Mallard Creek Counseling

12/19/2018

It occurred to Pooh and Piglet that they hadn't heard from Eeyore for several days, so they put on their hats and coats and trotted across the Hundred Acre Wood to Eeyore's stick house. Inside the house was Eeyore.

"Hello Eeyore," said Pooh.

"Hello Pooh. Hello Piglet," said Eeyore, in a Glum Sounding Voice.

"We just thought we'd check in on you," said Piglet, "because we hadn't heard from you, and so we wanted to know if you were okay."

Eeyore was silent for a moment. "Am I okay?" he asked, eventually. "Well, I don't know, to be honest. Are any of us really okay? That's what I ask myself. All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. Which is why I haven't bothered you. Because you wouldn't want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All, would you now."

Pooh looked and Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house.

Eeyore looked at them in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"We're sitting here with you," said Pooh, "because we are your friends. And true friends don't care if someone is feeling Sad, or Alone, or Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. True friends are there for you anyway. And so here we are."

"Oh," said Eeyore. "Oh." And the three of them sat there in silence, and while Pooh and Piglet said nothing at all; somehow, almost imperceptibly, Eeyore started to feel a very tiny little bit better.

Because Pooh and Piglet were There. No more; no less.

~ via Jerry Wirtley

12/14/2018

How you say something matters more than you might think. Sometimes a simple rephrasing has a completely different effect on the person you are talking to. Try to consider the impact your words might have before you speak.
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image via WeAreTeachers
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12/14/2018

“For both mothers and fathers, we found that children’s emotional health was higher when parents believed that family should come first, regardless of the amount of time they spent working. We also found children were better off when parents cared about work as a source of challenge, creativity, and enjoyment, again, without regard to the time spent. And, not surprisingly, we saw that children were better off when parents were able to be physically available to them.”

It’s the quality of time parents spend with their children, not the quantity.

12/13/2018

The New Year is right around the corner. Have you thought about making the change from surviving to thriving? What changes can you make in your personal habits that will change your life for the better?
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image via Zen Spa
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12/13/2018

“Am I a career woman or a primary caregiver? The answer is: I'm both, but very rarely do I feel that I am good enough in either of those roles.”

With two children under five and a burgeoning writing career, Carla Gee's life is rich, busy and interesting. But rarely does she feel good enough or taken seriously in either of those roles.

12/13/2018

Be yourself. You do it better than anyone else.
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image via Tiny Buddha
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12/12/2018

“We must remove the shame and stigma from mental illness and su***de, as well as the judgment youth often fear from talking about their feelings and seeking help. We must do a better job of helping young people share their darkness so that parents, teachers and others can support them. We must listen with our hearts even if we quake with inadequacy when we hear the pain of our child. We need to know of their suffering in order to move toward treatment. Talking is only the first step.”

If you need help and don’t know where to turn, call the National Su***de Prevention Lifeline. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress.
800-273-8255

Often, the terminology we use to describe su***de is offensive to those who have lost loved ones. Here is one mother's account of why we shouldn't use the phrase commited su***de.

12/11/2018

A good reminder for all of us. You never know what someone else is going through. Try to give other people - child and adult alike - the benefit of the doubt.
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image via Education to the Core
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12/11/2018

“You’re up at the crack of dawn, if not before. You spend a full day at work, and then some. You have late afternoon responsibilities, activities and tasks, then more tasks, then dinner, then more “work” tasks. You answer calls and emails well after working hours, then work even more past a healthy bedtime. Then you do it all again the next

If you think I’m talking about your average full-time working adult, you’re wrong.

I’m talking about your average American teenager.”

Our kids are exhausted and burnt out, and yet we just keep piling on the tasks and raising the college admission requirements for their future.

12/08/2018

Anxiety is frustrating because it can feel like the anxiety controls you. YOU can be in control of your anxiety. One way to calm your anxious thoughts is to use logic to counteract the anxious thoughts.
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image via gozen.com
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12/07/2018

“Girls who perceive that [there are fewer opportunities for them] are less likely to support one another, but experts say that if girls band together, they can expand their options. Here are seven ways parents can raise empowered girls who support and encourage each other.”

Seeing other girls as threats is a tired stereotype. Here’s how today’s young women can push back.

12/06/2018

Self care shouldn’t wait until Sunday. Do a little something for your well-being everyday.
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image via Abbie Paulhus
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