The Latest Posts

• How to Rebuild Trust After a Crisis A suicidal crisis — an episode in which a child has expressed serious suicidal intent, made an attempt, or required emergency intervention — does something to the relationship between parent and child that is difficult to name but unmistakable to feel. The dynamic shifts. The ordinary texture of the relationship is replaced by something more […] Michael Shields • March 7, 2026
• How to Respond in the Middle of a Big Emotion In the middle of a meltdown or emotional explosion, the least useful things to do are: lecture, reason, punish, or try to solve the problem the emotion is about. The most useful thing to do is help the child’s nervous system come back down. Here is how. Stay regulated yourself This is first because it […] Michael Shields • March 28, 2026
• How to Respond to Behavior Changes Without Making Them Worse When a child’s behavior has changed in concerning ways, the response that feels most natural — addressing the behavior directly, applying consequences, demanding explanations — is often not the most effective one. Here is what tends to actually work. Stay curious rather than reactive Behavior changes in children and teens are almost always communicating something. […] Michael Shields • March 28, 2026
• How to Respond Without Making Anxiety Worse When a child or teenager is anxious, the two most common adult responses are both counterproductive: forcing them through the feared thing too hard, or accommodating all their anxiety to keep the peace. Both approaches make anxiety worse over time. Here is what actually helps. Validate without amplifying Validation means acknowledging their experience without confirming […] Michael Shields • March 28, 2026
• How to Support a Teen Without Pushing Them Away Supporting a teenager who is struggling is one of the most genuinely difficult things a parent can be asked to do — in part because the developmental context of adolescence creates a real tension between the teenager’s need for autonomy and the parent’s need to be close enough to be helpful. The very age at […] Michael Shields • March 7, 2026
• How to Talk to Your Child About Mental Health One of the most protective things a parent can do for a child’s mental health is to build a relationship in which mental health is something that can be talked about — not just during a crisis, but before one, as part of the ordinary conversation of family life. Children and teenagers who grow up […] Michael Shields • March 7, 2026
• If You’re Worried About Your Child’s Safety Right Now If you are here because you are frightened for your child right now — this page is for you. You do not need to read the whole thing. You need to know what to do. If they have said they want to die or hurt themselves Take it seriously. Always. Never assume a child is […] Michael Shields • March 28, 2026
• Stories From Parents Who Helped Their Child Through Crisis No parenting manual prepares you for this. Whatever you imagined when you were expecting a child — the challenges you anticipated, the fears you rehearsed — this was not among them. And yet here you are, navigating something that no parent expects and that far more parents encounter than anyone talks about. What follows are […] Michael Shields • March 7, 2026
• The Role of Schools in Suicide Prevention Schools are where young people spend the majority of their waking hours. For many children and teenagers, school is also where they are seen by adults who are not their family — teachers, counselors, coaches, and administrators who interact with them daily and who may notice changes that family members sometimes miss. This positions schools […] Michael Shields • March 7, 2026
• Warning Signs of Suicide in Kids and Teens Recognizing warning signs of suicidal thinking in a child or teenager requires a different lens than recognizing them in an adult. Young people communicate distress differently — often indirectly, behaviorally, or through channels that adults may not be monitoring. The signs are frequently present before a crisis arrives, and knowing what to look for creates […] Michael Shields • March 7, 2026
• What Anxiety Can Look Like in Kids and Teens Anxiety in children and teenagers often does not look the way adults expect it to. Adults tend to think of anxiety as visible worry — a child expressing that they are nervous, afraid, or stressed. Sometimes that is exactly what happens. Often, it is not. Anxiety in young people frequently comes out sideways. It comes […] Michael Shields • March 28, 2026
• What Behavior Changes in Kids Can Be Telling You Behavior is how children and teenagers communicate what they cannot always say in words. When a child’s behavior changes in ways that are noticeable and sustained — when they seem different in ways you cannot quite attribute to a specific cause, when the change has persisted for weeks or months — it is worth paying […] Michael Shields • March 28, 2026
• What Big Feelings and Meltdowns Can Sometimes Mean Every child has big emotions sometimes. But there is a difference between ordinary emotional intensity and big emotions that are happening too frequently, too intensely, or in response to things that seem minor. When a child’s emotional reactions consistently seem larger than the situation calls for, or when they are unable to calm down in […] Michael Shields • March 28, 2026
• What Therapy for Kids Actually Looks Like Many parents who recognize that their child needs professional support carry uncertainty about what therapy for a young person actually involves — what happens in the room, what the therapist will do, what the child will be asked to talk about, and what role the parent plays in the process. These questions are natural, and […] Michael Shields • March 7, 2026
• What To Do If Your Child Is in Crisis When a child or teenager is in a mental health crisis, the situation calls for calm, clear action. Here is what that looks like. If there is immediate danger Call 911 if they are actively harming themselves or if there is immediate physical danger. Take them to the nearest emergency room if they are willing […] Michael Shields • March 28, 2026
• What To Do If Your Child Says They Want to Die The moment a child says they want to die — whether quietly in passing or directly in crisis — is one of the most frightening moments a parent can face. The ground shifts. Everything that felt certain about your child, your family, your ability to protect them becomes suddenly uncertain. What you do in the […] Michael Shields • March 7, 2026
• When a Child Goes Quiet There is a kind of quiet that is just a child having a thoughtful afternoon. And there is a kind of quiet that is something else. The quiet you are probably noticing — the one that brought you here — is the second kind. The kind that has persisted. The kind that is different from […] Michael Shields • March 28, 2026
• When Behavior Changes Need Outside Help Some behavior changes can be watched, understood, and addressed with patient, empathetic parenting. Others need more. When to involve professional support The behavior change has been sustained for weeks or months without improvement. It is not a bad week. It is a pattern that has settled in. The change is affecting their functioning significantly. School […] Michael Shields • March 28, 2026
• When Big Emotions May Need More Than Patience Patience and consistency are essential when a child has big emotional reactions. But patience alone is not always enough. There are signs that the situation calls for additional support. Signs that professional evaluation is worth seeking The emotional reactions are happening multiple times daily and have been for months. Occasional intensity is developmentally normal. Daily […] Michael Shields • March 28, 2026
• When Childhood Anxiety Needs Outside Support Most anxiety in children responds well to a combination of parental support, validation, and gentle movement toward feared situations. But there are signs that it has grown beyond what home management can address. Signs that professional support is needed Anxiety is significantly affecting their ability to function at school, in friendships, or in daily life. […] Michael Shields • March 28, 2026
• When Sadness or Withdrawal in a Child Needs More Support Sadness and withdrawal in children can be temporary and responsive to parental warmth and connection. But there are signs that what you are seeing needs more than warmth and patience. Signs that professional support is warranted The sadness or withdrawal has persisted for several weeks or more. It has not improved. If anything, it is […] Michael Shields • March 28, 2026
• When to Get Immediate Help for Your Child There are situations where the standard process — calling the pediatrician for an appointment, looking for a therapist, waiting to see how things develop — is not the right response. This is about recognizing those situations. Go to the emergency room or call 911 when: Your child has harmed themselves and needs medical attention. Your […] Michael Shields • March 28, 2026
• When to Seek Professional Help One of the most common mistakes parents make when a child is struggling with mental health is waiting too long before seeking professional support. The reasons for waiting are understandable: hoping things will improve on their own, not knowing how to access the mental health system, concerns about stigmatizing the child by involving a professional, […] Michael Shields • March 7, 2026
• Why Young People Become Suicidal Suicidal thinking in young people is often met with a confusion that is understandable but can also be harmful: how can someone so young, with so much ahead of them, want to die? The question carries an implicit assumption — that the experience of having a future should be, in itself, sufficient protection against the […] Michael Shields • March 7, 2026