Blog

Find connection with other Colorado parents and community members through blogs that highlight their voices, stories, guidance, and encouragement.

Mental Health Wellness

Learning to Fly

"Being a father is one of the most humbling and honorable life experiences I have ever gone through,” Fathers Building Futures Co-Chair, George Davis, reflected, “It’s life’s highest of roles and still at the same time, the most humbling of roles.”

Mental Health

Home Visits by Parent Educators are Empowering to Families 

It is said that parenting is the toughest and most rewarding job that a person can ever have. Some parents receive guidance regarding parenting from family members and friends. Regardless of the amount of parenting guidance that a parent receives, a home visitor who is a parent educator can be an excellent resource to any parent... 

Mental Health

Antidepressant Medications in Pregnancy and the Postpartum: How to Weigh the Risks and
Benefits

Lindsay Lebin, MD For many, antidepressant medication can be an essential part of maintaining mental health andemotional well-being. However, the moment you become pregnant, more complex feelings andquestions about antidepressants may come up. You may wonder: Is this medication safe for my pregnancy? Could this medication cause harm to the baby? Is it safe to […]

Mental Health

Teen Parenting and Mental Health

Topics of substance use and mental health can be difficult to navigate for any new parent, and being a teen parent can have additional challenges. You are learning to navigate life as a young person at the same time as you’re learning to become a parent, which can be stressful! The stigma surrounding mental health and substance use issues can make it difficult to access support that can make a big difference for both you and your children…

Mental Health

For the NICU Mom on Mother’s Day

Hi Mama, It's Mother’s Day and you find yourself sitting in a hospital next to your baby. This was not how it was supposed to look. Here you are, wondering if you did this. If you could have done something to keep your baby inside. Something about meeting your baby for the first time through a plastic window makes you question yourself, retreat from the world and wonder why this is happening to you.

Mental Health

Be kind to yourself: Why practicing self-compassion may be parents’ biggest tool for self-care

Have you ever heard of self-compassion? Maybe you have and wondered what it meant. Or maybe you haven’t and are now thinking it sounds silly, or like something that doesn’t apply to you. But what if I told you that the practice of self-compassion is an evidence-based practice that creates resilience through challenging human experiences - like being a parent?...

Mental Health

Substance Use Disorders and Stigma

Substance use disorder affects millions of people every year. Like many other diseases, substance use disorders are both preventable and treatable. However, people who suffer from these disorders are forced to navigate a profound degree of stigma when seeking support, education, and treatment. 

Mental Health

School Readiness Starts at Home

Kindergarten is one of the most exciting events of a young child’s life. It’s a time when you might think your little kid just became a big kid. It’s a time to celebrate – and maybe it’s a time when parents are a little bit sad. But getting ready for kindergarten starts way before your child turns five! It begins before they are even born...

Mental Health

Improving Health Outcomes for Black Mothers: We Deserve Better

It’s the summer of 2020 and I’m pregnant with my second child. I’ve been spending my days hunkered down at home with my oldest since the COVID-19 pandemic began. My oldest baby is 4 years old and he’s energetic, lively, and curious. To look upon his face is to be enamored with his toffee brown skin, curly dark hair, and the most inquisitive dark brown eyes...

Mental Health Wellness

Self-Care for Fathers

If you had glaring light on the dash of your truck, you wouldn’t just ignore it until you were stranded. You’re not surprised when your team’s coach sees his team is winded and calls a time-out. Why is calling a dad-time out or focusing on self-care so foreign for dads?

Mental Health Wellness

Self-Care for New and Expecting Parents

Pregnancy and early childhood can be a stressful and overwhelming stage for families, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, there are small actions you can take, called ‘self-care,’ to support your mental health and wellbeing on a daily basis...

Mental Health

Advocating for Yourself in a Healthcare Setting

Advocating for the care you need in a healthcare setting can be intimidating. In this blog post, we will look at a report published by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment that explores how healthcare providers can better serve people impacted by pregnancy-related depression and anxiety...