Posts filed under ‘mental health’
The Heartbreak of Suicide: Why Moms Need Support Too
The author reflects on a tragic incident involving a mother who drowned her children and herself, emphasizing the importance of heeding cries for help. Amid rising suicide rates, especially among vulnerable groups, the post urges compassion toward those struggling. It highlights the need for support, self-care, and encouragement, particularly for mothers.
Continue Reading September 24, 2025 at 8:24 pm Leave a comment
Hope and Healing: Supporting Your Teens Through Challenges This Holiday Season
This week, we were heartbroken by the news of a Wisconsin teen involved in a school shooting. It’s a reminder of the pressures and challenges our teens face today, pressures that often go unnoticed until tragedy strikes.
For parents of Black and Brown teens, these challenges can feel even heavier. Our youth often face unique stressors from discrimination and prejudice, which add to the already complex emotions of adolescence. As parents, we have a critical role in helping them navigate these burdens with love, understanding, and resilience.
Supporting Your Teen This Holiday Season
The holidays can still be a time of joy and connection, even in the face of challenges. Here are a few ways to encourage open communication and create moments of healing:
1. Be Present and Listen
Let your teen know they can talk to you about anything, including how societal pressures impact their mental health. Listening without judgment is one of the most powerful gifts you can give.
2. Empower Them with Affirmation
Remind your teen of their worth, resilience, and unique talents. Acknowledge the additional stress they may feel navigating a world that doesn’t always treat them fairly, and celebrate their strength.
3. Encourage Moments of Rest
The holiday season is the perfect time to slow down and recharge as a family. Create opportunities for your teen to reflect, relax, and enjoy simple, joyful moments away from external pressures.
A Message of Hope
As parents, we can’t always control what happens in the world, but we can create a safe and supportive space for our teens. This holiday season, focus on nurturing their emotional well-being, building bridges of trust, and celebrating their unique journey.
May your holiday season be filled with love, hope, and meaningful connections.
Warmly,
C. Lynn Williams
Parent Coach / Author / Speaker
clynnwilliams.com
How Moms Can Reclaim Balance, Purpose, and Joy!
Being a mom is one of the most rewarding roles in the world, but it often comes with significant challenges. Between managing household responsibilities, juggling work, and raising children, moms often find themselves stretched thin and overwhelmed.
Time management becomes a daily struggle as they try to balance their endless to-do lists while still making time for themselves. Self-care, unfortunately, takes a back seat, leaving moms feeling exhausted and depleted. The constant push and pull between being fully present for their families while pursuing their own passions or careers can lead to feelings of guilt and frustration. Finding purpose and fulfillment outside of motherhood becomes an elusive goal when life feels like an endless cycle of tasks.
This struggle isn’t just about not having enough hours in the day; it’s also about feeling disconnected from your own identity. Many moms feel like they’ve lost a sense of who they are beyond being caregivers. With so much focus on taking care of everyone else, it’s easy for their goals, dreams, and aspirations to get lost in the shuffle. The lack of balance and time for self-reflection can lead to burnout and a sense of being stuck. The search for a better work-life balance, clear priorities, and a renewed sense of purpose is what so many moms yearn for but struggle to achieve on their own.
That’s where my coaching program comes in. My 30-day program is designed to help moms reclaim control of their time, rediscover their passions, and create a life that aligns with both their family and personal goals. Through personalized strategies, goal-setting exercises, and mindset coaching, I guide moms on how to effectively manage their time, prioritize self-care, and cultivate a balanced, purpose-driven life. The program isn’t just about giving advice; it’s about working together to create actionable plans that work for your unique situation. With my support, you’ll find the clarity, confidence, and tools needed to thrive as both a mom and an individual. If you’re ready to take back control and start living intentionally, this program is your solution.
Ready to Break Free from Overwhelm? Join my 30-day coaching program designed specifically for moms like you who are ready to reclaim their time, prioritize self-care, and find renewed purpose. Click the link below to learn more and take the first step toward a balanced and fulfilling life. You deserve this!”
[Learn More and Enroll Today]
C. Lynn Williams, #MsParentguru#
Parent Coach, Author & Speaker
How to Handle the Holiday Blues
Helping others can lift your spirits. Consider volunteering to a charitable cause in your community.
Continue Reading December 7, 2023 at 5:52 pm Leave a comment
Is It Really Okay to Not Be Ok?
Many of us view success as pretty, handsome, moneyed, good job, well-liked…
Then when we don’t achieve success for any of the reasons listed below or more…
- Haven’t finished (or started) college
- Don’t have the right job
- Grew up in the wrong neighborhood
- Married… didn’t marry
- Wrong skin color, gender, religious belief
We wonder why we feel defeated, depressed, uninspired.
Or, we have “everything going for ourselves”, outwardly as my mom would say, and yet we feel defeated, depressed, or uninspired inside. Today in our How to ❤️ Love ❤️ Yourself More…Intentionally clubhouse, we talked about how being pretty and beautiful are NICE, but have nothing to do with how you feel inside. People are obsessed with looks and fortune. How can you be sad and depressed when you have good looks and wealth?
Easy!
As my co-moderator said, we are “cracked glass” and looking out we don’t see our external beauty and wealth. We only feel brokenness and sadness. Many of us live in quiet desperation and don’t know how to find our way out.
Suicide is not the answer.
I’ve lost several family members to suicide and while I don’t know exactly what each one felt before taking their life, I know what it feels to be the one left to pick up the pieces and try to figure out what happened? Each member had worth and value but did not feel that there was another way for their story to be told.
One of the best things you can do is open up and share your pain with a supportive friend, group, or a therapist. The other thing to do is remember, you are unique with a God-given purpose! Be who you want to be instead of a copy of someone else. Stop buying the “image” and be the original – one of a kind – amazing you!
Interested in loving yourself more deeply? Click Here – to schedule a complimentary chat with Ms. Parent Guru about how her How to Love Yourself In 30 Days coaching program can support you.
Click Here to become a part of her parenting community.
C. Lynn Williams, #MsParentguru
Parent Coach, Author & Speaker
HOW’S YOUR BACK-TO-SCHOOL ROUTINE?
As the Back-to-School commercials roll on your local TV channels, you wonder where the time went. A lot is changing this fall 2021 school year.
Many school districts are replacing remote learning with in-person learning. Some are offering a mixture of both – remote on specific days and hybrid on others. Whatever school discipline you have decided, it’s time to help your child prepare for a new routine!
This week I’ll talk about a great nighttime routine to help your child get used to the routine of getting enough sleep and waking up.
Step 1: Change their bedtime.
Summer is such a welcome time for kids unless they have summer camp or part-time jobs. They get to play outside, stay up late and sleep in. Change their bedtime now instead of waiting until the weekend before school starts, so they get adjusted.
Step 2: Change their wake-up time.
This is probably a villainous move on the part of a parent, but very necessary when it comes to helping your child get ready for school. When you change your child’s wake-up time, give them a morning schedule to follow.
Make it age appropriate:
- yoga (for kids)
- make-up their bed
- write/check-off personal goals
- shower
- eat breakfast
- clean up their room
- chores you may have for them
- FUN time
Step 3: Complete any pre-Fall school assignments.
Many teachers send home assignments for their new students that must be completed and submitted either the 1st day of school or during that first week of classes. If your child procrastinates, this is GREAT opportunity to complete an assignment and have it ready to submit on time. It will make them feel good about themselves as well.
Remember to make time for fun whether it’s outside or inside.
Interested in learning more about your family’s dynamics? Contact me – Ms. Parent Guru to receive information about my inspiring parent coaching programs that help you through aging Parents, Mother and Daughter drama, Mothers and their Pampered Princes, Father and Daughter or Father and Son relationships.
Click Here to become a part of my parenting community.
C. Lynn Williams, #MsParentguru
Parent Coach, Author & Speaker
Tell Me Something Good
Growing up, one of the worst things I could do was challenge my parents. Or more specifically, talk back. Not a good move as a kid.
In my young mind, I wasn’t talking back, just pointing out what they were doing wrong. In other words, I was responding to my parents in ways that I learned from them. I didn’t hear a lot of “good job” or “you’re a patient big sister”. The comments I received were more focused around what I could do better, or “why didn’t you think…”
You give back what you receive.
If you find yourself criticizing (your child) far more often than complimenting them, think about how you would feel, if you had a manager that treated you with negative guidance. Would it feel differently if the manager’s comments were well-intentioned?
Of course not. You would start to feel like crap.
A more effective approach is to catch your kid doing something right. Example: “You made your bed without being asked – that’s terrific!” Or “I was watching you play with your brother, and you were very patient.”
These statements will do more to encourage good behavior than repeated scolding and sarcasm. Make a point of finding something to praise every day. Be generous with rewards – your love, hugs and compliments can work wonders and often are reward enough. According to family psychotherapist, Virginia Satir, we need 4 hugs a day to survive, 8 hugs a day to maintain ourselves and 12 hugs a day to grow.[1]
Soon you will find you are “growing” more into the behavior you would like to see.
Interested in improving your family’s dynamics? Contact me – Ms. Parent Guru to receive information about my inspiring parenting programs and workshops for Aging Parents, Mothers and Daughters, Mothers and their Sons, Fathers and Daughters or Fathers and their Sons.
Click Here to become a part of my parenting community.
C. Lynn Williams, #MsParentguru
Parent Coach, Author & Speaker
[1] https://free-to-live.com/how-many-hugs-do-you-need-a-day/
How to Vanquish Those Dark Places
I love the holidays because I get to see my children who live in other cities, as well as family members that we don’t see except during the holidays or on special occasions.
Sending out Christmas cards and buying gifts is fun too, provided I stay within my budget. But those are outer fun things to do as I prepare for the Christmas holidays. I also prepare myself and our home by declaring spiritual intentions of peace, joy and love into each person that comes to visit or spend a longer time with us.
This year was no different except that I didn’t give myself enough time to 
meditate (each day). I usually like to get up before everyone else, find an unoccupied room, pray, give thanks and do some yoga stretches. It puts me in a great frame of mind, ready to handle my day.
This year my routine got interrupted. We had out of town family staying with us three weeks before Christmas and I was helping out with other’s morning routines. My routine was interrupted.
During the week of Christmas, I ended up with a head cold and lots of negative, irritable thoughts that seemed to come out of nowhere. Confrontational thoughts and situations started resurrecting themselves in my mind and I found I was not feeling very superwomanish!
I don’t know about you, but feelings of confrontation, dislike and irritation slip in while I’m asleep. When the morning comes and I feel a mood change from Ms. Happy to Ms. Grinch, here’s what I do:
- Repeat whatever positive meditations I can remember. It helps pull my energies from negative thoughts to more positive ones.
- Take a long shower. While in the shower, I play a Louise Hay or Abraham meditation or some gospel music. It uplifts my mood.
- If the weather isn’t ridiculously cold (like it is right now in Chicago), go for a walk or run. The time with nature and the exercise will increase your endorphins and you’ll feel more positive.
If the dark places are still hanging around you and seem to be unshakeable, reach out to someone who specializes in mental health issues and talk about it.
I believe a great life is our inheritance. Whether you enjoy it or not is your choice.
C. Lynn Williams
#MsParentguru & Founder of Finding Superwoman™
Every Adult Is Not Parent Material
When I read or listen to the news about parents abusing or killing their children, my heart breaks and I know they must not have had someone that they could reach out to and ask 
for help. Last night I read about a woman who was insanely jealous and suffocated one of her children because she thought her boyfriend was cheating on her. Other stories talk about how women didn’t feel they had anything to live for and decided to take their own life and the lives of their children.
I realize that children come into our lives in different ways. Some people have kids very early in life (or late in life) and love them as the spiritual gifts they are. Other people have them “accidentally” and treat them as objects or hindrances and never really “get it“, that the child in their life is truly a gift from God and here to teach us specific lessons.
While I was a twenty-something, I didn’t want kids. I wanted to climb the corporate ladder and go as high as I could without the responsibility of raising children. Plus growing up I had had many jobs babysitting kids (as well as watching my own brother & sister), so no thank you was my answer to having kids! After much thought and five years of marriage, I decided, I had room in my heart for a child. While that was my decision, I realize not everybody gets to decide or puts that kind of thought into having their children; I just wish they would.
Raising kids is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done! Kids take your Time, your Patience, your Energy and all of your Money! However I would do it again without a second thought. Were there times that I wanted to give them back to the Creator? Yes – probably so! But that’s the time that you reach out to someone close to you; someone who is saner than you and you say “Help! I need some time to myself“.
If we’re honest, we know some of those women before they’ve reached the breaking point. If you’re like me, you feel their “strangeness” when they come around you. Follow your intuition next time. When you feel that one of your women-friends or family members is a little too quiet or withdrawn, reach out to her and offer her your time and attention. Take her children for the day, so she can take some time for herself. You’ll have to do it without judging her because life has a way of coming back around to each of us. Today it may be your turn to help a woman out, and tomorrow, that woman may be in a position to help you. You never know. I call it KARMA.
For my prayer warriors, here is my prayer: “Father, today we pray for those facing desperate and lonely times. We pray especially for poor and defenseless children everywhere. Help us meet their needs as we are able.” Daily Bread 12/21/2016
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
C. Lynn Williams
@MsParentguru
www.clynnwilliams.com
Just Let Go
Eagle and her babies
Ever had a problem that you could not resolve? Sometimes that’s what parenting is to me, a series of problems (challenges) that seem momentarily unresolvable. The kid that was never a problem growing up, is suddenly a thorn in your side when they move into their 20s. You think, by the time they reach their twenties, you have completed your job as a parent. However, many of our adult children come back home and then what? Or maybe you had high hopes for that child that you waited years for, and once they came into your life, they never have the aspirations to stand on their own and make a living. In fact they are still ‘living’ with you. What do you do?
As mothers, I think it’s doubly hard to push our eaglets out of the nest. I know birds do it all the time, but human mothers are different from animals because we have reasoning abilities. We say to ourselves, ‘well they’re (our children) having a hard time finding a job’ or ‘he’s running with the wrong crowd’ or ‘if I were a better parent, she would be doing ______’ or ‘if I don’t help them, who will?’
We make lots of excuses to ourselves and others when our kids (young or old) have not succeeded the way we would like. It’s probably one of the most painful lessons a mother or father face (in their parenting career). Today let’s use a phrase I learned years ago called “Let Go and Let God”. Unless your child is disabled (mentally or physically), let’s gently push them out of our nest. Encourage them to take that next step, stop making excuses for them, and stop doing things that cripple them. I know it seems scary, but isn’t our job to help them grow into adults that can take care of themselves? #Parenting101
Staying Sane While Raising Your Teens 
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