inside voice pops up saying, "why can't my kid just try harder?" We often want  to be patient, especially if they have a diagnosis like ADHD and we know it's not all their fault.  But how can we be the ca...

It's one thing to create safety, connection, and confidence one-on-one with a kid--but can you do it for an entire high school? It turns out you can. To find out how, listen to this week's interview with master school administrator Rhonda Bromley. She tells us about how she created safety as a high school principal, even with the most difficult of kids, and the one thing she persisted in doin...

You might have a vision for what your teenager or child needs in order to thrive. But you're not the only adult in your kids' life: there's her teacher, perhaps his other parent, or their youth leaders at church or a club. Are they resistant to what you know your child needs? Licensed clinical therapist Jenny Howe deals with this all the time. She specializes in helping parents collaborate with th...

Today's question: “My students seem to have a fear of failure or fear of trying again something that went poorly the first time. I have so many students who just won't even try with school, and I think one big reason why is because last year was such a traumatic disaster. How do you help teens work past the memories and try again?” -Megan J To answer this question, we decided to go a different rou...

Today’s question: “As a parent of a neurodiverse kid (autism), in-person social interaction is essential to his development, growth, and friendships. The pandemic was really hard on him because his two main avenues to socializing (math club and chess club) were gone. How do I help him ease back into sociality after the pandemic?” — Blaire O Our expert: Dr. Ilse DeKoeyer, PhD, moved to Utah in the...

Today’s question: “ How can we reintroduce kids to being around other people after a year of keeping our distance? My 3-year-old has intense stranger danger because she has not been around non-family members during a formative time of development. How do I help young kids understand how the vaccine and other measures mean we can gradually return to some normal activities and process the emotions o...

Today’s question:  My son has become a huge germaphobe since the pandemic began. We went out to the nickelcade, and he scrubbed himself down for thirty minutes afterwards — even though he was wearing a mask and wearing gloves. Unfortunately, I think this is going to be a problem that will continue long after the pandemic is over. What can I do to help him? Bree S. Our expert: Jenny Howe is a...

Today’s question: “My child’s grandmother passed away during the pandemic. How do I help her deal with the anxiety and fear of death of loved ones and just the general impermanence and fragility of life?” —Zach K, father of two Our expert: Dr. David Schramm, associate professor and family life extension specialist in the department of Human Development and Family Studies at Utah State University....

Today’s question: “My kids seem to be using technology for almost all their connection with their friends. I know excessive amounts of screentime is not great for kids, and mine are on video games 10 hours a day but it’s because they’re chatting with their friends. What do I do about technology use after the pandemic, when they’ve become habituated to living out their entire lives online?   —...

EveryDay Strong Season 1: coming June 2021. We're talking all about recovery from COVID-19.