SMM 077: How to Be in Tune with the Spirit to Help Children with Mental Health Challenges ||Audra Elkington
01/29/20 • 35 min
Being a mother dealing with a child with mental health challenges can be lonely. That’s why I invited today’s guest, Audra Elkington, to share her experiences. In episode 77, Audra shares her journey helping her 9-year-old daughter navigate anxiety.
Advice and HopeWoven throughout Audra’s journey to help her daughter, you’ll hear her advice on researching and reading as well as finding the right type of therapy for your child.
Listen to hear other advice like recording small successes and finding a trusted friend who will listen.
Audra cautions that the path isn’t easy. She also offers hope to not give up. She says to keep trying until you find something that works for your child.
How to Advocate without LabelingIn the interview, Audra also talks about being an advocate for your child. She shared about being prayerful in new situations and about how to advocate without labeling your child.
Audra also believes in not being afraid to stop doing something that isn’t working for your child. Sometimes we don’t have all the answers for our children, she shared. We can just love them.
Spiritual Help with Mental HealthShe has learned to rely on the Lord for help every step of the way. She shared how 1 Nephi 18:2 about doing things “after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me” helped her gain perspective.
You’ll also hear how Audra’s journey mothering Lena has helped her be in tune with the Spirit and her own instincts. She said, “I think as mothers, we need to trust our gut. If we don’t feel like something is right for our child, we’re probably right.”
We discuss how being in tune with the Spirit is work. But Audra also shared that she never regrets time spent with the Lord.
Overall, Audra’s message to other moms helping children who are experiencing mental health challenges is simple–do everything you can to be in tune with the Spirit.
Show NotesListen to other episodes of the Spiritually Minded Mom podcast about helping children with mental health challenges:
SMM 001: Welcome to the Spiritually Minded Mom Podcast ||Darla Trendler SMM 025: Mothering a Child with Mental Illness || Amanda Louder
During the episode, Audra referenced a quote by President Russell M. Nelson. Read the whole talk by President Nelson called Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives.
Follow AudraInstagram: @audraelkington Website: audraelkington.com
Follow Spiritually Minded MomBlog: spirituallymindedmom.com Instagram: @spirituallymindedmom Facebook: spirituallymindedmom Podcast: Spiritually Minded Mom on iTunes
Being a mother dealing with a child with mental health challenges can be lonely. That’s why I invited today’s guest, Audra Elkington, to share her experiences. In episode 77, Audra shares her journey helping her 9-year-old daughter navigate anxiety.
Advice and HopeWoven throughout Audra’s journey to help her daughter, you’ll hear her advice on researching and reading as well as finding the right type of therapy for your child.
Listen to hear other advice like recording small successes and finding a trusted friend who will listen.
Audra cautions that the path isn’t easy. She also offers hope to not give up. She says to keep trying until you find something that works for your child.
How to Advocate without LabelingIn the interview, Audra also talks about being an advocate for your child. She shared about being prayerful in new situations and about how to advocate without labeling your child.
Audra also believes in not being afraid to stop doing something that isn’t working for your child. Sometimes we don’t have all the answers for our children, she shared. We can just love them.
Spiritual Help with Mental HealthShe has learned to rely on the Lord for help every step of the way. She shared how 1 Nephi 18:2 about doing things “after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me” helped her gain perspective.
You’ll also hear how Audra’s journey mothering Lena has helped her be in tune with the Spirit and her own instincts. She said, “I think as mothers, we need to trust our gut. If we don’t feel like something is right for our child, we’re probably right.”
We discuss how being in tune with the Spirit is work. But Audra also shared that she never regrets time spent with the Lord.
Overall, Audra’s message to other moms helping children who are experiencing mental health challenges is simple–do everything you can to be in tune with the Spirit.
Show NotesListen to other episodes of the Spiritually Minded Mom podcast about helping children with mental health challenges:
SMM 001: Welcome to the Spiritually Minded Mom Podcast ||Darla Trendler SMM 025: Mothering a Child with Mental Illness || Amanda Louder
During the episode, Audra referenced a quote by President Russell M. Nelson. Read the whole talk by President Nelson called Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives.
Follow AudraInstagram: @audraelkington Website: audraelkington.com
Follow Spiritually Minded MomBlog: spirituallymindedmom.com Instagram: @spirituallymindedmom Facebook: spirituallymindedmom Podcast: Spiritually Minded Mom on iTunes
Previous Episode
SMM 076: Why Success or Failure in Goal Setting Does Not Determine Your Worth || Beth Given
Listen to hear my interview with Beth Given. Beth is a wife and mom to four who believes that small and simple things bring great things in the end. In the interview we talk about feeling inadequate, why achieving goals doesn't determine your worth and how to change your perspective on temple attendance.
If you are feeling stuck in the early days of motherhood, Beth will give you hope that the feelings of inadequacy subside and you will find your own style of mothering.
Beth shares her philosophy on goal setting and how she learned to not let her self-worth be tied up in how well she accomplished the goals she set out to do.
She also talks about how reframing her goal to attend the temple changed the experiences she had while inside and how it has rubbed off on her children.
Through all of her experiences, Beth has learned that doing the little things makes a difference. She knows she is a daughter of Heavenly Parents who love her and has a strong testimony of the help she receives from them.
Follow Beth
Instagram: @the.small.and.the.simple
Follow Spiritually Minded Mom
Instagram: @spirituallymindedmom
Facebook: spirituallymindedmom
Website: spirituallymindedmom.com
Next Episode
SMM 078 Why a Deep Relationship With God is the Best Way to Be a Better MotherMelissa Buckley
Today I’m interviewing Melissa Buckley. We talk about her journey of learning that developing a deep relationship with God was the best way for her to learn to be a better mother.
Surrendering Before the MiracleMelissa talks about infertility and a priesthood blessing from her dad that led her husband to declare to her, “Our God is a God of miracles.”
In the blessing, Melissa was promised that her body would heal and she would have the children she desired. After the blessing, Melissa was able to move forward with faith and stop trying to control the situation.
The next month Melissa took a pregnancy test and it was positive. Melissa and her husband were thrilled to be pregnant naturally with twins.
She said of this time, “It was this miraculous moment where I had finally fully given over my will to Heavenly Father and that’s when He stepped in and gave me that miracle.”
Navigating Depression: Anti-Depressants + the Book of MormonAlthough Melissa had the long awaited children she had prayed for, she struggled with postpartum depression. In the interview she shares the shame and guilt she felt because of the depression.
She discusses how getting medical help and studying her patriarchal blessing helped her start to come out of the depression. She also shares the power she felt from accepting President Nelson’s invitation in October 2018 to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year.
Melissa gives great advice on how a busy mom can fit in scripture study. She also shares the blessings she has received from reading the Book of Mormon consistently.
Disciple of Jesus Christ First and Mother SecondMelissa’s experiences have taught her that she should be a disciple of Jesus Christ first and a mother second.
She shared, “The way for me to be the best mother for my children is to have a deep relationship with God.”
Melissa also shares how her own relationship with Heavenly Father has helped her learn to be a better mother. “For me, I can have a relationship with my Heavenly Father and He can love me in a Godly way, so I can try to emulate that when I mother my children.”
We discuss how motherhood is ever changing, so it makes sense that the most important thing in our life is a constant.
Meekness Through TrialsMelissa talks about how we are prepared to do the work God calls us to. She also discusses the things she has learned about meekness from her patriarchal blessing, reading conference talks (see links in show notes) and studying D&C 25.
Melissa shares that she has learned to look back on her adversity with fondness because it has helped her to learn to be meek. Her trials have given her opportunities to be taught by the Spirit.
Overall, Melissa shares her testimony that the answer to all questions and struggles is always Jesus Christ.
Show Notes Related episodes of the Spiritually Minded Mom Podcast:SMM 010: Being Open About Mental Illness in Motherhood + When You Don’t Know If God is Your Partner || Ally Hayward
SMM 016: Practical Scripture Study for Moms + How to Go In Instead of Out to Find Peace || Courtney Casper
SMM 021: Chasing Your Dreams + Turning to God in Post-Partum Depression || Amanda Anderson
SMM 037: How to Create Thoughts to Love Your Children Better || Lisa Funk
SMM 047: Finding Beauty in the Hard of Motherhood || Melinda Peterson
SMM 050: How Promptings From God Can Be Hard + Good At The Same Time||Rachel Nielson
Other resources mentioned by Melissa:Book:
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