#MOMstrong…meet katie
I am excited to introduce you to Katie. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the work she does in our community and with the children in our schools. What I have asked Katie to talk to you about is so important and I hope you will be encouraged by her words today.
Marian: Katie, Can you describe the professional role you play in the school/community?
Katie: “I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, licensed by the state professional counselors board. I work for the Children’s Advocacy Center, serving Bastrop, Lee and Fayette counties. I provide counseling services to children ages 3-18 and their non-offending caregivers after someone in the family has experienced some type of traumatic experience. We mainly work with child victims of sexual or physical abuse, neglect, or violent crime witness. I use a person centered approach with trauma focused interventions. My passion has always been to help others and this is where I have found myself after graduate school!”
Marian: In a society where distractions of media and material stuff seem to rule, what would you say are the most important things a parent can do or words a parent can say to meet a kid’s most basic emotional needs?
Katie: “The media and being “plugged in” have taken over a large majority of people’s lives. My general rule of thumb is to limit this media/plugged in time to 30 minutes per day. As parents we have to lead by example. We can attend to our children’s emotional needs by teaching them feeling words, playing with our children, and by providing unstructured playtime both indoors and outdoors (with and without us). Validating kids emotions is also really important! As adults we all experience a wide range of emotions as do our kiddos. It is important to teach them not only what those emotions are, but to teach them a healthy way to express the different kinds of emotions.”
Marian: We’ve all heard the horror stories, and some have unfortunately experienced the bullying or abuse of some kind. What are some warning signs or red flags that could alert us as parents that our child is in trouble?
Katie: “Bullying is a huge problem. And the sad reality behind abuse is that one in four girls and one in five boys will be a victim of some type of sexual assault before their 18th birthday. Red flags for both of these issues can include things such as a change in eating, sleeping, emotional regulation, being withdrawn, a change in social groups, and many others. We can encourage your kids to set healthy boundaries for themselves and to tell someone they trust if they are being bullied, or have experienced some type of abuse. It’s important to let our kids know what bullying is and what abuse is so they have the tools to stand up for themselves or for someone else.”
Marian: As a parent of multiple kids, how do you give each child intentional attention?
Katie: “Being a mom of four young children makes it hard to balance individualized attention. My goal is to have one date with each kid every month even if it is doing something simple like getting an ice cream. While this is not always realistic, I try to do things like coach their team sports, take them to birthday parties alone, to have one date with each kid every month even if it is doing something simple like getting an ice cream. I also sit down to do homework with each kid after school. Sometimes I let one stay up an extra 15 or 20 minutes and we do something like a craft or color or read a book together. A 10 minute bike ride or a few minutes on the trampoline or even bathing the family dog can really put a smile on their faces.”
