Blog
Play Therapy: A Place Where Acceptance Takes Priority
Play therapy is for kids what talk therapy is for adults. While adults can often talk about their concerns, feelings, and wishes, children are still developing their language skills to be able to communicate their concerns. Children learn about their world through play. To meet developmental needs, children utilize play as their language and toys as their words to communicate with a specially trained professional.
Not My First Rodeo
If you have been following me or Annie’s Place, you have probably heard about some of my continued health issues. In general, I have been very open about my struggles and writing about them helps me process. But this time, even some of my closest friends will be surprised to learn that I have been dealing with a new diagnosis for more than 7 months.
Supporting Children’s Mental Health
Mental health is not just for adults. Children experience stress, anxiety, and other emotions that can affect their mental health and on their own, have less resources to manage stressful events. As parents, it is essential to recognize this and proactively support their emotional well-being.
Finding Normalcy in the Midst of Difficult Circumstances: How Mommies In Need Helped Me Grow and Find Strength
When I first started my second semester of college, I thought it was going to be the best time of my life. I had an incredible congressional internship opportunity lined up for the summer in Washington DC, I was finally starting to adjust to college life as a freshman, and I was feeling confident about my future. Later in the semester, my dad was diagnosed with brain cancer, which had a significant effect on my outlook for the rest of the semester. If you have ever been in a similar situation, you might understand me when I say my father’s diagnosis halted my life.
Talking to Kids about Medical Emergencies
You and your child may have witnessed or heard about the recent Bills vs. Bengals football game where Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and went into cardiac arrest. Witnessing a medical emergency, in person or on television, can bring up a lot of feelings for you and your children.
School’s In Session for the Fall!
It’s that time of year again! Summer is coming to an end, and we are transitioning back to school.
#NotJustForMoms2022
Hear from one of our wonderful fathers who use our services at Annie's Place!
What a Culture of Caring Means To Me
At Mommies In Need, the level of care that our staff brings into every interaction is our fundamental and guiding principle. At Annie’s Place, our beautiful childcare facility, children are greeted with a smile. They are welcomed by name into their classroom by a friendly teacher. Throughout the day, they will interact with a skilled play therapist and an enthusiastic music teacher, eat 2 nutritious meals, and take a nap in the afternoon to help them unwind from a stimulating morning. Every hour is planned carefully to ensure that these kids are safe, secure, and engaged Our engagement with hospital staff and corporate and individual donors also reflect this same level of care as we seek to develop and maintain the highest level of confidentiality, trust, and collaboration. These relationships are the bedrock for any health-related non-profit, but at Mommies In Need, we think of these donors and hospital colleagues as family. Without them, we could not focus our attention and love on the families that come to us for support and stability during their most difficult moments. At every level of engagement in the Dallas community, our staff works tirelessly to convey this culture of caring that has become our guiding light.
Celebrate You this Mother's Day!
Mom’s and mother figures, you do it all! You likely wear many hats – chef, chauffeur, teacher, nurse, mediator, protector, manager, human kleenex, and individual. While moms are many and often all things to their children, you are also a human being with your own needs and wants and that is a beautiful thing. Mother’s Day is a day of celebration and appreciation for each and every one of you – but let me tell you a little secret, you don’t have to wait for your family to celebrate you, you can celebrate yourself too! So now you’re thinking, “how do I celebrate myself?” Here are some ideas:
Meet Mommies In Need’s Play Therapist
Kait is excited to join the team at Mommies in Need as a play therapist. Play therapy is the developmentally appropriate way to engage children in therapy. Just as adults typically attend talk therapy using spoken language, children use play as their language and toys as their words.
Coping with Stress
As you get settled in the new year, there are likely old and new stressors that affect both you and your children. Sometimes people show no reactions to stress, other times you may see significant change in behavior within yourself or you child. Here are some common changes you may see:.
Transitioning Back to School
After two weeks of fun, family, and relaxation, it can be difficult to return to the school day routine. Below are some ideas of how to support your child (and yourself) in the transition back to your school schedule.
Manage Holiday Chaos with Consistency
This can be such an exciting time for families- seeing family members, giving and receiving gifts, and specifically time off from school. Time off from school may mean sleeping in, more screen time, more family time, and less following a schedule. We are here to suggest that keeping kids on a schedule, even during their holiday break, may be beneficial for their development and returning back to school in January.
Be Thankful
In this season of thanksgiving spend time teaching your children about gratitude. Studies have shown that gratitude is linked to happiness in children by age 5! In preteens, research shows grateful kids tend to be happier, more optimistic, and have better social support. In teens, research on gratefulness shows grateful teens are more engaged in schoolwork, use their strengths more often, are more satisfied with their lives, and have better grades. We all want happier children and one way to instill happiness may be by teaching gratitude.
Live Local Group Puts Energy Behind Mommies In Need
‘We live here, we give here,’ is mantra of coalition of realtors aiming to make a difference.
The six like-minded (“like-hearted”) Coldwell Banker realtors with a purpose who comprise the Dallas area’s Live Local Group are on a mission to ignite kindness while serving others. Bringing that fire to Mommies In Need, the women of the Live Local Group are encouraging their communities to help families access healthcare by helping Mommies In Need offer safe, loving, free childcare.
Back to School
This school year may look different for your kiddos, so it’s important to start talking about it now. Dr. Sara Weeks discusses ways to set expectations, acknowledge your child's feelings, and practice your back to school routine in her latest Play Therapy blog post.
The Benefits of Monthly Giving
For nonprofits, monthly gifts provide a sustainable, predictable base of support to help with long-term planning. For donors, recurring gifts spread the impact of the gift over the course of the year, making the commitment more manageable.
Comerica Bank-D CEO’s Corporate Partner of the Year
You may be familiar with Comerica as a fantastic banking partner for your family and your business, but for Mommies In Need, this company is known as an important collaborator in our mission to serve families. With the help of Comerica, Mommies In Need is able to provide safe, loving childcare so that families may access the healthcare they need. To date, the financial services organization has provided financial support totaling more than $100,000.
Summer Boredom Busters
If you’ve already played Candyland with your kids 800 times (or it just feels like it!), read on. Sara Weeks, the play therapist at Annie’s Place, has a few helpful ideas for beating boredom this summer.