top of page
Playful Wisdom Blog
Search
This Fall Feels Different — And I Don't Think It's Just You
It's not just the kids this year
Every fall carries some version of transition stress — new teachers, new routines, the jump from unstructured summer days back into a schedule.
That's normal, and most kids move through it in a few weeks.
However, this year there's more sitting on top of the ordinary stuff. Families are watching the news and feeling the economy in ways that show up at the dinner table even when nobody says the word "budget" out loud. School safety has become
Cary M Hamilton
Aug 315 min read
Why Boredom Is a Mental Health Skill (Not a Problem to Fix)
Every summer, I hear some version of the same worried question: "My kid keeps saying they're bored. Should I be doing more?"
Usually, the answer is no.
Mental health isn't the absence of discomfort. It's knowing what to do with it. And boredom, as uncomfortable as it feels for both the kid experiencing it and the parent watching it happen, is one of the earliest places a child practices that skill.
What boredom asks of the brain.
Cary M Hamilton
Jul 53 min read
Why Summer Is the Best Time to Stay Consistent in Therapy
Every June, we get some version of the same question: "Can we just pause therapy until school starts back up?"
It's a fair question. Summer feels like it should be a break from everything — schedules, structure, stress. However, when it comes to your child's therapy, summer isn't the season to step back. It's actually one of the best times to lean in.
Here's why, and here's what's changed about how we're approaching summer scheduling this year.
Cary M Hamilton
Jul 53 min read
Understanding Mental Health in Every Brain
Mental health is your ability to handle stress, connect with others, make choices that feel good to you, and move through life feeling like yourself. It's not the absence of hard feelings. It's knowing yourself well enough to understand what helps when things feel hard. For some kids, that's moving their body. For others, it's quiet time alone. For some, it's talking things through. For many neurodivergent brains, it's a combination—and it changes depending on the day.
Cary M Hamilton
May 73 min read
Parenting When the World Feels Unsafe: Helping Children Stay Regulated During Collective Stress
When the world feels like it’s stopping again, children don’t just watch—they feel it in their nervous systems because it is happening again.
Not a pandemic—at least not the same kind. But that feeling. That pit-in-your-stomach, world-tilting-sideways feeling that parents know too well. The one where you wake up, check the news, and think, "How do I possibly explain this to my children today?"
We're six years past March 2020, and our bodies remember. Our children's bodies
Cary M Hamilton
Feb 218 min read
After Resilience: Why My 2026 Word is Sovereignty
Last year, I asked you to choose a word for 2025. I chose resilience.
I had no idea how much I would need it.
What Resilience Cost Me
And somewhere in all that getting through, I lost something.
I lost me.
Cary M Hamilton
Dec 29, 20253 min read
Suicide Prevention: Let’s Get Awkward!
“Are you thinking about suicide?” It’s an awkward question, right?
Scary, even. If there’s one thing we know from suicide research, however, it’s that this question, though uncomfortable, is essential. So let’s get awkward, because it’s September, and September is National Suicide Prevention month. There’s no better time to talk about what to do if someone you love is talking about suicide, or if you suspect they are considering it.
Katrina Swenson
Sep 24, 20254 min read
Six Ways to Ease Transitions- Back to School 2022
The seasons are changing, and we’re headed back into one of the biggest transitions -- going from summer to the school year.
Morgan Teachworth White & Cary Hamilton
Aug 31, 20224 min read
Mental health is HEALTH
One thing the pandemic of the last couple of years has proven to us is that mental health is at the core of our well-being.
Cary M Hamilton
May 3, 20227 min read
Let's be honest, there is no lemonade coming out of this pandemic.
For February, we’re focusing on parent burnout! I’m not sure why, actually. It’s about one year into the Pandemic, and honestly,
Cary M. Hamilton & Katrina Swenson
Mar 3, 202110 min read
The information contained on this site, blog posts, videos, and interviews are for general education purposes and do not constitute professional advice. If you are a provider, it’s important to seek training, continuing education, or clinical supervision. If you are a parent, I encourage you to seek direct help from a qualified provider for your child and family. All identifying information, including names and other details, has been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
*The photos used are personal or are stock photography models and do not represent specific individuals in any way.
bottom of page