As a pediatric nurse practitioner in primary care, over the last 20 years Dr. Jessica Peck has engaged, encouraged, equipped, and empowered families to raise holistically healthy kids. In this episode, Dr. Peck talks about her book, “Behind Closed Doors – A guide to help parents and teens navigate life’s toughest issues.”
Recognizing signs mental health in our teens can be difficult in this day and age. Dr. Jessica Peck talks about the importance of connecting with our teens face to face and shares some tips to better understand where our teens are struggling. We have to view the world as they see it if we want to connect with or influence our teens worldviews. They discuss the L.O.V.E parenting model as well.
Some topics covered:
• It takes a village to parent kids. Have someone who is a neutral party that they feel safe and comfortable with, especially in divorced households.
• Teens care about what we think of them.
• Kids today feel the need to be perfect or insta-ready.
• The L.O.V.E. your teen model is 1. Listen 2. Offer open ended questions 3. Validate their emotions 4. Explore next steps together.
• Most common mental health issues in teens today are anxiety/depression and eating disorders. Some factors for these issues can include genetics and environmental.
• We tend to over-spiritualize mental health and think our faith isn’t strong enough in some cases.
FROM THE PRODUCER
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