The post Blended Families appeared first on SB Magazine.

For decades, women of all walks of life have made incredible strides in the workforce. Unfortunately, the challenges of balancing home, work, and self can come with a mental, emotional, and physical toll. A recent study published in the New York Times showed that 66% of working parents are dealing with burnout. Balancing work and home takes a lot of planning, understanding, communication, and a strong support system. Even with routines, schedules, and to do lists, working moms are battling parental burnout at an alarming rate. While it’s been easy for people to suggest moms work from home these days, this is still a difficult balancing act. Moms need to ensure they are around for their little ones, with jobs often demanding that you are not providing any form of childcare while on shift. On top of that, it requires working moms to have to upgrade their internet to ensure it’s stable, spending more money and still potentially even looking up how to test my internet speed to check if it’s possible to work from home at all.  Dr. Jennifer Yen, a psychiatrist at UTH Houston, describes parental burnout as physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion due to ongoing demands. Parental burnout has become a global crisis. Though it’s not included in the DSM-5, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses published by the American Psychiatric Association, parental burnout is recognized by many psychologists as well as the World Health Organization.

For many working mothers, one of the most overlooked aspects of avoiding burnout is tending to personal well-being in small, manageable ways. When the demands of work and family dominate every waking hour, self-care often falls to the bottom of the list. Yet, it’s these very acts of self-care that can prevent a complete collapse of energy and health. Something as simple as proper nail and foot care, for example, can be a meaningful step toward regaining control over your body and confidence. Neglecting minor health issues such as brittle nails or recurring fungal infections might seem harmless in the short term, but over time, they add unnecessary stress. That’s why solutions like a reliable nail fungus treatment are so valuable for women constantly on the go. They provide a quick, effective way to address a problem that otherwise chips away at comfort and confidence. For busy moms, knowing that there are tools designed to make these small but important health fixes easier means less mental clutter and more peace of mind. Ultimately, taking care of these “little things” becomes part of the bigger picture of resilience. By looking after their own well-being, moms are better able to sustain the energy and strength required to keep up with their children, careers, and households without feeling like they’re running on empty.

Since 2012, wife & mother of two, Treneisha Hill, has been an Assistant DA with the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office. Over the last decade she has tried a plethora of homicide and sexual assault cases. She also assists with handling and resolving high profile cases. Being that she and her husband of 8 years, local attorney Kerry Hill of Hill Law Firm, both have high demanding careers, it’s vital for them to work together setting firm boundaries so their children always know that they come first. Shortly after having their second child, Hill was faced with a few unforeseen life circumstances while balancing home and a hefty workload. Hill said, “Our jobs don’t slow down just because life circumstances change. I went on working hard and tirelessly, but eventually took a little time off to recharge.” Hill went on to say, “Navigating my journey has at times been a bit difficult, sometimes exhausting, but at best very rewarding. For me there is something very fulfilling about operating in the many roles that God has called me to using the many gifts He’s blessed me with.”

Licensed esthetician and salon/school owner Carmen Evans is a single mom of three who is thankful that she has always had a solid support system, but that didn’t stop burnout from creeping up on her. Evans, who has been a permanent makeup artist for 12 years, said, “I cannot recall the last time I felt so drained and depleted. I am thankful for the improvements I have made more recently, though I wish I would have listened to my body sooner.” Her experience with burnout was a surprise to her, but it wasn’t a surprise to her body and mind. She explained, “The simplest everyday things were going haywire with no logical explanation. Just complete and total overwhelm that slowly creeped up on me and knocked me to my knees. My body just gave out and I was asleep every day for weeks in December.” Evans is now on a mission to help others to avoid getting to that point she never saw coming.

Though both women walk the tight rope of work/home life, they make a point to keep their families in the foreground. Whether through movie nights, traveling, date nights, or just talking about their days, Hill and Evans prioritize the functionality of their families and the happiness of their children. There is nothing more important than to keep a proper work/home balance for the stability of the children.

The post The Challenges of Being a Working Mom appeared first on SB Magazine.

Summertime is right around the corner, and we all know what that means! For children and young people, it’s “School’s Out” like Alice Cooper. For parents, it’s trying to keep kids productive and active while making sure there are plenty of kid approved, healthy food options around to be devoured.

BY URSULA BRANTLEY

HEALTHY HABITS

Healthy eating habits are fundamental to the physical and mental development of children and adolescents. It sets them up for success as they mature into adults. Eating right doesn’t always have to be expensive or less than delicious. It’s our job as parents to introduce children to quality foods in a way that they’ll embrace. Parents can begin introducing tasty healthy snacks and meals to their families and in no time those habits of healthy eating will be second nature.

RIGHT FOODS, RIGHT PORTIONS

Nutritious eating is all about eating the right foods in the right portions. A growing child’s diet should be portioned based on their age group and activity level. The CDC recommends that people aged 2 and older follow a healthy eating pattern that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, a variety of protein foods, and oils while limiting calories from saturated and trans fats, sugars, and sodium. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, fill half of the plate with colorful vegetables and fruits (and choose them as snacks), and split the other half between whole grains and healthy proteins.”

HEALTHY REPLACEMENTS

Kids seem to always want to eat! During the summer, more free time means more munch time. Summer can be a great time to try making healthy versions of children’s favorite meals—a good start to helping children accept healthy eating. For example, for burgers, try using turkey meat on wheat buns instead of ground beef on white buns. Replacing pizza crust with cauliflower crust on pizza will make a world of difference. When they’re craving chicken nuggets, try cut up chicken bites with breadcrumbs cooked in an air fryer instead of fried in fatty grease.

PREPARE AHEAD

A clever way to make sure that kids choose health over convenience is to combine the two. Preplanned meals and snacks are a game changer once you get the hang of it. Meal planning doesn’t have to be time consuming or overwhelming. For example, talk with kids about some delicious, quick meal options they might like and then let them assist in preparing them with you. For snacks, parents can cut up strawberries or portion out grapes in small containers. Buying easy to peel clementines or cutting up orange slices can motivate kids to eat those instead of chips. Parents can also try making cost efficient and healthy snacks of crackers, cheese, nuts, and fruit.

VISIT A FARMERS MARKET

Parents may also introduce their families to beneficial eating by making the shopping an adventure. Planning an outing to a farmers market can be a fun, educational escapade for the whole family. Both Shreveport and Bossier have a market! Take the opportunity to meet the growers of the produce and even ask them questions about the process from planting to purchase. A farmers market helps kids develop an appreciation for the foods they eat, while learning where the food came from. Parents and kids can purchase many go-to fruits and vegetables like apples, melons, tomatoes, carrots, and onions. They can also acquire fresh foods like squash, zucchini, eggplant, eggs, beans, and herbs to make family friendly meals and snacks or even revamp those food choices they love.

Though healthy eating may present some hurdles, the benefits are vast. All it takes is some structure, discipline, and the right tips to get and keep families on the healthy lifestyle bandwagon.

The post HEALTHY SUMMER EATING appeared first on SB Magazine.

BY URSULA BRANTLEY

In a world full of careers, bills, extracurricular activities, home management, and a slew of other responsibilities, parents do their best to make sure they’re spending much needed quality time with their children.

It’s not always easy balancing life and parenthood, but consistent one-on-one time with your children is vital to their development. According to Our World in Data, a trusted source of information for publications such as The Wall Street Journal and institutions such as Oxford University, the amount of time that parents are spending with their children has been increasing over the last 50 years. When it comes to getting in that one-on-one time with children, the key things are consistency and undivided attention. That means disconnecting from devices and really focusing on one another.

Quality Over Quantity

Many parents feel guilty when various responsibilities cut into time with their children, but studies have shown that the quality of time parents spend matters more than the quantity. The National Association for the Education of Young Children, or NAEYC, reports that high quality time is what is most beneficial to children and has a positive effect on them as they grow. Having a weekly movie night, participating in a favorite activity, or reading before bed are all great ways to connect.

Individual Time

Strong child-parent relationships help build self-confidence, promotes positive behavior inside and outside the home, helps children with their academics, and strengthens the family bond. Children need quality time from both parents if that is an option for them. It’s true that many children are raised in single parent homes, but if they have access to both parents, it is crucial that they receive consistent quality time with each parent. According to Psychology Today, time alone with mom can be different from time alone with dad, and those differences reinforce the strengths that come from each of them.

Small Gestures

Time doesn’t always permit for certain activities or routines and that’s completely understandable. Something as small as leaving a note in your child’s lunch or telling jokes and singing songs on the way to school can also make a child feel seen and valued. Those moments may not seem like much, but it can mean the world to the child as well as the parent.

Communication

Spending valuable time with your children also encourages positive communication skills. It can be difficult to get more than a one- or two-word answer when asking your child about their day so it matters how you phrase your questions. Instead of asking an open-ended question like, “How was your day?” try asking, “What was your biggest challenge today? How did you work through it?” You’d be surprised at how much information children are willing to share if they are asked the right questions. Participating in quality conversations also teaches children how to properly express themselves in a safe space.

Love

It’s also essential to tell your children that you love them every day. When a child feels loved at home, they won’t feel the need to find love and affection elsewhere. As adults, we know that searching the world for love and attention can lead to the dangerous situations and unwise choices that we try to protect our children from. Building emotionally and mentally strong children begins at home with their parents and families.

Children who are raised in loving environments tend to carry those values with them as they grow up and go on to raise their own families. As the saying goes, it’s easier to raise strong children than it is to fix broken adults. 

The post THE VALUE OF QUALITY TIME appeared first on SB Magazine.