When I was in high school, I woke up one morning feeling overwhelmed. I was an honors student, I was involved in various activities and clubs, and for whatever reason, I felt thoroughly unprepared for the day. I don't recall if I had a test or a presentation or if it was just a normal school day that I couldn't face—I just remember feeling like I'd hit a wall and couldn't make my mental gears turn right.I usually walked the mile and a half to school, but I was running late so my dad offered to drive me. In the car, I tried to keep it together, but halfway to school, the tears started to fall. My dad looked over and asked if I was OK. "I don't know," I sobbed. "I feel like … I just … I need a day." He knew I wasn't sick. He could have told me to tough it out. He could have given me a pep talk. He could have forced me to go. But he didn't do any of those things.With zero hesitation—and just a simple "OK"—he turned the car around and took me home.I have no memory of what I did the rest of that day. Three decades later, the only thing that sticks out is the basic-but-profound lesson my dad instilled in me the moment he turned that steering wheel: It's totally OK to take care of yourself. We talked about it briefly on the way home. As it turned out, he was also taking a "mental health day." My dad was a social worker, and as an adult, I can totally understand why he would need to take a random day off sometimes. But it didn't really matter what he did for a living. Most of us need an occasional mental health day—adults, teens and kids alike. Some schools have begun incorporating this understanding into their school attendance policies. Utah passed a bill in 2018 that allows a mental health day to count as an excused absence from school. Oregon enacted a similar law in 2019 and Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Nevada and Virginia have followed suit. “Mental health days are not only good for the practical aspect of giving young people a break," psychologist Caroline Clauss-Ehlers, Ph.D., told Healthline, "but they also validate that the community and society are saying, ‘We understand and we’re supporting you in this way.”Occupational therapist Shelli Dry concurs, telling Healthline that acceptance of mental health days can help eliminate the stigma that often comes with mental illness. “For schools to recognize that sometimes it’s better to take a mental health day than push through when you cannot seem to cope, is a tremendous support for students to feel understood and accepted, and [this, in turn, encourages] students to understand and accept themselves more,” she said.Sometimes we forget how hard it is being a kid. In some ways, I think it's way harder than being an adult. Considering the fact that 1 in 6 kids between the ages of 6 and 17 experience a mental health disorder each year, we need to acknowledge that a lot of kids have days where they're struggling. But even kids who don't deal with mental illness sometimes need a down day. Modern life is busy and complex, no matter our age. Managing it all daily—and then also handling whatever extra stuff life throws at us—is a lot.Part of good parenting is teaching kids to persevere through challenges, but encouraging perseverance has to be balanced with insight and wisdom. Sometimes kids might cry wolf, but it's important for parents to understand that kids might be dealing with more than we know. Sometimes kids need to be encouraged to dig deep for resilience. Sometimes kids have already been resilient for a long time and need a little time and space to just be. My dad knew me. He understood that I wasn't just being lazy or trying to get out of doing something hard. He trusted me to know what I needed, which in turn taught me to listen to my inner alarm and trust myself. As a result, I've spent my adult life with a good sense of when I need to push through and when I need to pause and reset—a gift I'm immensely grateful for.All of that said, this advice does come with a caveat. As a parent of kids who are learning to manage anxiety, mental health days can be a mixed bag. There's a difference between taking a mental health day because you really need it—which happens—and taking a mental health day to avoid facing fears—which also happens. Avoidance feels good in the moment but fuels anxiety in the long run, so parents and kids have to be aware of how the idea can be misused and unintentionally make certain mental health issues worse.The bottom line, however, is that kids need breaks sometimes. And when you allow them to take an occasional day here and there to breathe, to do some self-care, to reconnect with themselves and reset their mental and emotional barometer, you teach them that their well-being matters. You teach them that it's OK to acknowledge when they've hit a limit and pause to recoup their strength. It's OK to turn the car around when you know you need to. That's a lesson we all need to learn, and one we need to support with work and school policies in addition to internalizing individually. We're making some good strides toward that goal, and the sooner we all get on the same page, the better everyone's well-being will be. This article originally appeared on 2.2.22

"He's always been like my boy." The post The rock legend Alice Cooper called an “auxiliary guitarist” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

from GitmoTV – TRIBUNALS for JUSTICE: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

by St. Funogas, Survival Blog: Canned Vegetables – 52 15-oz Cans For variety with meals. Peanut Butter – 12 40-oz jars Twelve jars of peanut butter sounds like a boat load to some people but again, our daily menus after the SHTF will change greatly from what they are now with so many processed and […]

A member of the Thunderguards motorcycle club will remain in jail while awaiting trial for the murder of 36-year-old Anthony Martin after he allegedly shot the victim while at a memorial for another club member. Eric Byrone Kibler and his defense attorney, Tony Garcia, appeared before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey M. Geller on Nov. 1 to reassess the District Court’s decision denying the defendant bail in early October. Kibler is currently facing 47 charges, including multiple counts of first-degree murder, attempted first and second-degree murder and first and second-degree assault as well as conspiracy and additional weapons charges. The prosecutor informed Judge Geller that the club was holding a memorial for one of its members on the 1300 block of North Spring Street on Aug. 18. As members were placing traffic cones in the street, a nearby neighbor moved one of the cones so she could park her car. An argument between several members and the woman ensued when her son—later identified as Martin—came to the scene and fired one gunshot into the air. READ REST OF ARTICLE  Bandidos bikers linked to 2023 shooting of rival club member Parking Dispute With Motorcycle Club Member Turns into a Fatal Shooting EX MONGOL David Santillan arrested for attempted murder and walks free 48 hours after WHY LAW ENFORCEMENT CONSIDERS OUTLAW MOTORCYCLE CLUBS CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES THE DEMOCRATS ARE A DISEASE TO THIS COUNTRY

A Houston FBI agent on Thursday testified that two Bandidos were involved in the attempted murder of a rival motorcycle gang member who was shot seven times shortly after leaving a Pasadena bar last year.  The agent, Joshua Lyons, said John Sblendorio was in the driver’s seat of the Ford F-150 that opened fire on the man, who was not identified in an unsealed indictment. Lyons said a fellow Bandido, Stephen Alms, was the one who pulled the trigger, though neither state nor federal court records show a murder charge for Alms.  Alms pleaded guilty last week to racketeering conspiracy and illegally possessing a firearm. The charges stemmed from an October 2023 search of Alms’ Texas City home, where federal authorities found a tan, Taurus G2C handgun, according to a complaint. Authorities also found a yellow, spiralbound notebook with Alms’ name on the front. Inside were handwritten notes that said “joined a gang,” “shot someone,” and “robbed a lot of people.” U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein, Jr., will evaluate whether to accept Alms’ plea. READ REST OF ARTICLE  Bandidos bikers linked to 2023 shooting of rival club member Parking Dispute With Motorcycle Club Member Turns into a Fatal Shooting EX MONGOL David Santillan arrested for attempted murder and walks free 48 hours after WHY LAW ENFORCEMENT CONSIDERS OUTLAW MOTORCYCLE CLUBS CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES THE DEMOCRATS ARE A DISEASE TO THIS COUNTRY