CLS Parent Support

  Constant Companion: A Week in the Life of a Young Person's Smartphone Use Smartphones have become a constant companion in our teens' lives. From connection with family and friends to entertainment and literal white noise, young people rely on their smartphones for different types of support, relaxation, and distraction—at home and at school, and during the day and night.    This new report fills a gap in understanding around how teens actually use their smartphones, combining data from kids' own phones with feedback from our Youth Advisory Council. Teens told us that the draw of their smartphone is both complicated and powerful. They're managing a barrage of notifications from the apps on their phones—buzzing almost constantly. Phone use in school is common, but policies are inconsistent. Smartphones both help and hurt their sleep, and apps like TikTok provide easy, effortless access to personalized content that provides both relaxation  and distraction.   Th...

Can Natural Antidepressants Help With Depression? When used in conjunction with medication, these can make a difference If you’re feeling seriously depressed, you’re not alone. The Anxiety & Depression Association of America states that major depressive disorder (MDD) affects more than 16.1 million American adults and is more prevalent in women than in men. 1 Given traditional antidepressants sometimes have unwanted side effects, people are seeking natural forms of antidepressants to help them cope with depression. Supplements, natural remedies, and lifestyle changes can improve your depressive symptoms to an extent. But first, ask a medical professional to assess your depression. Only they can determine what route is best for you. You can then work together to combat your particular level of depression using the various tools available. For an approach that doesn’t rely on pharmaceuticals or psychotherapies, you might consider these options. Note:  The above comes directl...

Baby and Womb Lifted from Mum During Cancer Surgery A mother's womb containing her unborn baby was lifted from her abdomen during a life-saving operation. Lucy, 32, a special needs teacher who lives near Sonning Common in Oxfordshire, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 12 weeks pregnant. At 20 weeks, a team of 15 doctors at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford carried out a five-hour operation to remove the cancerous cells on both ovaries, behind the womb. Her womb and son were then returned to her body and her baby was born at the end of January, weighing 6lb 5oz (3kg). Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

Microplastics—tiny plastic particles between 1 nanometer (nm) and 5 millimeters (mm) in size—have infiltrated our environment, including the food we consume daily. While research into their long-term health effects is ongoing, and there are no targets for “safe” amounts of microplastics in our bodies, a 2024 study in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) linked the presence of microplastics in arterial plaque to a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular events. Researchers have also connected micro- and nanoplastic exposure to inflammation , immune dysregulation , and metabolic disruptions . Still, we’re early in understanding what these exposures mean for human health. There are no established safety thresholds for microplastics in the body. But the absence of a limit doesn’t mean the absence of risk. To help readers understand where exposure might be coming from, we’ve ranked common foods and beverages from the lowest to highest measured microplastic load per serving. But p...

Yost Wellness Center Medical Belief Exposed! Cholesterol is it as dangerous as we thought? For more than ten years I have been telling patients about the myth of cholesterol and its link to heart disease. When I first started telling patients about this myth I could tell there was some disbelief and doubt in what I was telling them. Finally, we are seeing more and more of the medical community coming out and admitting to one of the biggest health care mistakes ever made.  I've seen doctors coming out on national television telling the world they were mislead by biased research and manipulative marketing schemes. Unfortunately this misinformation has lead people to do the wrong things to prevent heart disease, strokes and heart attacks.    How many millions of people across the globe have....and will be....victims of this myth? It's time to start asking more questions about other commonly accepted health care beliefs and medical treatments of conditions like diabetes, canc...

 Yost Wellness Center Are GMOs Making You Sick, Crazy, Depressed, and Feeling Overweight? Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup™, the herbicide used on genetically engineered (GE) crops to withstand glyphosate. Glyphosate residues have been detected in especially high levels in soy and corn plants. This means that the GE plants are absorbing the herbicide and you cannot simply wash it off.   What does this mean to you and your family? Research is showing a correlation to an increase in learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, mental illness (depression, bipolar disorder, etc.), and hormonal imbalance. Think about how many people suffer from these common conditions but are being told they need medications to be helped or even worse they are being told they can’t be helped. The conversation of how toxins and chemicals could be the cause of these problems is being completely left out.   Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to re...

Social Media Before Bedtime Wreaks Havoc on Our Sleep: Why Screens Alone Aren't the Main Culprit “Avoid screens before bed” is one of the most common pieces of sleep advice. But  what if the real problem isn’t screen time  — it’s the way we use social media at night? ​ Sleep deprivation is  one of the most widespread yet overlooked public health issues , especially among young adults and adolescents. Poor sleep isn’t just about feeling tired — it’s linked to worsened mental health, emotion regulation, memory, academic performance, and even increased risk for chronic illness and early mortality. ​ At the same time, social media is nearly universal among young adults, with 84% using at least one platform daily. While research has long focused on screen time as the culprit for poor sleep, growing evidence suggests that how often people check social media — and  how emotionally engaged they are  — matters even more than how long they spend online.​ As a social psych...

  Don't Trash Your Old Phone, Help the Environment Instead Smartphones have been around long enough that you're probably holding on to more than one of them. What do we do when it's time to replace our old ones? Whatever you do, don't put it in the trash. Rotting in a landfill is one of the worst fates to befall a phone, and you would also miss out on all the ways your phone can still be of service. Here's what to do instead. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

The Power of Forgiveness: Why a Psychologist Advises Letting Go (and a Free Workbook to Get Started) Your husband forgot your birthday. A semitruck cut you off in rush hour traffic. Your dog went to go cuddle with someone else as soon as you started petting him. No matter what offense has been committed against you (and no matter how serious it is), it’s tempting to hold onto a grudge. It even feels  good  — at first. Satisfying as it may be to silently shoot daggers at those who’ve wronged you, you may want to rethink that reaction (and cut your dog some slack — he doesn’t know what’s going on). We’re not basing this suggestion solely on instinct. Choosing forgiveness doesn’t just  sound  like the right thing to do, it actually invites a plethora of science-backed health benefits: selfish advantages, if you will.  Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

  A Silent Connection Hearing Loss, Dementia, and Depression Hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline, dementia, and mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Know how to protect your brain. “What?” “Sorry, I didn’t catch that.” “Can you repeat that please?”   Do you find yourself repeating these phrases throughout the day because you can’t make out what people are saying? Hearing loss can be very frustrating for you and the people around you. But that’s only part of the problem. Hearing issues can also have significant emotional and mental health consequences, including anxiety and depression. Even more concerning is the fact that a growing body of research shows that hearing loss comes with an increased risk of  cognitive decline and dementia . Hearing loss can be very frustrating, and it can also have significant mental health consequences, including depression, anxiety, anger, and loneliness. Even more concerning, it comes with an increased risk of dementia...

  Chewing Gum Might Be Dosing You With Microplastics Here’s a stat that might stay with you longer than that last piece of minty chew: one piece of gum can release up to 3,000 microplastic particles—most of them in the first eight minutes. That insight comes from a pilot study presented at the  American Chemical Society  in March 2025. Researchers revealed that commercial gum doesn’t just freshen your breath. It may be quietly dosing your mouth with microscopic plastic particles. The Ingredients You’re Not Told About Most of us chew gum without thinking twice. But most commercial gum bases are made from synthetic plastic—the same types of polymers used in plastic bottles and food wrappers. These include polyolefins, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrenes, and polyacrylamides. Even gums labeled “natural” released comparable levels of microplastics when tested. The bigger issue? “Gum base” is an unregulated term. Manufacturers aren’t required to disclose exactly wha...

When You And Your Child Argue Over Social Media “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5 One night, when my daughter was 14, I dropped her off at a city park in downtown Chicago. It never occurred to me she could be in danger. The thought that someone would exploit her innocence, steal her childhood, or crush her soul never entered my mind. You see, my perception was that I was giving my girl a new iPhone. Her reality was much different: I dropped the depravity of every city corner into the palm of her hand. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

  7 Foods and Beverages That Have the Most Microplastics (and What to Eat Instead) Microplastics—tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size—have infiltrated our environment, including the food we consume daily. While research into their long-term health effects is ongoing, and there are no targets for “safe” amounts of microplastics in our bodies, a 2024 study in the  New England Journal of Medicine  (NEJM) linked the presence of microplastics in arterial plaque to a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular events. Researchers have also connected micro- and nanoplastic exposure to  inflammation ,  immune dysregulation , and  metabolic disruptions . Still, we’re early in understanding what these exposures mean for human health. There are no established safety thresholds for microplastics in the body. But the absence of a limit doesn’t mean the absence of risk. To help readers understand where exposure might be coming from, we’ve ranked common ...

  Arkansas & Kansas Enact Protections for Faith-Based Adoption, Foster Care Arkansas and Kansas  enacted   laws  this week protecting families and faith-based adoption and foster care organizations, ensuring they aren’t punished for their religious or moral beliefs about human sexuality. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

  How Disciplining Children Creates Happy Childhoods These simple ways of disciplining your children enables other adults to see past your children’s behavior and enrich their lives. Self-discipline is hard for most of us adults, let alone children. Why wouldn’t it be just as hard to stay consistent in disciplining our children? Self-discipline, or discipline in general, is often met with a shadow of apprehension. Perhaps it’s because it brings back memories of harshness, or past failures. Nonetheless, when we achieve anything in life, it required  a measure of discipline – including raising happy children. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

  February 24, 2025 How to Block Porn on Any Device. For Free. ‍ The Internet is full of pornography. ‍ Anyone who has spent any time searching for anything on the unfiltered Internet knows explicit content is often just a few accidental clicks away. In the Childhood 2.0 documentary, I used the illustration of a coffee table. Thinking analog for a moment, imagine your child waking up daily with four magazines on a coffee table. Three are fine and one is pornographic and you just hope they make the right choice daily. That's the unfiltered internet today. It’s for this reason caring adults need to have a basic understanding of how the domain name system works. Through this understanding, parents can block most pornography. For free! ‍ Understanding the Domain Name System (DNS) In the Internet Hall of Fame, we find Paul Mockapetris, who expanded the Internet beyond its academic origins by inventing the Domain Name System (DNS) in 1983. Think of DNS as the digital phonebook for the I...

  Krispy Kreme Brings Back Strawberry Iced Doughnut for Easter — and Introduces 3 New Bunny Treats! The doughnut brand is launching a Hoppy Easter Collection featuring three new items and one returning fan favorite Krispy Kreme Brings Back Strawberry Iced Doughnut for Easter — and Introduces 3 New Bunny Treats!.   Photo:  Krispy Kreme Krispy Kreme is celebrating Easter with a brand-new collection of bunny-themed treats — and by bringing back a fan-favorite item. On Monday, April 7, the doughnut chain announced in a press release that they were getting ready for Easter by adding four new items to the menu, including the Strawberry Iced Doughnut with Sprinkles. The strawberry treat has been on the menu in past years, and will feature Krispy Kreme's original glazed doughnut dipped in strawberry flavored icing and pastel sprinkles. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

Head in the Clouds? There May Be Benefits to Keeping It There, Study Finds recep-bg/ iStock Mind-wandering tends to get a bad rap, especially in an educational context. A recent study, however, found that   letting your mind drift might not be harmful   when it comes to learning a new task — in fact, it may even be helpful. ​ Researchers in Hungary fitted  37 people with scalp electrodes to monitor their brain activity . Participants were then given an exercise that involved watching an arrow on a TV screen and hitting a key on a keyboard to indicate what direction it went in, per Australia’s ABC News. Throughout the activity, they were intermittently asked three questions about their attentiveness: if their mind had wandered, if they’d been thinking about anything at all, or if they had been focused on the task. ​ Using the data from the electrodes and the participant responses, the scientists determined if their attention had wandered and evaluated whether it affected t...

                       The Psychology of Cuteness and Why We're Drawn to the Adorable Kittens, puppies, bunnies, sea otters, baby fur seals, hedgehogs. A round-cheeked baby or dapper-dressed toddler. Adorable  stuffed animals  or toys. Anything teeny-tiny, miniature, or that looks babyish, with wide eyes and chubby cheeks. Most of us find these things downright cute and endearing. They make us go, “Awwwwww!” and may even compel us to reach out to cuddle or squeeze them. 1 But have you ever asked yourself why that is? What is the psychology behind cuteness? And how does cuteness influence our feelings, behaviors, and social interactions? These are interesting (and fun!) questions, all of which we’ll explore here, along with expert input. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.