A message from the Teton County Health Department:

JACKSON, Wyo. — For September’s mental health topic, the Teton County Health Department is highlighting parenting and caregiving. It’s important to remember that no family is perfect—every family has unique problems and conflicts. Explore available resources below and visit the bilingual web-based platform CredibleMind to learn how to increase connection, and enjoy a long-term fulfilling relationship with children, parents and family members.

When stress is getting the better of you, pause.

If you are in a situation where you might react to your child or family member with intensity or hostility, pause. Take a breath, and go to a separate space until you can react with control. Remember: An intense or hostile reaction will never help. Unless the individual is in danger, your best reaction in the moment may be no reaction.

Stop the comparisons.

Every family’s journey is unique. Don’t compare your family’s experience to anyone else’s, and don’t measure yourself as a parent or caregiver against anyone else. Have compassion for yourself.

Forget “should.”

Instead of thinking about how other influences say you “should” be as a parent/caregiver, focus on the kind of parent/caregiver you would like to be. This simple shift in mindset can cut through the noise and foster a familial relationship at a much deeper level.

Below are some additional resources on the Family Relationships and Conflict:

8 Mental Health Tips for Parents
What Makes a Family Dysfunctional?
Three Tips to Manage Chronic Stress While Caring for Your Loved Ones at Home Enmeshment and Family Dynamics

Are you a new or expecting parent? Join Stroll Wyoming!

Join the Teton County Health Department’s Stroll Wyoming, an initiative aimed at empowering postpartum and expecting mothers through weekly gatherings focused on outdoor engagement and community connection. Held on Wednesdays from 10 to 11 a.m., locations vary. For weekly locations and additional details on the program visit: https://www.tetoncountywy.gov/2674/Stroll-Wyoming.

Free strollers are available, pending need and funding. For questions please call (307)733-6401 and ask for a Maternal and Child Health Nurse.

Find additional tools and other self-treatment resources at https://teton.crediblemind.com/. This programming has been made possible through generous funding from the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole’s Behavioral Health Initiatives Grant.