Tag Archives: Parenting

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 […]

The ABCs of Self-Esteem

February 15, 2017 0 comments Children's Mental Health, Parenting Birmingham, Cultivating healthy minds, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, harvesting hope, Mental Health, Parenting, Psychiatrist Dr. Leesha

I have 3 wonderfully exuberant children — a 6-year-old son and 2 and 9-year-old daughters. Much like their fabulous mother, they each possess a strong sense of identity and self-worth. Most of the time, they tackle life and the challenges that life brings with enthusiasm, courage, boldness, and an unwavering belief in their unique ability to accomplish whatever task is at hand. But sometimes they falter. They become doubtful of their intelligence, talent, and mental and physical fortitude. In these moments, their momentum is stalled; interrupted; or, worse, irrevocably destroyed. I struggle to comfort them in these moments. I seek the […]

Faith Over Fear

December 16, 2016 0 comments Faith Anxiety, Consulting, Cultivating healthy minds, Depression, Doubt, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Faith, Fear, harvesting hope, Mental Illness Education, Parenting, Public Speaking, Women's Conference, Work-life balance Dr. Leesha

Deafening. Paralyzing. Incapacitating. The roar of fear is merciless. My heart pounds, my stomach churns, and my mind races. My thoughts a barrage of endless questions that interrupt my momentum: Can I even do this? Am I smart enough? Do they want to hear what I have to say? Even though I struggle with doubt almost daily, I refuse to relinquish my dream to fear. I won’t let anxiety grip my heart or invalidate my core beliefs about who I am as a wife, mother, physician, and Christian. To paraphrase a beautiful statement made by Nelson Mandela, I wish for my […]

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