Tag Archives: Dr. Leesha

Successfully Managing the Morning Routine

1 comment Children's Mental Health, Healthy Living, Parenting , , , ,

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 […]

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The 10 Commandments of Healthy Parenting, Part III

0 comments Children's Mental Health, Parenting , , ,

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 […]

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The 10 Commandments of Healthy Parenting, Part II

1 comment Children's Mental Health, Parenting , , , , , , , ,

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 […]

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The 10 Commandments of Healthy Parenting, Part I

0 comments Children's Mental Health, Parenting , , , , , , , ,

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 […]

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Celebrating Life’s Moments

0 comments Healthy Living, Mental Health , ,

.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, […]

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Depression and the Believer

1 comment Faith, Mental Health , , , , , ,

Formidable, disabling, destructive. The word depression conjures up such negative descriptors; but, depression is also very common both in the United States and globally. According to the World Health Organization, 350 million suffer from depression; and, this mental disorder is the leading cause of disability.  The statistics are equally staggering for the United State where 9% of American adults have depression, depression is the leading cause of disability for individuals ages 15 to 43, and suicide is the leading cause of death among individuals age 15 to 29, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  Stated differently, 15 million American […]

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