What a tragic week in the world.
But, really what a tragic 400 years in human history.

Our country is founded on racism and white supremacy. 

Racism is part of the American fabric like apple pie, and woven into our educational, law enforcement and judicial systems that we as white people benefit from daily. 
So, if we're shocked and saddened stay with that - we should be. 
But please don't stay quiet; let's not pretend to be victims. There's a book called "White Fragility" for a reason.

And all of us who are white are racist until we actively choose and act differently.
Unlearning racism is a lifetime journey.
None of us are born racist, but we are socialized that way from birth.
Every day, we as white people actively benefit from racism.
Now is the time when we get to decide where we put our voice and if we are willing to learn the REAL history and reality of this country.
Awareness is only the first agent of positive change.
Today in this very moment, we get to decide if we are going to see the TRUTH of centuries of racism in this country.
White people who see the TRUTH, we must now commit to 100% more action.
Don't let Black families carry this burden.
We can stand in solidarity on social media. Educate ourselves.
Ask our elected officials what they are doing. Put pressure on them.
Call our police departments to inquire how their department is going to proactively respond and ask/encourage/demand that our tax dollars be spent on trainings in racial profiling and implicit bias.
Until people in public safety are tried to the fullest extent of the law for murdering innocent Black citizens, commit to staying active.
As long as the law protects the murder of Black lives at the hand of "public safety," while white terrorists are peacefully arrested - keep talking, sharing and stay active.
Our civic duty as white people is to stop racism with more education and more action.  Resource list to come. 

It's Day 71 of social distancing.
2 months and one week of this #quarantinelife.
Can you believe it?

We're all stressed as parents today.
It's just a matter of how stressed.

Even if you're enjoying this time,
it's not like it's always easy.

And sadly, for some families it is a full on crisis.

This time hasn't always been fair to our children or to us.

We all can benefit from a little stress check-in,
so we can get the support we need during this time
and prepare for the next leg of the journey.
Mental Health is our health!

So, I invite you to: 1) look over the information below to reflect on your stress levels. 2) Email me your response, so I can help get you the proper support.

And for free crisis support during the corona virus:
Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor or click here for the crisistextline website.
For more resources, visit Mental Health America here.

Directions:
STEP #1: Read through the information below and reflect upon which number or combination of numbers best captures your stress levels during this time.

STEP #2: Then please respond to this email, so I can best support you or get you the support you need during this time.
Stress Level #1: 
Parenting is never easy, but our life is actually better during this quarantine.

Stress Level #2: 
My kids are on a screen too much, fighting more, struggling to get school work done from home, and/or resisting more and listening less - yet what family isn't struggling with this right now? 

Stress levels are higher, yet we have the support to manage for the most part.

Stress Level #3:
It's really hard right now to juggle working from home, kids school work, and how to keep them occupied when they're not in school.

We're experiencing a lot of meltdowns, temper tantrums and power struggles.

I'm already stressed, and my kids' behavior is stressing me out even more. It feels like my head is barely above water.

Stress Level #4: 
I dread this time. It's one of the hardest times of my life. It's like a storm most days. There are times when the children's behavior is out of control, and I feel out of control as well. 

I'm at a loss on how to co-exist as a family during this and/or I am dealing with significant financial or relationship stressors.

I feel triggered most of the time, and very anxious and/or depressed.

Stress Level #5:
I am living in crisis mode. This time is triggering other traumatic times in my life, and I'm living in fight, flight or freeze most of the day.

I am experiencing any of the following:
*A struggle to get out of bed 
*Getting so angry at my children, I fear I might mistakenly hurt them.
*Panic attacks 
*Living in fear of the future.
*I'm not coping well, and I'm concerned about my mental health.
*I feel like it's going to take a long time to recover from this time, and that I may have PTSD from this time or this time is triggering my PTSD.

For free crisis support during the corona virus:
Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor or click here for the crisistextline website.
For more resources, visit Mental Health America here.