Kelsey Mora, PLLC

Kelsey Mora, PLLC Custom support and guidance for families impacted by medical illness and grief.

Grieving teens often tell me how stressed they feel when people say things like:🤍”Your parent would want you to be happy...
07/24/2025

Grieving teens often tell me how stressed they feel when people say things like:

🤍”Your parent would want you to be happy.”
🤍”They wouldn’t want you to be sad.”
🤍”They would’ve wanted you to go/do/be [insert thing here].”

These statements create so many conflicting emotions—and pile on pressure during an already overwhelming time.

The truth is: No one wanted this.

And what grievers need most is to be seen, heard, and validated in their unique experience.

For some, that means continuing with the plans they made.

For others, it’s too painful to do those things without their person.

Even just figuring out how they feel—and what to do with those feelings—is a meaningful step.

Grief is hard enough. Let’s not add more pressure by guessing what someone would have wanted.

Because what they likely wanted most… was to still be here.

07/23/2025

We’ve had such packed summer days and I just needed to get some fuel into my kids.

I prepared their lunches and then shouted “who wants a toothpick lunch!?”

My son came walking over with a grin - “what in the world is a toothpick lunch!?”

I said “here - let me show you.” He was instantly intrigued.

Then I prepped one for my daughter and walked over to her.

She immediately opened her mouth wide - ready for the toothpick sandwich.

The next thing I knew their plates were clean and we were headed upstairs to rest.

I repeated this again the next day for our poolside lunch. My daughter proudly said “I can’t eat strawberries with my toothpick too!”

Sometimes all it takes is a little creativity to make things more interesting and exciting.

Save and share the next time you need a quick, easy, and enticing lunch for your little ones.

**And I think it goes without saying to exercise caution and supervision when using toothpicks 😉 (this teaches them to be safe)**

Crying isn’t a problem to fix. It’s a feeling to support.Child life specialists aren’t there to stop the crying.We’re th...
07/23/2025

Crying isn’t a problem to fix. It’s a feeling to support.

Child life specialists aren’t there to stop the crying.

We’re there to support it — with honesty, validation, and strategies to collaborate with other health care providers to help kids feel safe and seen.

Crying during a procedure doesn’t mean a child is failing.

It doesn’t mean a provider did something wrong.

It means something difficult is happening — and that child is responding in a very human way.

Let’s shift the goal from stopping the tears to supporting the child.

Because tears are natural and support is essential.

Comment RESOURCES to learn more about my digital bundles to support kids with difficult conversations and moments.

Helping your child cooperate isn’t about forcing compliance - it’s about building connection, communication, and confide...
07/22/2025

Helping your child cooperate isn’t about forcing compliance - it’s about building connection, communication, and confidence.

As a child life specialist and therapist, these are some of the things I say and do to support cooperation in moments that feel tricky, tense, or downright exhausting.

✨ Notice the good
✨ Focus on what to do (not just what not to do)
✨ Give space for do-overs
✨ Involve them in decision-making
✨ Validate what’s hard
✨ Keep it simple and explain why

These aren’t magic phrases. But they’re grounded in respect, development, and the belief that kids do well when they can.

Want more tools like this to support difficult conversations and moments?
Comment RESOURCES 🤍

Coping with chronic illness starts with understanding—and accepting—that it’s chronic.Sometimes kids and teens are waiti...
07/21/2025

Coping with chronic illness starts with understanding—and accepting—that it’s chronic.

Sometimes kids and teens are waiting for a chronic illness to go away or get better, simply because they don’t understand what chronic means.

Even during stable times, it helps to have realistic expectations about how things might change.

That kind of preparation can make the ups and downs feel a little less confusing and help families find a sense of control.

Follow for more posts like this one!

What I loved about working in the pediatric intensive care unit was the constant need to pivot.To be creative and flexib...
07/21/2025

What I loved about working in the pediatric intensive care unit was the constant need to pivot.

To be creative and flexible in an often critical environment with kids and families.

To engage children in unexpected ways, without much preparation.

And to meet them exactly where they were - often complex, unwell, and scared.

Private practice and frankly, parenting - is no different.

We’re constantly called to meet difficult moments.

Comment RESOURCES for tools to face those moments with more confidence.

Terminal cancer is not always the end.It’s a word that carries a lot of weight and a lot of confusion.Kids may overhear ...
07/20/2025

Terminal cancer is not always the end.

It’s a word that carries a lot of weight and a lot of confusion.

Kids may overhear it and wonder what it means or perhaps even misunderstand it.

Like any complex term, they need help making sense of it.

When we explain clearly and honestly, we give them the tools to process, ask questions, and cope.

Comment THEDOTMETHOD to learn more about my first workbook from —designed to help kids understand cancer through play, preparation, and conversation. 🤍

A common favorite in my sessions: the Coping Cube.It’s a simple, hands-on way to support emotional regulation through pl...
07/19/2025

A common favorite in my sessions: the Coping Cube.

It’s a simple, hands-on way to support emotional regulation through play.

Here’s how to make your own:
🤍 Use a wooden cube, reusable ice cube, clay cube, or folded paper box
🤍 Talk through and choose 6 coping strategies- one for each side (ideas: Breathe, Hug something, Name a feeling, Ask for help, Squeeze a fidget, Drink water, Think Happy Thoughts, Count to 10)
🤍 Let the child decorate it and practice using it together

Keep the cube in a calming corner or a visible spot. When big feelings show up, roll it and try the strategy it lands on or let your child choose their favorite.

The more they use it, the less they need it to cope effectively with difficult moments.

Why it works: It offers structure and choice. It makes coping playful instead of pressured. And it helps build a routine that supports emotional growth over time.

In our session, we even practiced real-life scenarios using the cube with help from some very expressive plastic animals.

This is one to try at home!
✨ Comment READY to join my email list for more resources and ideas like this.

I know this was coined by an unnamed therapist but this week, it was shared by my neighbor and friend.As she gets ready ...
07/18/2025

I know this was coined by an unnamed therapist but this week, it was shared by my neighbor and friend.

As she gets ready to go on vacation she was reflecting on this lesson she was trying to model and teach for her direct reports.

And she’s so right.

We have to take care of ourselves, or our body won’t give us a choice. And because we are wired to have control - control when and how you rest and recharge.

What are you doing today to pause and slow down? To keep your battery charged.

Sometimes it’s a vacation and sometimes it’s a short walk. It doesn’t have to be big to make a big impact.

It’s easy to focus on the child who is sick or struggling.But siblings feel it too.They might not be in the hospital bed...
07/17/2025

It’s easy to focus on the child who is sick or struggling.

But siblings feel it too.

They might not be in the hospital bed or at the center of every update - but they’re deeply impacted by what’s happening.

They may feel worried, left out, confused, or even guilty for having needs of their own.

This post offers simple, meaningful ways to involve siblings during illness, medical treatment, or other difficult family moments - because their experience matters too.

📘 My workbook The Dot Method to teach kids about cancer was designed with siblings in mind.

🤍 Want more tools for honest parenting through difficult times?

Comment RESOURCES for information about my digital bundles.

Address

Northfield, IL

Website

https://www.themethodworkbooks.com/

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