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Protect yourself, your children, and your family

Protect yourself, your children, and your family

Remember the lyrics to a popular hit, “summer’s here and now’s the time for dancing in the streets”? It was the 60s and although life wasn’t perfect, we felt a lot safer in our cities, towns, neighborhoods, and “in the streets” of our communities. Children rode their bikes and safely played “in the streets” from sunup to sundown; “Be home for dinner”, “by dark”, or “when the street lights come on”, were standard guidelines to ensure a child’s safety. Then came the infamous, “It’s 10:00, do you know where your child is?” Those were the days of yesteryear, things have definitely changed.

Today parents fear daily for their child’s safety. Sadly a number of children fear for their own safety. The stranger in the park, on the playground or canvasing the neighborhood can be found in child safe venues, in schools, on school playgrounds, and on the internet. Unless you are keeping your child indoors 24/7 and have blocked access to television, radio, cell phones, movies, and social media, they know about school shootings, amber alerts, and terrorist attacks. Whether they have experienced it, or know someone who has experienced it, today’s child is well aware of low self-esteem, bullying, drugs, and mental, physical, and sexual abuse.

Conversations with children today has changed. Are the tears and fears due to attachment syndrome or is something strange going on inside that building; is peer pressure causing low self-esteem or is there another reason they are locked in their rooms? Are they really slow learners – too sick to go to school; or is it a fear of classmates, teachers, and bullies? Recent surveys have showed children ages 6-16 in certain cities skip school or play sick to avoid drug dealers, tyrants, abusive teachers, and staff. For others, it was a fear of terrorists or bombings, and sadly, for some, a fear of being shot and dying.

Improving Lives Counseling Services offers individual, group, and family counseling sessions to help, guide, and support today’s family. We have the knowledge, tools, and the skills required to identify and treat low self-esteem, flight, fright, and fear. Not all strangers are bad and knowing someone doesn’t make them good. Precarious situations are real, and although your children are assertive and have learned to trust their instincts, you might not want them dancing in the streets three blocks away; yet over-protecting and blocking your children from the realities of the day can be just as harmful.

Improving Lives Counseling Service’s group sessions are diagnosis, issue, and age based. Opening up to a counselor or in a facilitated peer learning environment has “clinically” proven results. Our professionally and clinically trained therapists and counselors improve everyday lives and relationships with others in a safe, honest, protected environment. Get to know, understand, and protect yourself, your child, and your family. It’s never too early or too late for Improving Lives Counseling Services.

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