by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Jul 3, 2026 | Blog
Summer is a prime time for stress and anxiety levels to skyrocket. Having kids home running around mixed with the blazing heat is not always the best combo. It is important to have ways to lighten your load and recognize when you need a moment to step away.
Write out your schedule
The summer months can get very booked very fast, and it can be daunting to remember every detail of every day. Having a clear cut schedule is one of the most efficient ways to see and understand everything you have going on without becoming overwhelmed.
Whether it’s in a planner or on a full-fledged calendar, writing things down boosts memory retention and reduces your cognitive load, helping you avoid scrambling to remember every miniscule detail. This also gives way to enhanced focus; if you were to draft a digital version, you might be more susceptible to distractions online. Writing everything makes for better time management, and a significantly lower chance of overscheduling yourself.
Put away time for yourself
Make sure that you are leaving at least a little bit of free time on the calendar for yourself. Whether your schedule is jam packed or on the lighter side, self-care time is encouraged and incredibly helpful, especially for those who get overwhelmed by the summer craze.
Alone time is incredibly important for mental health and well-being. Slowing down and taking a break allows for your nervous system to calm down and lower cortisol levels. Time with yourself creates a space for personal growth, and the ability to explore what you are interested in. Believe it or not, time spent away from others actually strengthens relationships! Absence really does make the heart grow fonder, and spending some time alone gives you new perspectives and experiences to share with others when you step back into your normal routine.
Practice patience
Kids are bright, full of energy and, of course, you love them. That being said, sometimes their energy and yours don’t line up, and it can be easy to get frustrated.
If you physically feel yourself getting overwhelmed, step away for ten seconds and take a deep breath or two. This lowers your impulse to yell. It is easy to get annoyed when your children don’t listen or are simply bouncing off the walls with energy. When this happens, you have to remind yourself that they are still mentally developing just as they are physically. They are adopting skills for emotional regulation, but they haven’t fully figured it out just yet. You need to remember that they aren’t adults, they are kids, so you can’t expect them to act as if they are fully grown. You can also use grounding techniques to distract and calm your mind from the feelings bubbling up, such as naming five things you see, four things you touch, three you hear, two you smell, and one you taste.
I got angry. What should I do?
It’s important to give yourself grace when you lose control. It is a perfectly normal thing to happen, and sometimes you aren’t able to recognize when you get too overwhelmed. That being said, it is important to take steps to ensure that you are less likely to get angry in the future.
Use this as a teaching moment. Take a few seconds to yourself to calm down first. Make sure that you regulate your emotions before going to help your child with theirs. Then, get to eye level and apologize to your child, letting them know you made a mistake. Be sure to validate their feelings and tell them that it is okay to feel how they are feeling. Take accountability for your actions and ensure your child that you should have spoken in a more calm way. It is normal to get angry sometimes, so remember to practice self-compassion
This is an incredibly powerful teaching moment not only for your child but for yourself too. It is a good step in the child learning about regulating emotions and how to deal with conflict. For yourself, it is good to learn what your triggers are and how you can take the necessary steps to recognize and redirect your frustration so that you can be better about it in the future.
If you are having trouble or need support, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center provides many helpful services. For more information, please call (516) 626-1971.
Tags: summer parenting, parenting tips, summer stress, parental stress, stress management, self-care for parents, family mental health, emotional regulation, parenting strategies, mindful parenting, coping skills, anxiety management, work-life balance, healthy routines, grounding techniques, patience with children, child development, positive parenting, family wellness, mental health support, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Jun 12, 2026 | Blog
By Guest Blogger Abby Schiff
Social media is at the center of many people’s day to day lives. For moms today, the constant intake of online information has a plethora of negative effects. These include toxic comparisons, feelings of inadequacy, and stigma around postpartum and perinatal care.
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center’s Diane Goldberg Maternal Health & Wellness Program works to combat these issues, along with providing help to mothers, soon to be mothers, and their families.
Toxic Comparison
Many people perfectly curate their social media platforms to look like the “ideal” life. They exude perfection in every frame. Their baby is happy, they are happy, they look good, their house looks good, and the list goes on.
For people looking in, this causes intense comparison with themselves to others, even family and friends who post online. They see a picture of a video of someone who is happy in their snapshot, and instantly feel like they are not doing enough or the correct thing.
“Everything looks so perfect when people are posting, but it’s not real. You are looking at someone’s life in a small moment in time, and you don’t know what happens before and after,” says Marsha Smith, LCSW.
“People with body image issues who haven’t lost weight after pregnancy are online comparing themselves to people who have,” says Dr. Sue Cohen, Director of Clinical Services.
When asked about the social media space for mothers, Smith says, “People doomscroll and get so much information. The algorithms perpetuate with negative content. It causes doom and gloom.”
Once you see one video about an issue with childbirth or life with newborns, they start flooding in and it is easy to get caught in the chaos.
The team at the Diane Goldberg Maternal Health & Wellness Program recommends that pregnant and postpartum moms sign off of social media to avoid the negativity that the platform can bring.
Stop the Stigma
Postpartum and perinatal treatment is incredibly stigmatized, motherhood is met with the expectation that everything is joyful and perfect leading up to and after birth. This can make it incredibly difficult for new mothers to seek the help they need, resulting from fear of judgement and feeling shame.
More women than ever are getting their advice from social media influencers and not professionals, which can lead to a delay in getting the help they need.
In order to decrease the shame and stigma surrounding postpartum and perinatal treatment, there needs to be more education surrounding it. More people need to become aware of what can happen to mothers before, during, and after pregnancy, and that it is not something to judge or be ashamed about.
The Diane Goldberg Maternal Health & Wellness Program
Many women experience mild mood changes during pregnancy and after birth, but 15-20% of women experience more significant symptoms. These can include signs of postpartum depression and other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) such as: trouble eating or sleeping, trouble taking care of yourself or your baby, feeling overwhelmed by emotions, having uncomfortable/scary thoughts.
The Diane Goldberg Maternal Health & Wellness Program provides services to help women in need. Services include: screening and assessments; individual, couple, and family therapy; crisis intervention consultation; psychiatric evaluations and medication management when needed; support groups; back to work family support; self-care practices; and workshop opportunities.
In-person connections between mothers in all stages gets rid of the highly filtered and polarized communities online. It allows for authentic and active support, facilitating emotions that can’t always be felt through the screen. Tangible support can be extremely helpful, as mothers can share supplies and lean on each other. Real life connections also decrease the toxic comparison culture, instead focusing on real, raw, unfiltered conversations and embracing imperfections.
The Guidance Center serves women with PMADs to make sure their moods are stable, they are not harming themselves or others, and administer medication management, if needed.
The program is located at the Marks Family Right from the Start 0-3+ Center at 80 North Service Road, LIE Manhasset, NY 11030. You can call the Guidance Center at (516) 626-1971 for more information on this lifesaving program.
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by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Jun 3, 2026 | Blog
By Guest Blogger Abby Schiff
For many kids, receiving mental health services is not something that is easily obtainable. North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, in partnership with Nassau BOCES, has built an expansive initiative known as the Intensive Support Program (ISP) to meet the needs of families in the community.
What is ISP?
ISP is designed to give students who are psychiatrically complex in their needs, meaning they have multiple overlapping diagnoses, access to mental health care. The program is installed in Nassau BOCES schools for this reason.
There can be a variety of factors that contribute to the inability of students to acquire mental health resources, such as time, money, and transportation. “ISP removes barriers that stand in the way of getting mental health services and embeds those services into the school day,” says Alexandra Lo Re, LCSW, Director of Clinical Services of the Intensive Support Program.
ISP is available to elementary, middle, and high school students. As they transition through the years, the program follows them.
“Adolescence is a delicate time for children in general,” says Lo Re. “Throw in a predisposition for mental health challenges and symptoms start to intensify at this stage. It is a delicate time for a lot of individuals. Middle school is where we see the most crises and incidents. It is the largest program and always full.”
When asked about how different kids tend to present their problems, Lo Re says, “The boys generally tend to act out more and have those external outbursts of anger. Girls tend to turn inward, and struggle with self-harm, suicidal ideations, which can be harder to catch unless reported. They are at risk of slipping under the radar.”
What does a typical session look like?
Children who receive help through ISP do not have to leave school or worry about how to get to a clinician. Rather, they get all the help they need during the school day in the school building. Sessions are relatively short, and don’t disrupt learning.
“Sessions are 30 minutes twice a week. They generally focus on whatever the student is going through at that time. A large part of the clinicians’ work is labeling and identifying feelings. They help the student start to name, identify, and learn to work with what they are feeling. They discuss coping skills and how to put them into place. In addition to individual work, the students also have groups once or twice a week,” says Lo Re.
Today’s Challenges
Social media and cellphones are the leading causes of the most prevalent issues in the classroom today. “The inability to put phones down leads to attention spans shrinking, social skills fading, and impulse control weakening,” says Lo Re.
With the growing phone and media use in younger generations, there is a massive increase in social issues stemming from online bullying. Hiding behind the screens, people grow bolder in their online discourse and tend to harm others through hurtful posts.
When asked how phones affect kids’ learning and development, Lo Re says, there is a pressure that comes with having a phone.Kids are never away from the phone, never disconnected and given time and space to build their own identity. She also notes, “In BOCES, there are no phones allowed, and we see improvements within the students’ social interactions.”
Individualized Approaches
Every student is different, and everyone responds to treatment differently. Individual sessions can really go a long way. Lo Re states, “Individual sessions give the students that connection. Many students lack a consistent safe place to talk to about anything. Giving them that space goes a long way in helping them learn they can be who they are.”
Groups are also incredibly helpful for the development of social skills in the students. “Even something as simple as taking a turn in a board game is a struggle for some kids. Playing games during group teaches emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, and how to handle both success and disappointment. They learn how to be resilient and practice good sportsmanship, which cultivates a growth mindset in others,” says Lo Re.
At times, the clinician will give ownership to the group about the activity and let them take the reins. Lo Re recalls, “One group in the middle school invented their own game. They were able to roleplay, act the scene out and work together. It was really lovely to hear about.” The students were able to facilitate their own session and collaborate to have a good time, thanks to ISP. ISP does a wonderful job of accommodating the needs of each specific child when providing resources.
To learn about our lifesaving programs, call the Guidance Center at (516) 626-1971 or visit www.northshorechildguidance.org.
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Feb 18, 2026 | Blog
By Tracy Brown, LCSW and volunteer with the Guidance Center
Emotions often get a bad rap. Many people were taught in childhood, either explicitly or implicitly, that experiencing strong emotions is a weakness or something to suppress. Have you ever been told to “just get over it,” “move on,” or “let it go” when you were upset? While often well-intentioned, this advice overlooks a fundamental truth: there is a reason we have emotions: because we need them!
Emotions can give us important information about a situation. They serve as signals that we are reacting to something in our environment or internally. They motivate our behavior and prepare us for action. They can help us save time when we need to act quickly. Emotions aren’t a flaw in our design—they are the design. However, it is important to understand that our emotions are often triggered by our thoughts or interpretations of events.
Every person experiences a wide variety of emotions (even if they aren’t aware of them). That’s what it means to be human. Without emotions, we wouldn’t be calm or strong or better regulated—we’d be robots. Emotions aren’t the problem; misunderstanding them or giving them the driver seat is.
So let’s talk about what emotions actually do for us.
Fear & Anxiety: Our Built-In Alarm System
Fear and anxiety were evolutionarily designed to keep us safe. Our fight or flight mechanism scans the environment for potential threats and prepares the body to respond quickly. Long ago, these emotions helped cave men to instinctively escape predators. In today’s world, they might arise when sensing danger, but they also may come up in less physically threatening situations, for example, when preparing for a presentation, trying to meet a deadline, or when thinking about an upcoming challenging social situation.
Anxiety not only motivates us to avoid or get out of dangerous situations; it also motivates us to problem solve and plan ahead. Without anxiety, how many of us would wake up on time for work, or be motivated to complete a project before a deadline?
The problem isn’t anxiety itself—it becomes problematic when the alarm goes off and we misinterpret or overestimate a threat. When anxiety turns into long periods of unproductive rumination, or leads to avoiding important tasks or activities that can actually be beneficial, it stops being helpful and starts running the show. That’s when we need to take a closer look at our relationship to anxiety, and seek help when we recognize it’s taken over and it’s not helping us reach our goals.
Still, its original purpose remains protection. So trying to suppress it is not the goal. You want to understand it, and find ways to relate to it in a healthy way.
Anger: The Boundary Setter
Anger often gets labeled as “bad,” but anger is often an emotion of information. It tells us that something feels unfair, threatening, or violating. Anger helps us recognize our boundaries and gives us the energy to defend them.
Healthy anger can lead to assertiveness, change, and justice. Unchecked or suppressed anger, on the other hand, can turn inward (as shame or anxiety) or outward (as aggression).
Anger isn’t the enemy—it’s a signal asking to be understood and channeled.
Sadness: The Emotion of Loss and Healing
Sadness shows up when we lose something—whether that’s a person, a dream, a phase of life, or a sense of safety. It slows us down so we can process, reflect, and heal.
Sadness also invites connection. When we allow ourselves to feel it, we often receive comfort and support from others. It reminds us of what matters.
Avoiding sadness doesn’t make it disappear—it just finds other ways to show up.
Joy: The Reinforcer
Joy tells us, This matters. This is good for me. It reinforces behaviors, relationships, and experiences that bring meaning and connection. Joy helps us build resilience—it doesn’t erase hardship, but it gives us something to return to.
Joy isn’t meant to be constant. It’s meant to be savored.
Disgust: The Protector
Disgust protects us from physical and emotional harm. It keeps us away from spoiled food, unsafe environments, and situations that feel deeply wrong. It’s a powerful protective emotion, even if we don’t always recognize it as such.
When an Emotion Takes Over the Driver’s Seat
Emotions are meant to be signals, not dictators.
When one emotion starts running your thoughts, choices, body, and behaviors, it may be time to pause and get support.That doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means your nervous system is working overtime and you may benefit from support in managing these emotions.
Therapy, support, skills, and connection don’t eliminate emotions. They help you listen to them without being controlled by them.
The Goal Isn’t to Get Rid of Emotions
The goal isn’t to “fix” anxiety, silence anger, or avoid sadness.
The goal is to understand what your emotions are trying to tell you—and to respond with curiosity and balance instead of fear.
Because emotions aren’t the problem.
They’re part of the solution.
If your child is struggling to manage difficult emotions, you are not alone. The team at North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is here to help. Call (516) 626-1971 to learn more about the programs and services offered.
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Jan 27, 2026 | Blog
With the holiday season behind us and less festive days ahead, it’s common to experience the winter blues; a temporary dip in energy and emotion brought on by the shorter days and lack of sunlight.
While some level of winter blues isn’t unusual, for some people, the shorter, darker and colder days that characterize this time of year can cause a depressive episode that requires clinical intervention.
If you’ve noticed your child’s mood change dramatically when winter comes around, they might be in the six percent of the population who experiences seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.
While SAD typically begins in a person’s early 20s, older children and teens can develop the condition. More than simply the winter blues, SAD is characterized by feelings of sadness and hopelessness nearly every day. People with SAD are unable to enjoy the activities that typically make them happy; they have difficulty concentrating and are often tired and/or agitated.
Two chemicals in the brain—melatonin and serotonin—are responsible for regulating energy, sleep cycles and mood. During winter’s darkness, melatonin levels increase, causing sleepiness and fatigue. Serotonin, which is sometimes referred to as the feel-good chemical, is produced in greater amounts with exposure to sunlight, and we naturally get less light in the long, cold days of winter.
Some people suffer from a lesser form of SAD, whose symptoms include low energy, weight gain, and social withdrawal.
Some other facts: Females are about four times more likely to develop SAD than their male counterparts. People with a history of depression are more prone to experiencing symptoms of SAD.
Here are some strategies that you can share with your family, whether they might experience full-blown SAD or the milder winter blues (and most of these are useful tips for everyone year-round!):
- Get as much direct exposure to sunlight as possible.
- Since being out in the sun can be difficult this time of year, either due to cold temperatures or long days inside, consider purchasing artificial “sunbox” lights. Their special fluorescent tubes mimic the sun’s beneficial rays (plain lights don’t have the same effect).
- Keep or start an exercise routine. If it’s not too cold out and it’s a sunny day, try to walk outside to reap the benefits of being in natural sunshine. Even if you work out indoors, it will have a positive impact on your mood.
- Turn up the heat (between 64 and 70 degrees) and drink hot beverages.
- Eat healthy foods, with a focus on fruits and vegetables high in vitamin D. That’s good advice any time of year, but especially important in winter when your cravings for sugar and carbohydrates tend to increase.
- Don’t give in to the urge to isolate. Seeing friends and attending social functions are crucial to putting a damper on the blues.
- Engage with your creative side, whether it be taking up a new hobby or reintroducing a former favorite pastime. Encourage your child to participate in after-school clubs and other activities.
- Take up meditation and other mindfulness-based practices.
Finally, keep in mind that if your child’s depression is impacting their ability to function, it’s important to seek help from a mental health professional, regardless of the season.
