Healthy Expat Parent

There is a magical word that you can use to rewire your brain.  Seriously!!  The brain’s mysterious workings react in completely different ways when it comes to “I can’t” statements and “I can’t yet” statements.  “Yet” is a door-opener.  “Yet” allows your brain to understand the temporariness of the situation, and consider possibilities.  For those of us who are parents, “Yet” allows us to look for that lost item like a mom, moving things, considering and re-walking last step

You just had a disagreement with your person.  This is a great time to remind yourself of something important:  Remind yourself that your partner cannot read your mind. Even after years of being together, they can know your story well, they can understand your triggers and support your goals, but they cannot know the intricate and complex movement of your thoughts.  Here's the thing about not being able to read minds: without knowing all of the answers, your mind starts makin

Susie and Angi talk about evacuation, trying to find footing, figuring out the new normal, and dealing with stress.  Sadly, evacuations are part of a consideration of Foreign Service life; right now many posts and 1,000s of families are impacted by the situation in the Middle East.  Let's find some space together, support our friends, and give ourselves some grace as we deal with this. Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304981/episodes/18883637-finding-footing-during-ev

Social media is such a beast. Not only can we not tell if something written was AI-generated, but also we can't tell what someone really looks like, what (if anything) might have been changed about their face.  Or their voice.  Or their appearance. What's real, what's not? No wonder young people are struggling with mental health!  Listen, you and I, we are smart, discerning, capable and skilled adults who have had a lifetime of experiences interacting with other people. We kn

I know, famous last words, right?   Here's the thing: when your kids are very little, we adults think we can do anything we want around them and the kids won't notice, right?  I mean, we all know that teenagers don't see or hear a thing if it isn't on a device, but little kiddos are not that observant either, right?  Nope. Your kids see you.   They hear how you treat others.  They watch your interactions.  They see how you treat yourself.  Pay attention because they are payin

Humans like to be liked.  It is in our DNA to be social, to have a community, and to be well-regarded.  Oftentimes, this defaults us to people-pleasing behavior even when this means that the one that does not get to have enough space/food/comfort is you.  I get it, though: I am a bona-fide people pleaser myself.  I get the need to be loved, understood and accepted.  Somewhere along the way, we have learned that being easy, helpful, or agreeable made life smoother — for others

A couple weeks ago,, we talked a bit about social media and its impacts on young people . This week, I want to delve into another unexpected but more common effects of time spent online. This is perhaps different than what you might expect: teens are self-diagnosing themselves with various mental health disorders. Unfortunately, this is often a result of watching probably less accurate and not reliable sources such as TikTok or Reddit, and highlights how finding informatio

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there. ~ Rumi Posts from HealthyExpatParent.com/Facebook Happy Monday!  This week is Random Acts of Kindness week.  Consider this: we are connected in ways we cannot always see, but always feel.  What can you do this week to spread a little kindness?   Www.randomactsofkindness.com   New recipe: Adding tahini to your banana bread is an excellent way to make something good taste even better ... especi

Friends,  First, I want you all to know how much you mean to me, and how much I appreciate you and your welcoming me into your Inbox every week, sharing thoughts and links and what-have-you.  I so appreciate this path we're exploring together. I love spending time putting these newsletters together, sharing info, sending it out with the hope that something inside it inspires you. Maybe not towards action, but towards a conversation or contemplation or the beginnings of an id

Happy Monday! This week is Random Acts of Kindness week. Consider this: we are connected in ways we cannot always see, but always feel. What can you do this week to spread a little kindness? Maybe more important now than ever before. Www.randomactsofkindness.com

"Somebody once said we never know what iis enough until we know what's more than enough." ~Billie Holiday Posts from HealthyExpatParent.com/Facebook FS Life can be challenging.  Dr Fae (one of our favorite Big Purple Blob guests) has mental health support groups accepting members. https://www.healthyexpatparent.com/post/mental-health-support-for-fs Happy Monday! You may know some of the more famous paintings from these artists, but do you know their LAST pieces? https://www.m

Yeah, it can be hard to appreciate what is actually just a collection of skin and bones and hair. Just. Except that that collection is yours and there is no other like it. I rather like your collection. Let's see if we can help you appreciate it too, for what all it gives you. A Suit or a Suitcase You ask what I'll miss about this life. Everything but the cruelty, I think. But you want one specific thing, so here -- I'll miss my body. I'll miss its companionship, how it

Join me for a conversation with Dr Fae Frederick, about mental health and our FS kids.  We talk about tips for families, for every day and also for times of transition, roles and responsibilities for parents, preventative care and getting the support you and your family need, especially while overseas.  As always, a great resource, Dr Fae has great supplemental links to share. Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304981/episodes/18661948-talking-to-dr-fae-about-mental-hea

Happy Monday! You may know some of the more famous paintings from these artists, but do you know their LAST pieces? https://www.mutualart.com/Article/The-Stories-Behind-the-Final-Works-of-10/319F02FD4E04F4B9

Dance, when you're broken open. Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you're perfectly free. ~Rumi Posts from HealthyExpatParent.com/Facebook Excited to chat today with Dr Kristen Cook, a pediatrician, talking about kids, adjustment and transitions, and how to parent the child you have.  We move a lot in this lifestyle, and it can start to wear on your kiddos.  Let's support their well being with some key..

A friend of mine, Dr Fae, is offering space in her support groups for the coming spring. Email Dr Fae for more info. www.drfae.com/groups How do I know Dr Fae? She's joined The Big Purple Blob for a few episodes including Responding to Conflict: https://thebigpurpleblob.libsyn.com/68-responding-to-conflict-at-work-and-at-home Mental Health Struggles in FS: https://thebigpurpleblob.libsyn.com/93-mental-health-struggles-in-the-foreign-service-life Raising LGBTQ+ kids in the

Teens and tech and all the things It’s hard to know, isn’t it, just how big of a social experiment we are setting up our teenagers for with this whole social media + smartphones + constant digital immersion situation, amiright?  Is this the time bomb sensationalists are declaring it to be?  Is it a passing fad?  If only we could know. It would be amazing to have a clear-cut answer to the question of plummeting mental health and teenagers.  The water is murky, at best, and hon

Check out the episodes from January: #196 - Changing Roles after diplo-living Considering moving forward to a new position in life?  Wondering what the future opportunities are for work?  Seeking employment after many years of trailing spouse life? Sharoya is a welcoming, brilliant and insightful part of our Big Purple Blob community and this is her story. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3eshdxA02jItth7NdtY3vy?si=hGT6LT9tTCmYq9NpLk-Q0A #197 - Job search, the EFM way Marcelle

Happy Monday!  A trip down memory lane and frozen orange juice concentrate - anybody else grow up on this stuff?  Sadly, it is on its way out. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/minute-maid-discontinuing-frozen-juice-9.7065520

Excited to chat today with Dr Kristen Cook, a pediatrician, talking about kids, adjustment and transitions, and how to parent the child you have.  We move a lot in this lifestyle, and it can start to wear on your kiddos.  Let's support their well being with some key suggestions. Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304981/episodes/18584336-kids-and-transition-parenting-the-child-you-have Dr Kristen shared with us some great resources for mental health support: https://www