Why Overprotective Parenting Is Setting Your Child Back

A mother holding an umbrella over her daughter in the rain, representing overprotective parenting

Why should you let your children experience hardship? What can happen if your children don’t learn to handle pain? According to psychotherapist Amy Morin, being an overprotective parent who handles your children’s problems will cause more issues for them in the long run. Children need to learn how to overcome struggles and build confidence. Here’s why you need to learn to step back and let your child struggle, even though it’s difficult.

Punishment vs. Discipline: Which Is Most Effective as a Parent?

A young boy sitting in a chair in a living room looking sad, representing punishment vs. discipline in parenting

What’s the difference between punishment and discipline? Which one should you be using on your children? While often confused, discipline and punishment are not the same thing. Discipline is the act of teaching your child whereas punishment is making your child suffer for a mistake. Punishments are unhelpful and can oftentimes make situations worse. Continue reading for a deeper look into punishment vs. discipline when it comes to parenting.

How Teach Your Child That It’s Okay to Make Mistakes

A young child in a kitchen accidently pouring milk onto a counter, learning that it's okay to make mistakes

Does your child know that it’s okay to make mistakes? Do you try to fix your child’s mistakes for them? In her book 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do, Amy Morin stresses the importance of not fixing your child’s mistakes for them. Children need to learn that there are consequences to their actions, otherwise they’ll keep making the same mistakes. Here’s how to help your child develop resilience.

What Does “Mentally Strong” Mean in Terms of Parenting?

A cartoon image of a brain in a gym lifting a weight, signifying being mentally strong

What does mentally strong mean, according to psychotherapist Amy Morin? Can mentally strong people handle everything on their own? In her book 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do, Amy Morin explains how to be a mentally strong parent. By following her advice, you can raise independent and confident children. Here’s what it means to be mentally strong.

How to Prevent Learned Helplessness in Children

A painting of a sad young girl sitting in a room, representing learned helplessness in children

Does your child see themself as a victim? How can you avoid instilling learned helplessness in children? As a parent, if you indulge in your child’s self-pity then you’re instilling a victim mentality in them. Instead, help your child acknowledge their failures and work through them. Here’s a look at how to raise self-confident children, from 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do by Amy Morin.

Gabor Maté’s The Myth of Normal: Book Overview

A woman sitting on a floral couch and reading a book

What does it mean to be “normal”? What role does trauma play in your health? What is the biopsychosocial model of health? In The Myth of Normal, physician and trauma expert Gabor Maté writes that much of what society labels as abnormal behavior, mental illness, or dysfunction actually represents normal responses to adverse life experiences. He advocates a trauma-informed perspective that addresses the root psychological and social causes of what we label as illness. Continue reading for an overview of Gabor Maté’s The Myth of Normal.

How to Raise Strong Children: Let Them Experience Hardship

Two young sisters standing in a living room flexing their arms to show that they are strong children

Do you want to raise mentally strong children? Why must you let your children struggle sometimes? According to psychotherapist Amy Morin, parents must push past their instincts to coddle their children and fix their problems for them. Children must learn to experience pain, make mistakes, cope with discomfort, and work through their emotions. Here are four things you can do to raise strong children.

Why There Is No Such Thing as Normal or Abnormal (Maté)

A group of people sit on the floor, one person is separated from the rest, accentuating that there is no such thing as normal.

How do societal norms perpetuate unhealthy standards? Where do “abnormal” behaviors stem from? Are the mind and body one? In The Myth of Normal, physician and trauma expert Gabor Maté says that there is no such thing as normal when it comes to health and behaviors. Maté argues that the biomedical model fails to understand health holistically. Here’s why “abnormal” behaviors are actually normal responses to one’s environment.