Publications & Interviews

How can parents manage their own stress during the COVID-19 pandemic? In this two-part episode, host Cindy Graziano is joined by Stacey Walker (New Canaan CARES) and Georgette Harrison (The Child Guidance Center of Southern CT) to discuss practical tips to manage the stresses of living during this difficult time.   

Nothing ever prepares us to become a parent or caregiver.  How can we help our children thrive, particularly when faced with stress and adversity?  Here's how to be a good-enough parent. 

Sitting with children when they're crying and in pain is not an easy thing to do.  Our job as good-enough parents is not to take away the feelings; it's to help our children feel like the emotional train  they're on won't be a runaway train, and that they don't need to take that ride alone.  Here's how to listen like a rabbit. 

It's important to remember that mistakes are not failures.  Instead, they're a natural part of the learning process.  Facing challenges in a calm way, instead of avoiding them, can foster creativity, flexible thinking, executive functioning skills, and ultimately, help our children be more resilient. 

While there is certainly much to celebrate for many, the holiday season can also be a stressful time for children and families.  The pandemic can exacerbate these typical holiday stressors.  So what is a good-enough caregiver to do?

Three members of the Thriving Youth Task Force summarize the results of their 2021 Student Survey of mental health and substance abuse habits among Darien teenagers. 

Children & teens are eager to explore their world and test limits, but they also need their parents to set boundaries in order to keep them physically and emotionally safe. How do parents walk the line between respecting this important drive for independence with creating a family frame of expectations & rules to help them grow & thrive? 

As a good enough parent, we know that perfection isn’t only unattainable, it’s actually detrimental to the parent-child relationship. Not only should we not expect perfection from our child, we shouldn’t expect it from ourselves.  The act of repairing, of coming back to the table with love, curiosity and humility is what teaches our children that relationships are strong enough to weather any storm. 

From staffing crisis hotlines to launching new programs, local providers across the region are trying to provide resources for community members in need. 

Can you remember that moment when you first realized that you were about to become a parent?  It is undeniable that, to some degree or another, we all experienced and played with the fantasy of who we would be as parents and caregivers. Those fantasies also included some hopes and dreams about who this child would be. But how do you make room for the real baby or child, particularly if reality clashes with fantasy? 

Over the course of the pandemic, Darien residents reported a significant increase in mental health issues, a survey has found — and medical experts are calling behavioral health the town's "most concerning health priority."