Parenting Through Anxiety: Navigating School Shootings and Fostering Resilience

Thrive: Mental Health and the Art of Living Free

This heartfelt episode explores the anxiety that arises from school shootings and their impact on parents and children. We discuss navigating our anxiety, promoting mental health, and processing emotions after such tragedies.

Our guest, Dr. Jessica Peck, shares her experiences as a pediatric nurse practitioner and first responder in her community. We also touch on the importance of maintaining routines, incorporating fun activities, and fostering resilience in our children. We discuss age-appropriate ways to talk to children about school shootings, using guiding questions to empower them to make a difference. Additionally, we explore the importance of acknowledging our imperfections as parents and opening up to others about our struggles. We emphasize the need to normalize mental health conversations and check in on our children's mental health regularly.

Join us as we dive into the complexities of parenting in a world where tragedy can strike at any moment and how we can help our children feel safe and supported through it all.

As a pediatric nurse practitioner in primary care, over the last 20 years, Dr. Jessica Peck has engaged, encouraged, equipped, and empowered families to raise holistically healthy kids. She guides parents to help navigate challenging parenting moments to escape shame and stigma with grace, hope, and courage.

Listen in to learn more:

• The importance of emotional regulation and self-care for parents

• Trauma dumping: what is it and how to avoid it

• Questions to stay engaged with your kids:

• • How are you feeling about what happened today?

  • How do you think this personally impacts me?

  • What can I do to make you feel safe?

  • What can you do to make a positive difference?

  • Ways to recognize unhealthy anxiety in yourself and your child

For the full episode show notes, please go to my website - melissaclarkcounseling.com