(Jeffrey LaPonsie LMSW) - By Jeffrey LaPonsie LMSW

Edited by Jenn Moon, Editor at Featured News · Oct 16, 2026

I've been working with children and families for more than 15 years, and one of the biggest lessons I've learned is that there's probably no more powerful force for change in a child's life than their relationship with their parents.

When kids experience adversity, that relationship can be protective. I sometimes think of it as the raincoat and rubber boots in a thunderstorm. It doesn't make the storm go away, but it gives a child something to weather it.

And that's why, when I'm working with parents whose children are having significant behavioral problems, one of the first things I teach them is how to spend five minutes a day playing with their child.

I'm talking about parents whose kids are getting kicked out of daycare. Maybe they're on their second daycare, and mom or dad is worried that if they have to leave work one more time to pick their child up, they're going to lose their job.

Or the school keeps calling because their child is hitting other kids. Maybe their child can't make it through soccer practice without getting into trouble for pushing somebody, or they got kicked off the bus for the second time this week.

These are families dealing with real problems. They're stressed out. They're looking for ways to help their children. So why would I start by teaching them how to play?

In Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, or PCIT, we work with families to improve both the parent-child relationship and the child's behavior. PCIT is a structured, evidence-based treatment that includes weekly appointments, daily Special Play Time, and parent coaching. The first phase of treatment is focused on teaching parents Child-Directed Interaction skills to manage their child's behavior using positive attention. The crux of this phase of treatment is setting aside five minutes of daily Special Play Time—five minutes of child-led play that is intentionally designed to be positive, and most importantly, fun. The five minutes of Special Play Time is the secret sauce. In my experience as a PCIT therapist and trainer, it's the most important component of successful treatment. A 2016 study on Special Play Time frequency found that parents who practiced more frequently mastered parenting skills and completed treatment in fewer sessions.

Parents can practice Special Play Time on their own. It is important to know that five minutes of play is not the same as participating in PCIT. Research supporting PCIT's effectiveness, including a 2021 meta-analysis, is based on the full treatment, which includes live coaching from a trained therapist and both phases of treatment. Special Play Time is one component of that treatment (I argue the most important component), not a substitute for professional help when a child is experiencing significant behavioral difficulties—but it's a great place to start.

The second phase of PCIT is Parent-Directed Interaction, where parents learn to give productive directions and implement an effective, evidence-based, developmentally appropriate discipline strategy.

A lot of parents want to start with the second part. And it makes sense. They're noticing the weeds in the garden and thinking, "I've got to do weeding."

They want their child to listen. They want to give a direction without having to repeat it 10 times. They want to be able to go to the grocery store or pick their child up from school without another incident.

And I understand that. I also want parents to think about how much attention their child is already getting for doing things wrong.

Many of the kids I see are being corrected throughout the day. Some children with behavioral problems may hear many times a day what they're doing wrong. They're told to stop hitting, stop interrupting, keep their hands to themselves, follow directions, and quit bothering somebody.

Those corrections might be completely appropriate. I'm not suggesting parents should stop setting limits. But what happens when a child spends most of the day hearing about what they're doing wrong?

Some children may start to experience themselves as the kids who are always in trouble. They may internalize that they are bad or naughty. And the parent can start to see them that way, too.

One of the things we're trying to accomplish during Special Play Time is to flip the script!

Here's an example I sometimes use when working with parents. Let's say I'm working with a child who hits somebody 13 times a day at their preschool. That's a lot of hitting. It can create serious problems at daycare, at school, and at home. I'm not minimizing it.

But think about how long it takes to hit somebody. About a second or less, right?

So if a child hits 13 times during the day, we're talking about roughly 13 seconds of hitting behavior. What was that child doing during the rest of the day? Well, most of the time they weren't hitting anybody.

Most of the day they were keeping their hands to themselves. They were playing appropriately. Maybe they were sharing toys, talking politely, or asking for help. And yet those 13 seconds can end up defining the child's entire day, or worse, how they see themselves.

They're the kid who hits. The kid who can't keep their hands to themselves. The kid who's always getting in trouble. This negative attribution of a child's behavior is an integral treatment target.

Everybody is paying attention to the hitting, and understandably so. But what if we got just as good at noticing all the time that child was being appropriate and well-behaved?

What if we gave them really high-quality attention for using gentle hands? For sharing? For asking for help when they were frustrated instead of pushing somebody?

That's part of what we're doing during Special Play Time. We're changing what gets our attention. We're not pretending the hitting doesn't matter. We're making sure the child's appropriate behavior matters, too.

Another way I explain this to parents is to think of children like gardens.

Every garden has flowers and weeds. There are things you want to grow, and there are things you'd rather not have growing there.

Now, you could spend all your time figuring out the perfect way to pull every weed.

You could become really good at it.

But if you never water the flowers, you're probably not going to have much of a garden.

Parenting can work the same way.

We spend a lot of time thinking about how to stop behaviors we don't like. How do we stop the hitting? How do we stop the arguing? How do we get our child to listen?

Those are important questions.

But I also want parents thinking about what they want to grow.

Maybe it's a child who uses gentle hands. A child who asks for help when they're frustrated. A child who shares with their sibling or speaks respectfully to other people.

Those are the flowers.

And parental attention is one of the ways we water them.

I sometimes tell parents to shine their light on what they want to grow.

Special Play Time gives us five minutes each day to practice doing exactly that.

During Special Play Time, we try to create an interaction where the child is likely to be successful.

I call this stacking the deck.

We're choosing toys that are unlikely to create conflict. We're setting aside distractions. And we're giving the child an opportunity to lead the play while the parent practices noticing and responding to appropriate behavior.

I usually recommend things like blocks, crayons, toy animals, or building sets. Toys that let kids use their imagination without having to follow a lot of rules.

What I generally don't recommend are toys that encourage aggressive play.

Think about Nerf guns.

If your child is shooting you in the face with a Nerf dart, what are you supposed to say?

"Nice head shot?"

Probably not.

For a child who's already struggling with aggression, I don't need to create more opportunities to focus on hitting and fighting.

I want to create opportunities for that child to be successful.

If they're carefully building something, I can praise that. If they're sharing a toy, I can praise that. If they're getting frustrated and asking for help instead of throwing something, I can praise that.

We're setting things up so the parent has plenty of opportunities to notice the behaviors we want to see more often.

One of the things that makes Special Play Time different from ordinary play is that the child gets to lead. This is harder for parents than they first expect. We're used to giving directions. We're used to teaching things. We're used to asking questions.

Even when we're playing with our kids, we might say, "Let's build a house," or "Why did you color the sky green?" During Special Play Time, we encourage parents to avoid commands, questions, and criticism. Now, that doesn't mean those things are bad in everyday parenting. Children need directions. If we never gave kids directions, they would never brush their teeth! Parents need to ask questions. And sometimes we absolutely need to correct behavior.

But for these five minutes, we're doing something different. If your child decides to put a cow on the roof of a toy barn, you don't need to explain that cows don't live on roofs. It's their barn. You can just notice what they're doing.

"You're putting the cow on top of the barn." Maybe they'll tell you the cow is flying. Maybe they'll decide the barn is actually a spaceship. Maybe the cow is a superhero saving the other barn animals. That's fine.

We're not trying to teach them about farm animals. We're giving them an opportunity to be creative and be seen for doing the right thing.

When I explain Special Play Time to parents, most understand why we're trying to avoid criticism or saying negative things about their child or their child's behavior. We're often giving them a "no" without a "go." At any given time, there are 100 things a child shouldn't be doing. Criticism only tells kids what not to do. Parents also often understand why we're avoiding commands during Special Play Time. After all, their child might not comply. If their kid doesn't listen, they're probably going to get frustrated, and suddenly these five minutes aren't fun for anyone.

But then we tell them not to ask questions, either.

That's usually when I get a puzzled look.

"I'm not supposed to ask questions? What am I supposed to do? Just sit there and be quiet?"

That's where the PRIDE skills come in. They're five strategies to give children positive attention. They're skills to water the garden, to shine your light on what you want to grow.

Praise: Tell your child exactly what they're doing well. "I like how gently you're playing with those animals." We call this a labeled praise because the child knows what they're doing that you like.

Reflect: Repeat or paraphrase your kid's appropriate talk. If they say, "My favorite color is orange," you might say, "Your favorite color is orange." It shows you're listening.

Imitate: Join your child's appropriate play by doing what they're doing. If they're building with blocks, you're building with blocks.

Describe: Think of yourself as a sports announcer. "You're putting the cow in the barn. Now you're building a fence." You're paying attention without directing the play; you're following their lead in play.

Enjoy: Smile, laugh, and let your child know you're having fun with them. You've probably heard the saying that people may forget what you said, but they'll never forget how you made them feel. I think that applies to children, too. During Special Play Time, we want children to feel that their parents genuinely enjoy being with them. Tell your kid they're fun to play with. Tell them it's the highlight of your day. Tell them you're looking forward to playing tomorrow. That's what makes these five minutes feel so special.

Kids love attention, and attention can be a powerful reinforcer of behavior. When a behavior consistently gets attention, children may be more likely to repeat it. Ignoring certain minor, attention-seeking behaviors can be an excellent strategy to avoid inadvertently reinforcing them. Though some behaviors are maintained through attention, many are not.

When I talk about ignoring behavior during Special Play Time, I'm talking about minor, attention-maintained behaviors. Attention-maintained behaviors are behaviors that continue because of the attention they receive, sometimes called "attention-seeking." I find that term unnecessarily pejorative because it can imply there's something wrong with a child wanting attention. After all, children naturally crave attention from the people they love most.

We only want to ignore behaviors that are safe to ignore. Things like whining, making silly noises, or other mildly annoying behaviors that don't require a parent's intervention.

I'm certainly not suggesting parents ignore hitting, aggression, or dangerous behavior. Those behaviors need to be addressed. If a child starts hitting or throwing toys at somebody, we need to intervene and keep everyone safe.

The goal isn't to ignore our children. It's to be more intentional about which behaviors get our attention. We want to spend less time reacting to minor misbehavior and more time noticing all the things our children are doing well. We want to catch them being good.

Five minutes doesn't sound like much, but we want parents to be able to actually do this every day. That consistency is important. You might choose a time after dinner, before bath time, or when everyone gets home from school. The particular time isn't as important as finding something that works for your family.

Special Play Time should be one-on-one when possible, with a few appropriate toys available for your child to choose from. And we really do mean five minutes. When the five minutes are over, let your child know you enjoyed playing and that you'll do it again tomorrow.

When parents come to me for help with their child's behavior, they want the hitting, arguing, and tantrums to stop. I want those things to stop, too. But I also want something else for that child.

I want them to experience themselves as a good kid. Someone who is gentle, kind, helpful, and caring. I want them to understand their parent believes that intrinsically, they are a good kid.

And I want parents to practice catching their kid being good. When you've spent the whole day managing difficult behavior, it's easy to lose sight of the things you enjoy about your child or overlook their good behavior.

Remember the garden. We still need to pull the weeds. We still need to set limits and address misbehavior. And we also need to water the flowers. And five minutes of really good play is an excellent way to begin strengthening the relationship between parents and children.

Jeffrey LaPonsie LMSW

Jeffrey LaPonsie, LMSW-C, is the founder and clinical director of Kalamazoo Child and Family Counseling in Michigan. A licensed clinical social worker, university instructor, and certified Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) therapist and within-agency trainer, he specializes in children's mental health, trauma treatment, parenting, and strengthening family relationships.

This story was produced by Featured and republished with permission. Experts featured here are members of Connectively, Featured's expert network.

(NewsUSA) - This World Heart Day, there’s an important number everyone should know: their blood pressure measurement. High blood pressure (or hypertension) is one of the most common health issues in the United States,¹ with approximately 50% of adults - roughly 120 million - living with the condition.^2,3 If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can lead to significantly increased health risks including heart attack and stroke. ^4,5 

However, high blood pressure is often called “the silent killer” with no noticeable symptoms – many people may not realize their blood pressure is too high. For people diagnosed with hypertension, lifestyle changes and medications are the first steps toward gaining better control. But managing the condition can be challenging, and medications aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. In fact, up to 50% of patients become non-adherent to their medications within one year, and nearly 75% of adults with high blood pressure do not have it under control.^6,7

The good news is that additional treatment options are available, including the Symplicity™ blood pressure procedure. This minimally invasive procedure works in tandem with lifestyle management and medication which may help patients achieve blood pressure control, and also could reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.^8,9,10 The procedure works by calming excessively active nerves near the kidneys that may be contributing to high blood pressure.¹¹ The procedure doesn’t require any implant and once done, the effects keep working 24 hours a day.^{8, 9, 12}While some patients may be able to reduce the number of antihypertensive medications they take, medication may need to be adjusted overtime by a healthcare team. Symplicity may have side effects including headache, back pain, access site complications like bruising or hematoma, and in very rare cases, blood vessel injury or narrowing. 

More than 40,000 adults worldwide have received the Symplicity blood pressure procedure.¹³ In recognition of World Heart Day, we are highlighting the journeys of three individuals who took a new direction in managing their high blood pressure.

Focusing on What Matters Most

Yazmin Rodriguez, a South Jersey mother of five and grandmother of one, always strives to put her family first. But years of uncontrolled high blood pressure made that increasingly difficult, leaving her with frequent migraines and low energy despite taking multiple antihypertensive medications and making lifestyle changes.

This changed in 2024 when Dr. Kintur Sanghvi,* interventional cardiologist at Virtua Health, introduced her to a different approach: the Symplicity blood pressure procedure. After talking to Dr. Sanghvi about the risks of the procedure -  Yazmin decided to undergo the procedure. Today, she has gained more control of her blood pressure and is now able to keep up with what matters most to her: her family. 

“For patients like Yazmin who have tried medications and lifestyle changes but continue to struggle with uncontrolled high blood pressure, renal denervation offers not only an adjunctive treatment option, but a renewed sense of hope for patients,” said Dr. Sanghvi. “While results for patients may vary, seeing Yazmin have better control of her blood pressure and, with it, more control over her life is a powerful reminder of why we offer this procedure to patients.” 

Taking on New Adventures

Patrick Whitehouse, a 59-year-old from Sacramento, California, has always led an active lifestyle. Whether skiing, mountain biking, traveling with friends, or spending time outdoors, staying active has always been an important part of his life. But as his uncontrolled high blood pressure began to interfere with the activities he loved, Patrick searched for another option. The Symplicity blood pressure procedure, alongside lifestyle changes and medication, helped him return to the activities he enjoys most - including riding the iconic Denali Park Road in Alaska. This was a meaningful milestone in Patrick’s return to an active, adventurous life. 

Finding a New Path Forward

Todd "Lumpy" Kocsis, of Gibsonburg, Ohio has lived with uncontrolled high blood pressure since he was just 18 years old. Now 54, and despite decades of treatment, multiple medications, and significant weight loss, his blood pressure continued to worsen, leading to frequent trips to the emergency room. Feeling defeated and out of options, Lumpy learned about the Symplicity blood pressure procedure through his physician, Doctor Gbur at Fulton County Health Center.* Today, he works full-time and stays active caring for his horses, scuba diving, and exercising - activities that were once much more difficult while living with high blood pressure. 

If you’re living with uncontrolled high blood pressure, understanding your treatment options can be an important step toward reclaiming your health.

To learn more about renal denervation and view additional important safety and risk information, visit beyondHBP.com.

*In the past, this physician has been paid for participation in speaking events by Medtronic.

These testimonials reflect the individual experiences and opinions of the patients featured. Not every person will experience the same results.

The Symplicity Spyral renal denervation system is indicated to reduce blood pressure as an adjunctive treatment in patients with hypertension for whom lifestyle modifications and antihypertensive medications do not adequately control blood pressure. People with higher blood pressure before the procedure may see greater reductions in blood pressure and a decrease in the need for blood pressure medication following the procedure.

The Symplicity procedure has known risks that should be considered in relation to the potential benefits of the procedure. Potential procedure-related adverse events including pain, vascular access site complications, and vasospasm are most common.

1. American Heart Association. The Facts About High Blood Pressure. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure. Update May 23, 2024. Accessed on Oct 16, 2024.

2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Control Hypertension. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General; 2020. 

3. High Blood Pressure Facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/high-blood-pressure/data-research/facts-stats/index.html Accessed August 21, 2026.

4. Jones DW, et al. 2025 AHA/ACC/AANP/AAPA/ABC/ACCP/ACPM/AGS/AMA/ASPC/NMA/PCNA/SGIM Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2025 Nov 4;86(18):1567-1678. 

5. High blood pressure dangers: Hypertension’s effects on your body. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/highblood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045868. Accessed August 21, 2026.

6. Berra E, et al. Hypertension. 2016 Aug;68(2):297-306.

7. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hypertension Accessed August 21, 2026.

8. Böhm M, Kario K, Kandzari DE, et al. Efficacy of catheter-based renal denervation in the absence of antihypertensive medications (SPYRAL HTN-OFF MED Pivotal): a multicentre, randomised, shamcontrolled trial. Lancet. 2020;395(10234):1444–1451. 

9. Kandzari D, Townsend R, Kario K, et al. Safety and Efficacy of Renal Denervation in Patients Taking Antihypertensive Medications. J Am Coll Cardiol. November 7, 2023;82(19):1809–1823. 

10. Ettehad D, Emdin CA, Kiran A, et al. Blood pressure lowering for prevention of cardiovascular disease and death: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. March 5, 2016;387(10022):957-967.

11. Coates P, Tunev S, Trudel J, Hettrick DA. Time, Temperature, Power, and Impedance Considerations for Radiofrequency Catheter Renal Denervation. Cardiovasc Revasc Med. September 2022;42:171–177.  

12. Medtronic Symplicity Spyral multi-electrode renal denervation catheter Instructions for Use.

13.  Medtronic data on file, RDN Catheter Historical Data, September 2026. Data includes both Symplicity Flex and Symplicity Spyral

US-SE-2600908 v 1.0

©2026 Medtronic. Medtronic, Medtronic logo, and Engineering the extraordinary are trademarks of Medtronic. All other brands are trademarks of a Medtronic company.

Important Safety Information  

The Symplicity^™ blood pressure procedure (BPP) is a minimally invasive procedure approved to help lower high blood pressure. The procedure is approved as a complement to treatments you may already be trying, such as lifestyle modifications and high blood pressure medications that might not be adequately controlling your blood pressure.  

Receiving the Symplicity BPP should be based on a joint decision between you and your doctor. Consider the benefits and risks of the device and procedure. Please talk to your doctor to decide whether or not the Symplicity BPP is right for you. 

If you have a pacemaker or an ICD, your doctor will follow up with steps to take ahead of the procedure if you decide it is right for you. 

At the time of your procedure, your doctor may detect certain anatomical conditions (e.g., your blood vessels are too big or too small) that do not allow the blood pressure procedure to continue. 

You should not receive the procedure if you cannot tolerate medications that are required for the procedure, like atropine, nitroglycerin, systemic blood thinners, or certain pain medications. These medications are to help you in case your heart rate drops too low, you experience pain, or your blood vessels tighten during the procedure. You should not receive the procedure if you are pregnant. 

The Symplicity BPP has not been studied in patients: • Who are breastfeeding • Who are under 18 years old • Who have isolated systolic hypertension (only the “top number” of your blood pressure is high) • Who have secondary causes of high blood pressure   • Who have had a renal stent placed less than 3 months prior to the procedure • Who had a prior minimally invasive treatment in their renal arteries (stenting, angioplasty, or prior renal denervation) 

Potential risks of the Symplicity BPP (note that you may experience other problems that have not been previously observed with this procedure): • Allergic reaction to the imaging solution • Damage to your arteries • Future narrowing of your arteries • Arterio-enteric fistula (an abnormal connection between your aorta and your gastrointestinal tract) • AV fistula (an irregular connection between an artery and a vein) • Bleeding or blood clots • Bruising where the device enters your body (mild or severe) • Cardiac arrest or heart attack • Death • Deep vein thrombosis • Swelling • Slow heart rate • Infection • Low or high blood pressure • Damage to your kidneys that may cause one or both to stop working • Nausea or vomiting • Peripheral ischemia (lack of blood supply to your limbs) • Pulmonary embolism (a sudden block in your arteries that send blood to your lungs) • Pseudoaneurysm (blood collecting on the outside of a vessel wall causing a balloon-like widening) • Pain or discomfort • Skin burns from the failure of the equipment during the procedure • Exposure to radiation • Stroke 

For further information, please call and/or consult Medtronic at 800-633-8766 or the Medtronic website at medtronic.com.

(NewsUSA) -

If your family’s daily routine is feeling a little harder, seems more stressed and frazzled, or maybe even falls short of goals you’ve set at home and beyond, the missing link could be something obvious you’ve never thought about: your children’s sleep, a powerful and often overlooked part of how smoothly a home functions.

Prioritizing sleep health as a family can make a meaningful difference towards a happier and healthier household. National Sleep Foundation’s (NSF) 2026 Sleep in America® Poll showed 86% of parents say good sleep improves their child’s mood and behavior, which helps build a better family environment.

Hidden Power of Sleep

Healthy sleep is critical for everyone, especially children and teenagers, yet 44% of American children are not getting the recommended amount of sleep for their age. That’s a big number, with potentially big consequences. Sleep is the time when their brains consolidate memories for learning, their bodies release growth hormone for healing and development, and they even strengthen their immune system. Getting good sleep can also help them regulate their emotions.

Domino Effect of Poor Sleep

One family member’s sleep can affect the entire household. In fact, nearly all parents (95%) agree that good sleep is essential to overall family function. Where’s a good place to focus? Children: nearly seven in ten parents say poor sleep negatively affects their child’s mood and daytime functioning. School performance may decline, tensions between parents and children can rise, and minor sibling disagreements can escalate.

Four in five parents say their own sleep suffers when their child sleeps poorly, so one family member’s sleep can set off a domino effect. This can fuel a cycle of exhaustion that impacts family dynamics, physical and mental well-being, and even performance and safety inside and outside the home.

Build a Best Slept® Family

So, how can sleep be prioritized more in households?

Many parents (74%) think about their children’s sleep every day, and these parents spend an average of more than two hours per day mulling it over. But results from the same NSF study show nearly half of parents rarely or never talk with their children about the importance of sleep. How can parents close this gap?

It’s never too late for parents to take the opportunity to engage with and talk to their children about healthy sleep habits that help build a Best Slept® Family. When parents model consistent, healthy practices, children are far more likely to adopt them. That means making sleep a priority for everyone in the family. After setting norms and routines in the household that are designed for good sleep, families often can see improvements not only in energy and mood, but in their general well-being.

Small steps can make a big difference. These NSF-recommended tips can work for the whole family, like starting the day with bright light, planning physical activity, and having consistent mealtimes. Avoiding late-night eating and using regular wind-down routines for adults and children—ones that allow for consistent bedtimes and waking times to get the recommended amount of sleep—are important nighttime practices. Think about making the hour before bed a low-stimulation zone for everyone. From keeping bedrooms cool, dark, and quiet, to making sure alerting electronics and screens are put away 1-2 hours before bed, parents can set up a friendly place for sleep.

Remember, healthy sleep habits built today can be carried across generations, helping families to thrive in and outside of the home for years to come. Learn how to prioritize and support your children’s sleep with helpful resources for the whole family at theNSF.org.

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There’s only one National Sleep Foundation (NSF). NSF is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health and well-being through sleep education and advocacy. Founded in 1990, the NSF is committed to advancing excellence in sleep health theory, research, and practice. In its 35 years, NSF has promoted sleep health through expert recommendations, consensus guidelines, tech standards, and easy-to-use tips and tools to improve sleep.

(Jessica Vanscavish, Head of Disability, Absence, Life, and Supplemental Health at Guardian) - Across the United States, the caregiving landscape is shifting rapidly. Every day, millions of people are balancing their careers alongside the responsibility of caring for loved ones—a reality that can bring both fulfillment and significant challenges.  

New research from Guardian offers a deeper understanding of the pressures facing today’s working caregivers and the ways these roles are shaping American families, workplaces, and communities. As the demand for caregiving continues to grow, it’s more important than ever to recognize the trends and, for those providing care, consider steps you can take to manage your own well-being while supporting others. 

The state of caregiving today 

If you feel as if you or your family, friends, and coworkers are increasingly taking on caregiving roles in recent years, you aren’t alone. Guardian’s findings highlight just how widespread caregiving has become: nearly half of all full-time workers nationwide—43%—are now juggling work alongside caring for a loved one. This represents a 13% increase since 2019, reflecting just how many lives have been touched by these responsibilities. 

You may have also noted that caregiving crosses generational lines. The study shows that 25% of Baby Boomers, 39% of Gen X, 51% of Millennials, and 38% of Gen Z employees identify as caregivers.  

What we found to be particularly notable—and perhaps less expected—in the report data is that while women have traditionally made up the majority of caregivers in the workplace, men now represent 57% of full-time working caregivers, while women make up 43%. This shift doesn’t mean fewer women are taking on caregiving. Rather, as Guardian’s survey looked at full-time working professionals, it’s an indication that many women have left their jobs entirely to care for loved ones—you or someone you know may have made this same decision yourself.  

As many caregivers can likely attest, the challenges of providing care while managing a full-time job are significant. Only 36% of caregivers say their mental health is “very good.” Caregivers are 55% more likely than non-caregivers to struggle with substance use and 48% more likely to have experienced increased anxiety and depression in the past year.  

If you’re a caregiver, supporting a loved one may have taken a financial toll as well: 40% of caregivers say they’re fair or poor at managing their finances. Exacerbating these challenges is the reality that one-third of caregivers who take a leave from work to care for family members end up needing to take another leave for themselves. 

Support in the workplace can help make a difference. Caregivers with access to benefits like caregiving support services, mental health resources, flexible schedules, and paid leave report markedly better overall well-being and lower stress. Conversely, nearly half of caregivers who lack resources or assistance from their companies report low overall well-being. 

Getting the support you need 

Caregiving is an act of love, but it’s essential for those providing care to also ensure they’re supporting their own mental, physical, and financial wellness. If you or someone you know is juggling caregiving with work, here are a few steps caregivers can take to help bolster their own well-being. 

• Find out what benefits are available through work: Explore what support your workplace offers. This could include benefits such as mental health support, paid leave, flexible scheduling, employee assistance programs, or caregiving support services. Ask your HR team about these or other resources you already have access to that can help you manage stress and maintain stability while balancing work and care. These offerings can help to address the mental, physical, and financial health impacts of caregiving so that you can care for yourself while also supporting those you love. Be sure that you understand not only what these benefits are but also how to access and make the most of them. 

• Connect with your manager and colleagues: Only half of working caregivers have spoken with their manager about their caregiving duties, and fewer have done so with colleagues. Transparent conversations about your situation may reduce stress and help to normalize conversations around caregiving in the workplace. Consider joining your organization’s caregiver-focused employee resource group or, if one doesn’t exist, connecting with like-minded colleagues to start the conversation. 

• Consider your financial wellness: The financial costs of caregiving can add up quickly. Think about meeting with a financial professional to gain a clearer understanding of your current budget and how to integrate caregiving costs into your long-term financial planning alongside other priorities such as preparing for retirement or saving for a child’s college tuition. Some individuals may also want to consider seeking legal guidance regarding elder care, which can have a meaningful impact on financial health.  

Moving forward, together 

As more Americans step into caregiving roles, it’s vital that both individuals and workplaces adapt. By seeking support, taking care of yourself, and connecting with others, you can make a meaningful difference in your own life and in the lives of those around you.  

To learn more, visit: https://www.guardianlife.com/reports/caregiving-in-america.  

Unless otherwise stated, all data is sourced from Guardian’s From Workforce to “Careforce” report.  

Material discussed is meant for general informational purposes only and is not to be construed as tax, legal, medical, or financial advice. Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents and employees do not provide tax, legal, medical or finance advice. Consult your tax, legal, medical or finance professional regarding your individual situation. Guardian® is a registered trademark of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. 

Copyright© 2025 The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. All rights reserved. 

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(NewsUSA) - Family Meals Nurture Civility and Connection at the Table

Whether it’s laughing over spaghetti or tackling tough conversations, family meals offer more than just food. They foster connection. Now, new research released today by the FMI Foundation, substantiates that family meals also promote something our world desperately needs – increased civility. According to the report, family meals create opportunities to model civil discussions among those gathered around the table. The shared meal offers a safe space for families to share day-to-day struggles and successes while learning to disagree respectfully and support each other.

In April 2025, the FMI Foundation, a nonprofit organization that offers research, education, and resources related to health and well-being, surveyed approximately 1,000 adult grocery shoppers from throughout the U.S. Of these, just over half responded that family meals help them feel more connected. The 2025 Staying Strong with Family Meals Barometer Survey found that sharing a meal impacts our ability to be civil. Additionally, 66% of respondents agreed that a meal together promotes more civil conversation.

Almost three-quarters of respondents agreed that family meals are a great time to have and teach respectful interactions with children and teens, and 68% agreed that frequent family meals provide a safe environment for family members to discuss thorny social issues.

The civil impact of family meals also extends to teen behavior. Numerous studies indicate that youth who routinely participate in family meals have higher grades, lower rates of drug use, delayed sexual activity, as well as reduced symptoms of depression, violence, and suicide.

“Family meals are society’s super-power to producing healthier, happier, more productive citizens,” according to David Fikes, executive director of the FMI Foundation. “Dining together with loved ones contributes to higher self-esteem, greater resilience, and improved problem-solving skills in children, and more informed, engaged, and supportive parents.

Thirty years of research and thousands of studies show that family meals provide a setting for families to address many common challenges, such as poor communication among family members, conflicting schedules, lack of time together and supporting healthier eating choices.

The Family Meals Movement is an outreach program designed to educate the public about the many benefits of family meals. It also encourages people to have just one more meal per week with loved ones.

It all starts with one meal. Learn more at www.FamilyMealsMovement.org.