admin November 11th, 2008
A child’s early environment can also be important, says Graham Music, child psychotherapist at the Tavistock Clinic, London. “Recent research has shown that maternal anxiety can be transmitted in utero; stress hormones can be transmitted across the placenta. As they grow up, children are often emotional barometers of their environments.”
The job of the parent, he adds, is to interpret the world for their child. “But you need a balance between being in touch with your child’s anxiety, and also showing them that there is a world outside the anxiety.” Perhaps by distracting them at the right moment.
A great article about how our anxieties are possibly passed to our children without us even realizing it. I’m taking a Trauma Information course and the intention of this class is to understand how our traumas as parents affect our parenting. It is true we are all shaped by our experiences and slowly I am learning what I’m inadvertantly putting on the shoulders of my children that are my issues not theirs.
It’s also always so refreshing to know that some experts agree with me in that what I experience and endured while pregnant could have an affect on Sydney. What a fantastic article.
To read the full article go to http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article5124499.ece
admin June 26th, 2008
Well, I have my son beside me fast asleep, my daughter snoring to the other side and a husband who is still tossing around a bit to get settled and now I have one last chance to take in this old place. Oh the memories that this place has lent itself too. From happiness to suprise, sadness to grief each part of this house tells a story. The front room is where I spent countless hours rocking, walking and singing my dear sweet Sydney to sleep. The dining room is where we took a picture of our son only 5 months old holding his first turkey leg (for posterity only, the leg was as big as his arm). The basement TV room was where Ehren spent many a day cuddled in his Babci’s arms while Sydney cried relentlessly in my arms upstairs. It is amazing to me now as I look back on all the morter and cement that this place is so hard to leave behind.
All signs are leading to us having made the right decision, the new school has been fantastic, the house is beautiful, the backyard is already being prepared for many a weekend visitor and it all seems so right. But today while Sydney took charge of the video camera and went around the house taping things as she saw them, I quickly jumped back 35 years or so to the old giggly movie camera my father had taping me taking my first steps along the side of the house. I felt the house today. I thanked the house today. I leave a piece of my heart behind with this house tonight. I hope that for Sydney and Ehren (especially Sydney) that this move will help them in the future. I hope that all the opportunities that we are unable to have here will happen in the new house. I hope for all the things you wish for any children. I wish for Sydney to be happy.
So I bid a fond farewell to the house that I was raised in, the house that gave me such warm shelter, the place that helped me become the person I am today. I draw strength from knowing that as a family we will be able to overcome all the anxiety over new surroundings. I still will shed a tear but I have my life of memories within me and I hope to pass on the strength that my parents instilled in me into my children. For heavens sake if my father could leave all of his family behind and come to a foreign country not knowing the language or the culture than surely I can leave this house behind and only be 20 minutes away from those closest to me.
admin April 14th, 2008
So I started this blog and figured every day I would be able to at least type a few lines and give people something good to read. Instead I have been living in stomach flu hell and all my good intentions have been temporarily uprooted.
I should start by introducing FKMAD and let you know a little bit about the upcoming meeting in May. I was looking for a support group for parents of children with Social Anxiety and in a nutshell could find nothing. So if you can’t find it…create it. I found through the wonderful internet a non-profit organization called “FKMAD” (families of kids with mood and anxiety disorders). Their philosophy on helping the family as a whole and being a resource for support is exactly what I wanted to acheive. I took on the responsibility of being the first group in Ontario. The intention is to meet every month or so and have an open forum for parents/caregivers so that they are able to find resources, friendship and a sense of strength. Your child does not have to have a firm diagnosis either; if you suspect any signs of anxiety, depression, OCD, bipolar disorder or any other mood disorder you are more than, welcome.
Let’s face it raising children is never easy…especially when other issues are involved. So please think about coming to our meeting and if you have a chance check out FKMAD’s site at www.fkmad.org.
