Garden of Gratitude Principles Written by Family Workshop Teen Graduate Living a positive, successful life is unattainable without gratitude.  Often described as appreciation, gratitude is demonstrating thankfulness for someone or something in your life. Gratitude can also be used as a coping mechanism, often helping with emotion and stress regulation. For those like me, a child of divorce, gratitude is an especially necessary skill and mindset to implement in daily life. This year, Kids’ Turn San Diego’s Garden of Gratitude campaign represents the overarching process of giving thank ..read more

CHOOSING PEACE OVER CONFLICT CHILDREN IN CONFLICT Divorce leads to a broken heart for everyone in the family, especially when conflict contiues after the papers are signed. Dreams may be shattered and lost. We may feel alone and sad. Sometimes we even feel angry and these feelings transition out of our hearts and into our behavior. It may not feel like it or you may not believe it, but having conflict in your relationship with you co-parent is a choice. You cannot change them or what they may or may not do to engage in conflict, but you can control yourself. YOU CAN DECIDE THAT YOU NO LONGER ..read more

Could this happen? Yes it can! A twelve-year-old is invited into the mediation process. One parent is in the lobby and the other parent is not present.  The mediator gives the pre-teen the space to share their living preferences by asking a simple question, “Where do you prefer to live?” The pre-teen responds, “I want to live with my mom.” Custody is set for the pre-teen to reside with the mother during the school week Monday – Saturday morning and to live with father on the weekends beginning Saturday mornings through Sundays 8pm. Holidays and summer vacations are set.  Fast forw ..read more

What are children and teens really thinking? Divorce is the break-up of two people who were in an intimate married relationship. At Kids’ Turn San Diego, the definition of divorce is the break-up of two parents who brought beautiful children into this world. From the eyes of the children, the definition of divorce is my parents argue all the time, will I need to move schools, how can I decorate my room at my new home, and will my parents ever stop arguing and fighting.  As March 18th is fast approaching, I think back three years when we were told to quaranti ..read more

Accepting Holiday Reality & Enjoying the Holidays As the holidays are fast approaching, many parents are struggling around holiday vacations. At Kids’ Turn San Diego, this is a common theme every December. In this month’s blog, we share some facts, offer some realities and provide some suggestions for getting out of the struggle.  Facts Fact: Sometimes children travel with one parent during the holidays to visit with extended family and one parent stays back for one reason or another Fact: When children travel with one parent, they do not have physical contact with their other par ..read more

World Kindness Week - 5 Acts of Kindness Did you know last week, November 13-19, was World Kindness Week? Kindness encourages connections between people, boosts self-esteem, and reaps many benefits for those practicing kindness and those affected by it. Think of kindness like a superpower that’s contagious! Celebrate World Kindness Week and enter the Thanksgiving holiday by committing to at least one act of kindness each day. Here are 5 ideas for the week: 1) Say thank you throughout the day. 2) Open the door for another person. 3) Do a favor for a friend or family member. 4) Reach out to a ..read more

Conflict Resolution Day - October 19, 2023 Conflict Resolution Day is observed on the third Thursday of October every year, falling on October 19 this year, today. Conflict Resolution Day is a day to accept that conflict sometimes exists and that instead of avoiding it or ignoring it, to find a way to get through it.  Conflicts tend to arise in many areas of our lives, such as workplaces, relationships, and families (https://nationaltoday.com/conflict-resolution-day/). At work, its co-workers bad mouthing others, questioning their performance, or creating hostile work environments. In ..read more

How to Prioritize ME and my mental health and emotional wellbeing? As parents, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day demands of raising a family, and we can forget to take care of ourselves. Sometimes, we even feel overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed. Although it is normal and okay to have these feelings, it is important to take care of them so they do not spoil over into your relationships with your children or co-parent. When we prioritize our mental health and take care of ourselves, handling challenges is a bit easier. Here are some ways to prioritize YOU: 1) Get Outside Whethe ..read more

YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Research shows that the human brain is about 90% developed by the age of 3 and recent studies have shown that the brain continues to grow and develop and undergoes a growth spurt in the teen years, with full development around the age of 25 or 26 (https://www.sharecare.com/health/brain/when-human-brain-stop-growing). The brain growth spurt was alive and in action in our most recent Family Workshop Teen Group! In this program, the teens learn skills, strategies and techniques to better communicate with their parents and to better manage themselves within their families. Th ..read more