Bullying – 10 Facts to Know

1) Bullying is a defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that is repetitive, involves a real or perceived power imbalance, and is designed to cause fear, distress or harm 2) There are 4 types of bullying – verbal, social, physical, and cyberbullying 3) Verbal bullying – saying or writing mean things, name calling, teasing, making inappropriate sexual comments 4) Social bullying – designed to malign a child’s reputation or negatively impact peer relationships, intentionally leaving someone out, telling other peers not to be friends with someone, spreading rumors 5) Physical bullying – pushing, hitting, kicking, intentionally breaking someone’s […]

Successfully Managing the Morning Routine

May 23, 2017 1 comment Children's Mental Health, Healthy Living, Parenting Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Parenting Dr. Leesha

Like many of you, weekday mornings are chaotic at best. I have 3 children, ages 2, 6, and 9. Many days no one wants to even get out of bed. Other days, everyone is up but arguments ensue about what to wear – shorts in 50 degree weather, horribly mismatched clothing, or my son who questions the necessity of underwear. Then there’s trouble deciding what to eat for breakfast, finding shoes, and “Oh, I forgot, can you sign this mommy?” all within the last 10 minutes before the mad dash out the door in the midst of praying that they don’t […]

The 10 Commandments of Healthy Parenting, Part III

May 15, 2017 0 comments Children's Mental Health, Parenting Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Parenting, Psychiatrist Dr. Leesha

7) Respect goes both ways R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Aretha Franklin sang about; and, we all expect, no, demand it, from others, especially from our children. But oftentimes we fail to show our children the very respect we are seeking. A few respect rules in our house are: Wait until mommy and daddy finish talking before you interrupt and start asking us a million questions Make eye contact when we are engaging in conversation Knock before barging into mommy and daddy’s bedroom Simply respond “yes m’am/sir” or “no m’am/sir” rather than sighing heavily, pouting, yelling, or stomping off even when you don’t like what […]

The 10 Commandments of Healthy Parenting, Part II

April 27, 2017 1 comment Children's Mental Health, Parenting Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, Cultivating healthy minds, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, harvesting hope, Mental Health, Parenting, Psychiatrist Dr. Leesha

4) Exercise the gift of choice Many days all I want is for each of my children to do exactly what I say exactly when I say it and to do it without grumbling, loud and heavy sighs, or 20 questions. This would make my life so much easier; but, oftentimes there are protests and rebuttals. To interrupt the brewing dissension, I offer my children choices. Do you want to wear blue or black shorts today? Do you want chicken or turkey burgers for dinner? Would you rather grab lunch now or go with me to the store to pick […]

The 10 Commandments of Healthy Parenting, Part I

April 24, 2017 0 comments Children's Mental Health, Parenting Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, Cultivating healthy minds, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, harvesting hope, Mental Health, Parenting, Psychiatrist Dr. Leesha

I am the mother of 3 amazing children – 2 daughters ages 2 and 9 and a 6-year-old son. Parenting is simultaneously the most wonderful and challenging experience of my adult life. You might think I would have it altogether – I mean I am a board certified child psychiatrist, right? Well, these 3 have given me a run for my money and manage to do it every single day. While I know all about the science behind normal childhood development and strategies to manage temper outbursts, applying the knowledge and skills firsthand with my own children is brutal, especially […]

Celebrating Life’s Moments

April 7, 2017 0 comments Healthy Living, Mental Health Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health Dr. Leesha

.Recently, my family traveled to the Ritz Carlton Resort at Reynolds, Lake Oconee for a short get away. My older two children were on spring break, and we were all desperately in need of an escape from the daily grind. And what a fabulous time we had – an opportunity for our family to relax and reconnect. We had no schedule, gorgeous weather, and incredible views of Lake Oconee. Every morning we awakened to a gentle breeze, sunlight dancing across the surface of the lake, and melodious chirping of little birds. Our days and evenings were filled with impromptu dance parties, […]

I love that she was real and talked from a parent’s perspective. She talked on our level and not like a psychiatrist with terms we didn’t know. I loved when her daughter jumped on her lap. I though she really gets it. She is realistic and a mom, too.

—Paige L.

The whole woman was ministered to: mind, body, spirit.

—Simone C.

Ditch the Mommy Guilt is a book that ushers mothers through an insightful journey to healthier, happier parenting. Motherhood is one that typically comes with little or no guidance, but Dr. Leesha's brilliant text will assist many mothers in parenting without guilt or second guesses. You must read this smart guide to healthier and happier motherhood ... without any guilt.

—Dr. Ty Moody, Worship Center Christian Church

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