We Are The Family Room

Around the world, cultures have different postpartum traditions and rituals to help support new mothers heal during the postnatal period. In many areas, that includes a confinement period of rest and special meals to promote recovery and lactation.  The concept of Chinese confinement — “zuo yue zi,” or “sitting the month”— is when a new mother stays at home for one month to allow her body to rest...

We know sex assigned at birth and gender identity are two different things. In toddlers, the idea of gender identity can be very fluid, but generally around age 5 or 6, most children are rigid about gender and preferences often due to social pressures and other factors. The number of young people in the United States now openly identifying as a gender different from the one they were assigned at b...

**Trigger Warning: Lucie's story includes a traumatic birth** A stay in the neonatal intensive care unit for your baby can feel like a rollercoaster ride you were forced to get on. Very few people know in advance their baby will need to spend time in the NICU and the reasons babies are sent there can vary greatly from additional monitoring needed to serious health issues. Some babies stay a f...

Today we are replaying  Episode 15 from Season 1 on how to handle the holidays with extended family and a baby.  Last year around this time, we spoke with Kim-Lan Dovan, lead Parent and Me educator at The Family Room on how to navigate family expectations and dynamics during the holidays while also staying true to what is important to you and your parenting. The episode offers important perspectiv...

It is that time of year again when many parents are thinking about getting professional family pictures for holiday cards. It can be a stressful process from finding a photographer and picking a date, to buying coordinating outfits everyone likes, which can include multiple trips to Old Navy, to bribing the kids to smile nicely, and on and on. We take a million pictures of our children, but not as...

More people are identifying as mixed race in the United State than ever before. The 2020 census showed a 256% jump in people identifying as multiracial over the previous 10 years. Mixed-race children are a growing part of that demographic. Raising multiracial children can present unique challenges for parents of any race, especially navigating issues related to racial identity and discrimination....

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go on the adventure of moving your family abroad for a bit? You are not alone! Thanks to the increase in remote working, more and more families have packed their bags and moved overseas in recent times.   On this episode, Karen talks with Mia Hemstad, a trauma informed self-care coach and a mental health advocate about her move overseas.  Mia moved f...

When it comes to having kids with a partner who practices a religion different from your own, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to blending faith and customs, especially for your children. Just like everything else in families, religions can be blended. Unlike older generations for whom incorporating religion into parenting was the norm, that is not the case today. Though having children can r...

Children need loving, attuned parents, not necessarily in the same house. Today on the podcast, we are talking about separation, co-parenting and divorce. Even the most amicable separation is life-changing for young children and parents. But it doesn’t have to damage the children in the long run. Being a content single parent and the best version of yourself is better than modeling an unhealthy re...

Secondary infertility — the inability to have another child after having a first — affects about 11 percent of couples and takes families by surprise. The reasons  or lack of clear reasons are often the same for secondary infertility as primary infertility. And the emotions are often the same too, from sadness, to jealousy, and anger.  But now, because you are already a parent, you are surrounded...

Cold and flu season is quickly approaching and many of you have likely already scheduled your little one's flu shot. Did you know seven out of ten kids fear going to the doctor? Going to the doctor may never be something your child looks forward to doing, but it is an important part of staying healthy.  As parents, there are things we can do to reduce the stress and anxiety of annual visits,...

Something often shared by parents in many of our classes is a sense of imposter syndrome when it comes to their new roles as parents from doubting your abilities to a feeling of not belonging.  Joining Karen this week is Kim-Lan Dovan, marriage and family therapist and lead Parent & Me educator to help us understand what imposter syndrome is, why it happens and what you can do to overcome it. ...

***Trigger Warning: Blakley's story contains loss. Please take care of yourself if you are not in the place to listen at this time*** Between 10 and 15 percent of known pregnancies end in pregnancy loss, yet despite how common pregnancy loss is, many parents and families suffer in silence and don't get the support they need.  On this episode Karen is joined by Blakley Graham who shares h...

The dynamics of partner relationships is something we could probably talk about all the time, as there are so many elements of your relationship that change after having a baby. On this episode Karen chats with Ellie Baker,  a relationship coach with degrees in psychology and counseling,  specifically about making intentional decisions around work, childcare and money with your partner. These issu...

As the We are The Family Room podcast hits its first year and The Family Room approaches year nine since opening our doors, we thought it was a good time for Karen to share The Family Room story!  From her Mommy and Me class in Boston, to moving to Pasadena as a single mom, having twins and discovering the shocking lack of support for new parents, making a career change and taking the giant leap t...

We talk a lot about comparisons at The Family Room. Comparisons to other peoples experiences from pregnancy to early parenthood and beyond can make us feel terrible about our own journey. There is a popular saying that comparisons can be the thief of joy.  Another comparison trap that everyone with two or more children has intentionally or unintentionally fallen into is sibling comparisons. In thi...

Anxiety is one of the most common mental illnesses and can affect many of us in varying degrees. It’s hard not to be anxious in our modern world. Becoming a parent can increase anxiety even more with intensified concerns about the world and keeping our children safe. Dr. Lauren Cook joins Karen to talk about anxiety caused by everything from gun violence to everyday parenting concerns, tips to hel...

As a follow-up to Episode: 48, we continue the conversation about having a special needs journey with Elise's husband, Quinn. Karen speaks with Quinn about what the experience has been like for him.  He speaks very candidly about his struggles in accepting his son's early diagnosis, learning to be ok with life looking different,  the ways he and Elise encourage and help each other in the...

Dual language immersion school programs have become increasingly more popular with more and more families considering them. On this episode Karen talks to Family Room mom Melissa Merritt about the ins and outs of enrolling her two children in dual language programs.  Melissa's children started in a dual language preschool and then transitioned into a dual language kindergarten program. Meliss...

Being a parent is hard. But being the parent of a child with special needs can seem downright impossible and completely overwhelming at times.  In a candid conversation, Karen talks with Elise Lovejoy, a friend and Family Room mom all about navigating her son's Crosby's autism diagnosis.  Elise shares their story from the early signs that her son had different challenges, to denial and d...

While we many expecting couples take classes to learn how to care for their new babies, often parents don't consider how to take care of themselves during the life-changing transition and beyond. In this episode Karen is joined by Lauren Hays and Megan Dalton.  Lauren Hays is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and boy mom to three. Lauren's co-founder Megan Da...

Language development is an essential part of your child's growth. Speech and language impact your child's social interactions, behavior and academic skills. A whole new world opens up when your child can communicate with words! Speech and language delays are the most common type of developmental delay in children. Between five and twelve percent of children ages two to five years are dia...

This topic grew out of the What’s for Dinner discussion in Episode 38 with registered dietician Elise Compston. If you haven’t listened to that episode you should! It is hard to talk about food and not talk about feelings around food and our bodies. As we know, body image is complex, from the way we feel about our body to the way society values it. Children are exposed to thousands of messages eve...

Children outgrow clothing quickly and often have items in their closets with tags on them from gifts yet to be worn. Buying secondhand clothing can not only save you money for the next ever-frequent growth spurt, but is an eco-friendly and sustainable option everyone should consider.   In this episode Karen is joined by Samira Husein, the owner of Dakota + Rowan, a cute secondhand store located in...

Early intervention is critical in addressing developmental delays and the good news is that there is support for you and your little one through the Regional Centers in California. They provide free services such as speech and language therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy to support your growing child.  Many of our families have gained important support through the Regional Center,...