The Child and Family Connection

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Costa Mesa, CA
The Child and Family Connection

The Child and Family Connection is a solutions-oriented group practice focused on strengthening the parent-child relationship.

We provide individual and family therapy to toddlers, children, adolescents and their caregivers with offices in Costa Mesa and Laguna Hills.

12/10/2025

December is Universal Human Rights Month, and today we honor Human Rights Day. This day is a reminder that every child and every family deserves safety, dignity, respect, and the opportunity to thrive.

It is essential for young people to grow up in environments where their voices matter, their identities are affirmed, and their emotional and physical needs are protected.

This month, we invite families to:
⭐ Talk about fairness, kindness, and respect
⭐ Celebrate differences and diversity
⭐ Encourage children to speak up when something feels wrong
⭐ Model empathy and compassion at home and in the community

Together, we help build a world where every child’s rights are honored - today and every day.

12/08/2025

The holidays can bring up big feelings for children who are grieving, and grief can often resurface in unique ways during the holiday season.

Here are gentle ways to offer comfort and connection this season:
❤️ Talk openly about loved ones
💚 Make space for all emotions
❤️ Create a memory ornament together
💚 Maintain some routines and traditions

You’re not alone. With warmth, patience, and connection, families can navigate the holidays together.

12/05/2025

As parents and caregivers we always want to hear updates about our child’s lives and how their day went - but sometimes it can be hard to get them to open up and share. Changing how you approach the conversation may help encourage kids to open up.

Here are some casual conversation starters to try:
🗨 Who did you spend the most time with today?
🗨 What made you laugh at school this week?
🗨 What was the hardest part of your day and what was the easiest?
🗨 What new fact did you learn today?
🗨 If your day had a theme or movie title, what would it be?

12/03/2025

Today, on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we focus on celebrating the strengths, identities, and voices of children and adults with disabilities.

At The Child and Family Connection, we believe every child deserves to be seen, heard, and supported in ways that honor their unique abilities and experiences.

This day is a reminder to:
✨ Promote inclusion in schools, homes, and communities
✨ Advocate for accessible environments
✨ Celebrate neurodiversity and diverse abilities
✨ Teach children empathy, respect, and acceptance
✨ Listen to and uplift the voices of individuals with disabilities

We’re proud to support families in creating spaces where all children can learn, grow, and thrive.

12/01/2025

During this holiday season here is an idea of a way you can continue to give to others in your life - Kindness Advent Calendars! Like other advent calendars there is something to unwrap for each day of December, but with this calendar it provides a simple act of kindness or a family-friends activity to do each day leading up to Christmas.

Here are some ideas for what you can add to yours:
⭐ Bake cookies and gift some to surprise your friends or neighbors
⭐ Write a letter to a friend
⭐ Donate a gift to a child in need
⭐ Make Christmas decorations and take them to nursing home
⭐ Bring your teacher their favorite drink
⭐ Donate supplies to a pet shelter
⭐ Give a compliment to a stranger
⭐ Let someone go ahead of you in line
⭐ Pay for someone else’s order

A small act of kindness can make a big impact on someone else’s day!

11/28/2025

Thanksgiving is a special time to reflect on our blessings, but daily gratitude practices are a beneficial routine that can be implemented into our daily - not just during the holidays.

Here are some daily gratitude practices that can keep us counting our blessings year round!

Thankful Mealtime: Everyone shares one thing at mealtime that they’re thankful for from their day

Family Journal: Take turns drawing or writing about what you are grateful for

Mindful Walks: Together, take time to notice the little joys in nature

Focusing on what we’re thankful for year round can help families focus on what truly matters: love, connection, and shared moments of joy.

11/27/2025

This Thanksgiving, we’re grateful for families, meaningful connections, and the little moments that bring joy. 💛

Wishing you a season filled with love, laughter, and togetherness!

11/26/2025

The holidays can look different for every family. While some feel joy and togetherness, others may experience stress, change, or loss - and that’s okay.

Families come in many forms: blended, single-parent, co-parenting, chosen, multi-generational, or families separated by distance. Each one deserves care, connection, and compassion this season.

It’s okay if your holidays don’t look like everyone else’s. What matters most are the moments of understanding, love, and support that bring people closer together.
Wishing all families peace and warmth this holiday season.

11/21/2025

Parenting can be busy, messy, and full of emotion - but small moments of gratitude can give you moments of calm, connection, and perspective.

Here are a few simple ways parents can weave gratitude into daily life:
🩵 Morning pause: Before the day starts, take a breath and name one thing you’re thankful for.
🩵 Gratitude swap: Share something you appreciate with your partner or child each evening.
🩵 Mindful moments: On your commute or while doing chores, reflect on something positive that’s happened recently.
🩵 End the day gently: Ask yourself, “What made me smile today?”

Practicing gratitude is about slowing down and noticing the good, even on hard days.

11/19/2025

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder characterized by obsessions (uncontrollable and recurring thoughts), and compulsions (repetitive and excessive behaviors). Diagnosis can include both obsession and compulsions, or only one.

Symptoms include both obsessive and compulsive behaviors

Obsessive Symptoms:
👉 Fear of contamination
👉 Unwanted, intrusive, and repeated thoughts
👉 Fear of harming self or others
👉 Somatic fixations like pain or fatigue

Compulsive Symptoms:
👉 Washing until skin is raw
👉 Repetitive checking - door locks, light switches
👉 Counting in specific patterns
👉 Silent repetition of a phrase or prayer

Treatments include:
🩵 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
🩵 Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
🩵 Medication (such as SSRIs)

Family involvement with treatment has shown to increase progress at home and reduce stress for both the child and the family.

11/17/2025

As daylight fades during this season, it is natural to experience a shift in mood and energy. Yet some individuals experience more than the “winter blues.” Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can bring lasting changes in mood and energy.

Here are some signs to look out for and approaches that can help navigate the symptoms.

Common signs:
⛅ Low energy
⛅ Increased Irritability
⛅ Decreased interest in favorite activities
⛅ Difficulty concentrating
⛅ Isolating from family and friends

What can help:
🔆 Let in natural light -- spend as much time outside as possible
🔆 Regular routines with sleep, meals, and activities
🔆 Upkeep movement
🔆 Maintain relationships
🔆 Talk openly about feelings
🔆 Seek professional support if symptoms persist or increase

At TCFC, we help families navigate seasonal mood changes with care and understanding. Brighter days are ahead, and you don’t have to face this season alone.

11/14/2025

Did you know? Research shows that regular gratitude practices can boost both mental and physical health — helping lower stress, anxiety, and depression, and even improving sleep.

By helping kids build small gratitude routines each week, we can nurture emotional well-being now and set the foundation for lifelong mental health.

Here are a few fun and simple gratitude activities for kids:

✨Gratitude Scavenger Hunt✨
Find things around your home, school, or outdoors that you’re thankful for — like sunshine, a cozy blanket, or a good friend. Take pictures or draw what you find!

✨Gratitude Jar✨
Decorate a jar together and fill it with small notes of things they’re grateful for. Make it a weekly ritual to read a few out loud together!

✨Read Books About Gratitude✨
Books help kids explore gratitude through storytelling.

✨Gratitude Journal✨
Encourage kids to write or draw three things they’re thankful for each day.

Address

151 Kalmus Drive, E250
Costa Mesa, CA
92626

Website

http://www.thechildandfamilyconnection.com/

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