BERGEN COUNTY MOMS

Saddle River Day School celebrated a transformative moment in its history on August 27th with the ribbon cutting of the new Dr. Kristen Walsh Hall of Science and Entrepreneurship—a state-of-the-art facility designed to inspire students to think boldly, pursue their passions, and turn ideas into action. More than 150 esteemed guests—including Saddle River Mayor Albert J. Kurpis and other state and town officials, members of the SRDS Board of Trustees, parents, administrators,

If the thought of morning routine battles and back-to-school meltdowns is keeping you up at night, you’re not alone. Navigating the neurodivergent back-to-school transition can feel especially overwhelming. As summer comes to an end, preparing for the neurodivergent back-to-school transition can bring a mix of excitement, anticipation, and stress for both children and parents. Neurodivergent is a term used to describe individuals whose brains process, learn, communicate, or e

I need to! I have to! It doesn't inspire enthusiasm, does it? A goal is connected to an emotion. It’s great when the emotion is excitement; your brain will naturally want to get it done. But... if it feels like pressure — something you need to do or should do — instead of something you want to do, your brain will see it as a burden. You’ll likely procrastinate and maybe give up. Your brain gives you what you think most about: the good, the bad, and the ugly. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐲�

If your child is struggling with back-to-school stress, anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Lukin Center for Psychotherapy is here to help. Our compassionate clinicians provide support for children, teens, and families. Call us at (201) 409-0393 or visit lukincenter.com to learn more or get started. Until then, let’s dive in. Here are 10 simple ways parents can help. 1. Prioritize Sleep Children ages 6–12 generally need 9–12 hours of sleep,

It matters. If you didn’t raise your voice today… If you paused before you spoke… If you softened your tone after starting sharp… Consider it a win. It counts. These are invisible wins. The ones only you are consciously aware of. They are also the ones that change the course of your relationship. Notice them. They matter. P.S. That sounded a lot more encouraging than "watch your tone," didn't it? There's more gentle guidance and entertaining stories in "Leashes, Lessons, and

Fall mental health can be influenced by much more than changing weather. As summer shifts into fall and autumn routines take shape, many families also face a return to school schedules, earlier mornings, homework, extracurricular activities, sports, social demands, work routines, and tighter household schedules. That shift back into structure can take time to adjust to, especially after the flexibility of summer. Children and teens may suddenly be managing more expectations,

I’ve been known to take on more than I should in all kinds of relationships, but none more intensely than motherhood. Let’s look at all this ‘taking on” as what’s in our backpack. The first backpack is the diaper bag. It carries the necessities to anticipate all your baby’s needs. As they grow, your child’s needs change from the absolutely necessary to the things they can increasingly do for themselves. Your role and titles change — and therefore your responsibilities. Your

As college admissions become increasingly competitive, students need more than impressive grades and standardized test scores to stand out. Colleges are looking for applicants who demonstrate intellectual curiosity, leadership, and a genuine commitment to pursuing their passions. At Saddle River Day School in Saddle River, New Jersey, students have an opportunity to do just that through the school's innovative Gateway Honors Diplomas Program—a distinctive academic pathway tha

Most difficult conversations follow a predictable pattern: Someone says something that feels (is interpreted as) critical. The other person reacts. (This is emotional, not thoughtful). Both voices rise. And suddenly both people are defending themselves instead of listening. When conversations reach that point, most parents try harder to defend their position. But explaining rarely helps. In fact, it escalates the conflict. What helps is slowing the pace of the conversation:

Do you ever see yourself as a failure? If we must use this word, let's give it new meaning. What about a "learning experience" or an "opportunity to grow?" You're not a failure. Things just didn't turn out the way you planned. Whether it's outside events or inner turmoil and attitudes, making mistakes is part of growing and growing up. Our kids could really benefit from a change in language and attitude from us. The word 'failure' has such negative, critical energy attached t

FREE Webinar for New & Expecting Parents on July 30 Welcoming a baby brings immense joy, but it also brings a wave of challenges that catch many moms completely off guard. If you’re quietly navigating postpartum anxiety, feeling overwhelmed by mental health struggles, or dealing with the frustrating reality of pelvic floor issues that no one really warned you about, we see you, and you are not alone. To give you the real, compassionate support you deserve, the Lukin Center fo

I know I'm not perfect, but... If I had a dollar for every time a parent said that to me, well, I'd have some real spending money. When you push yourself to be perfect (whatever that means), or even imply that you're not, you set yourself up to feel worse. Perfection is impossible to define and impossible to achieve. Could we please ban the word? Too many people are creating a negative mindset with that word. "I know I'm not perfect" says you're the opposite, and that it's a

The perfect family vacation. Is there such a thing? You plan and plan, and then you plan some more. All the details are worked out. What could go wrong? Lots, actually, especially when you are tied to an ideal vision of what this vacation will look like. Parents have shared how disappointed they’ve been with their long-awaited vacation. A great deal of it revolved around the children: - The kids fought every day. - Why couldn’t they behave bette

Selective universities receive tens of thousands of applications from students with perfect GPAs and test scores every year. Bergen County students have a lot going for them: strong schools with plenty of AP offerings, committed teachers, and involved families. But that’s also the problem. What separates your student with straight A’s and ten AP courses from the next? What differentiates your child when everyone in their graduating class has a 1500 or better on the SAT? Have

Bergen New Bridge Medical Center If you are raising children today, chances are you have seen it firsthand. The child who suddenly doesn’t want to go to school. The teenager who seems overwhelmed by anxiety. The young child struggling with big emotions they cannot yet explain. The family trying to figure out whether if what they’re seeing is a phase, stress, or something that requires professional support. Children today are growing up in a world that can feel increasingly co

The book is coming! The book is coming! The release date is June 16. Here's the origin story. Spoiler alert: it's taken 13 years to birth this book and get it out into the world. Leashes, Lessons and Love — What Dogs Teach Us About Raiding Our Kids and Ourselves — is my first book and I can’t wait for you to have it in your hands. Six months after our first dog, Goldie, passed, and we said we couldn’t go through it again… well, you know how that goes. Kessie came into our ho

Many women are surprised to learn that mental health and pelvic floor health are closely connected, especially during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Anxiety, stress, and birth-related trauma can affect the body in ways that extend beyond emotional well-being, often contributing to physical symptoms that impact daily life. In these visuals, the Lukin Center explores the often-overlooked connection between pelvic floor health and mental well-being during pregnancy and pos

The instinct to correct. Sit with that for a while. When children make mistakes, the instinct to correct just appears. It is, after all, an instinct. It comes unbidden, without thought. To quote Star Trek, it comes from the brain’s “prime directive” — to protect and ensure survival. This leads to an often-uncontrollable need parents have: to teach to guide to prevent mistakes to help their child do better next time But there’s a small – and quite significant – step that of

You didn’t choose to go no-contact — but the effects can linger deeply. And if you’re here, you may be carrying confusion, grief, or unanswered questions about your relationship with your child. For many parents, it’s their child who chose distance. And while every story is different, one thing is shared: this experience can feel incredibly isolating. You don’t have to go through it alone. We invite you into a gentle, safe, and educational space where you can be supported wit

Imagine being seen by a doctor in just 7 minutes. When something is wrong with your child or a loved one, those minutes can feel like forever. And in that moment, everything comes down to one urgent question: Where do we go right now? It might be a child struggling to breathe, a sudden fall, a parent with chest pain, or a moment in the middle of the night when something just doesn’t feel right. As moms, we’re used to managing everything—but in these moments, nothing feels in