Is there such a thing as too much information? I think there is if it is not from a reliable, trustworthy source. Too many of us go searching the internet for answers – how to clean glue out of the rug? what are the symptoms of the flu? at what age do I use “time outs” for my child?

And like they used to say in school, there is no dumb question! However, are you reading answers from undependable, “non-experts?” Are you reading articles written by other moms, when you need to be reading a medical answer from a professional. In my experience, I can read something online and feel anxious that my situation does not match what others are saying…without realizing that each child, each illness, each problem is complex, with many layers and only my doctor knows what the answer is based on my specific situation. But we get impatient, we want answers NOW! So talk to your care providers about websites that they do trust. There are articles, books or online resources that can be validated. And we can put our mind at ease knowing we got true information and that we aren’t left with our imaginations picturing the worse case scenarios.

For more information about counseling services, please contact me at Hope Enrichment Center (708) 448-7848 or visit my website at www.kathryngardner.com. Take care, Kathryn Gardner

On Tuesday,  February 19th, 2013, I added a much desired title to my list of accomplishments – MOM. It has brought me to ponder about my mom, my friends as moms, moms that I have admired and those that I have learned from their ways. “Motherly instinct” is innate, but when we are tired, scared or overwhelmed, we doubt even the most basic of guidelines for caring for a baby. “Keep it simple – love the baby,” has brought me back to the core of this new role. And the need to let go of perfectionism! I hope to take all that I learn and pass it forward and reassure all other new moms of the normal worries, the doubts and the mixed emotions are!