Parenting Roundtable: What are some common-sense ways parents can protect their children’s emotional and physical health in our increasingly fast-paced world?
EMILY GREENE
President, First Choice Therapy
We’ve gone from a play-based society to a phone-based society. Get back to basics. Sit down face-to-face and engage with your child. Really have a conversation where your child knows you’re intent on what they’re saying. Take time to play together, eat meals together, communicate over the family table, put away technology. That goes a long way with emotional health. If basic needs are not met—a warm meal, a loving home—it’s difficult to thrive. Use outlets like arts and crafts and reading with your children. By going back to basics of communication, we can reduce anxiety and stress.
SHAUN KEMMERLY, MD
Chief Medical Officer and Interim President, FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health
We are seeing a lot of anxiety and depression. When you’re seeing signs of distress, talk to your doctor about it. We have pediatricians and advanced practitioners ready to be your partner. We’re training pediatricians to be more knowledgeable in mental behavioral health—anxiety, depression, ADHD. We’re connecting them to social workers and psychiatrists, so families have quick access to care. We’ve created a child and adolescent fellowship to grow more providers who stay in the community. Talk to your pediatrician. You can trust that person. General pediatricians can wear a lot of hats—they are trained to help and want to be your partner.
MARY STEIN
Assistant Library Director: Programs, Outreach & Collections, East Baton Rouge Parish Library
We see children morning, noon, and night—many not getting enough sleep. They may be getting screen time, but they’re not getting sleep. There are ways to slow things down so they can fall asleep at a reasonable time. We also see hungry kids. When kids are not “hangry,” there are more positive interactions than negative interactions. We also provide resources for parents—short videos on what you can do about cyberbullying, how to help your child self-regulate at different ages. We’re partnering with local health and wellness agencies and social workers—because our kids are struggling.
SONNY ALDRIDGE
CEO, United Community Bank
Everything moves faster today, and kids are exposed to so much earlier. My son, at 11, was asking me about a conflict in the Middle East, and I remember thinking, I did not even know about things like that at his age. The level of information, and really the level of stress, that kids are carrying now is just different. As a parent, that can be challenging. Sometimes the hardest part is simply recognizing what they are dealing with and how to respond. I was raised in an era where if you fell, you got up, dusted off, and kept going. That mindset still has value, but it does not always address what kids are facing today. Overall, Parents need better resources to know how to handle these issues.
WADE EVANS
Mayor, City of Central
I think we’re raising a much weaker generation. When a kid goes to school and is not equipped to do the work, we’re creating anxiety. We have to get back to teaching healthy coping skills. We have to teach them how to work through difficulties and still function. We have to create an environment where it’s normal to talk about problems. Remove the shame. Give kids and their parents permission to acknowledge, “I need help.” At some point, we have to stop coddling and get real again.
