Before we fully dive headfirst into the chaos of 2024, let's take a moment to give a nod to 2023 and look at some of the resources you loved the most. We created a lot of resource for parents, from parents throughout the entire year but you just couldn't seem to get enough of these three!
Also, it is not my fault if we start talking about some of your most beloved resources and I get too excited and "accidentally" slip in some hints about what's to come in 2024. We have some really great resources that will be hitting the inboxes of the parents in our community early on this year and I am not sure I can hold in the excitement that much longer!!
Before I get ahead of myself let's take it back to the first resource that you couldn't stop talking about in 2023. That was our weekly podcast; This is Not What I was Expecting!
The laidback format and lack of mom or dad shame has our viewers feeling like they are sitting down with their real life friends to chat about parenting, specifically parenting a child who struggles with their mental health.
Friends that understand that parenting was not at all what they expected. If you're in the mood for serious topics mixed in with mom jokes and adorable interruptions asking what time dinner is - check us out now here or anywhere you listen to podcasts! New episodes drop every Thursday on the topics parents are telling us they are dealing with right now!
The second most popular resource of 2023 was something that was absolutely brand new to our organization - eBooks! We noticed that sometimes the information we get from parents for our tip sheets is just too much to stuff into a front and back page - but also WAY too good to not share with you.
That is where the creation of the eBooks came from and I started it off with a very important topic that impacts the lives of many families around the state - understanding and helping your child navigate the juvenile justice system.
We parented with Pennsylvania Attorneys to gain their valuable insight on what parents should advise their child to do, and NOT do when interacting with police officers. This is especially important for parents raising a child who struggles with their mental health.
Everything from whether or not your child should disclose their mental health challenge to the officer, to what to do if your child has been detained are answered in this easy to read eBook.
Check out the FREE and INTERACTIVE eBook here!
Are you a fan of eBooks? I sure hope so because like I talked about earlier I am SO excited to share with you our first eBook of 2024. Now, I don't want to ruin the surprise but let's just say we took our longest and one of our most popular tip sheets ever and turned into a comprehensive FREE and INTERACTIVE resource that will give you tips that you can use that day to help your child thrive.
That's it - that's all I will say and you'll just have to join the community to find out more!!
Finally the third resource that families across the state read, shared, and downloaded was our tip sheet on How to Talk to Your Child about Suicide.
We know this is not an easy topic for you, or any parent to even think about, let alone discuss with your child. However, it is far too important to push off and we were happy to see that in 2023 parents across the state used this tip sheet as a resource to start that conversation in their own homes. A conversation that can save lives.
One of the experts we worked with to create the tip sheet shared; “We never really know what’s going on with kids unless we ask. If we notice a child limping, we might ask if they got hurt or are in pain. From there, we can make a decision about how best to get them treatment. The same is true when we notice a child in emotional distress. Unless we ask if they’re having thoughts of suicide, we may never know and may not get them to the right resources for help.” – Rose Milani, Program Director, Pennsylvania Youth Suicide Prevention Project.
View this tip sheet here and get the life saving conversation started in your own family!
2023 was a big year for our community and we are so grateful to have you along for the ride with us. Our community is stronger because of you, and we can't wait to see where 2024 takes us!