Preventing Suicide is Possible
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“The moment I pulled the trigger I immediately thought, ‘Oh my God, what did I just do?’ The first thing I thought was that I didn’t want to die,” 17-year-old Emma Benoit shares. Last summer, in the depths of hopelessness, Benoit tried to take her ... Read full article
Mommy, I Don’t Quit
by Kelly Carmena on
It’s been almost five years now since I jumped on the fitness train. Six weeks postpartum from a very emotional pregnancy and delivery, I took to walking daily with my newborn daughter in tow.... Read full article
The Remembering: Reflections on My Pregnancy Loss
by Ellen Mecholsky on
It starts the first week of December, the remembering. I had felt her move for the first time in the car driving home from a Thanksgiving trip to Florida, which is why I suspect my anniversary grief stress begins so early. I subsequently gave birth t... Read full article
It’s Hot, Baby! Keeping Little Ones Safe in the Heat
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Louisiana summers offer a unique sort of heat. And when it comes to babies, it can be downright dangerous. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), excessive heat poses the greatest danger to infants and children up to four years old.... Read full article
From the Brink of Suicide: Why Society Should Talk About Mental Illness
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When I was a teenager, I was hanging out in my room one night when my mom came home really late. She quietly knocked and entered my bedroom. Her face was tear-stained and her voice cracked as she told me where she’d been. She had been attending the f... Read full article
The Motivation Struggle
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I think back on my own life and all of the things I thought I wanted to do…and you know what? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. So, how in the world do I motivate my kid to stick to something when I’m not sure I can do that for myself?... Read full article
Am I Raising a Psychopath?
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Who comes to mind when you think of the word “psychopath?” Ted Bundy? Jeffrey Dahmer? Jack the Ripper? Your child or someone else’s? While it’s a terrifying thought to even consider that your little baby boy or girl could ever display psychopathic tr... Read full article
Your Kids Are Watching Your Marriage
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Often, one of the most neglected parenting lessons throughout a marriage is, in fact, the marriage itself. As couples become increasingly hyper-focused on schedules and extracurricular activities (travel ball, dance, cheer, festivals, events, etc.), ... Read full article
Rolling with the Good Times: Navigating Baton Rouge’s Mardi Gras with Kids
by Ellen Mecholsky on
When my husband and I moved to Baton Rouge, we had absolutely no idea about Mardi Gras. I mean, sure, we had heard of “Fat Tuesday” and had the vague sense that beads were involved, but the Louisiana Mardi Gras EXPERIENCE was a complete unknown. That... Read full article