A Mental Health Q&A Column for the Community by Safe Harbor Coronado<\/p>\n
Welcome back to Ask Safe Harbor! Safe Harbor Coronado is excited to continue this monthly column in the Eagle, where trained experts answer your questions about mental health, parenting, youth well-being, and other pressing wellness topics in Coronado.<\/p>\n
For this edition, we\u2019re drawing directly from questions asked by community members at our recent \u201cConnect with Your Teen\u201d parent talk on November 17 with child and family therapist Jennifer Kolari. Jennifer\u2019s work focuses on building strong, emotionally connected relationships with kids and teens, and in this column she offers practical, compassionate guidance for some of the toughest situations parents are facing. To revisit her complete answers and insights, please visit our website for a video and summary of Jennifer\u2019s talk.<\/p>\n
Any residents wishing to submit a question may email asksh@safeharborcoronado.org<\/a>. You may include your name or remain anonymous. Questions may be lightly edited for clarity. All published columns will be available at www.safeharborcoronado.org\/asksh<\/a>, creating an online resource the community can return to anytime.<\/p>\n How do we handle bullying and talking to other parents?<\/strong><\/p>\n True bullying is repeated, targeted behavior meant to intimidate\u2014not just a rude or isolated moment. If real bullying is happening, involve the school first; parent-to-parent conversations can escalate conflict. Teaching kids \u201cstand-up-for-yourself statements\u201d helps them respond with calm, bored confidence, which removes the reaction bullies seek. If bullying is ongoing or physical, school staff must step in, and social bullying\u2014often subtle\u2014requires their awareness as well. If parents do talk, begin with empathy, such as, \u201cOur kids seem to be struggling\u2014can we compare notes?\u201d Watch for warning signs like anxiety, mood changes, withdrawal, or school avoidance, and check in gently. Encourage kids to act with integrity when they witness bullying, helping someone out of trouble rather than tattling to get someone into trouble.<\/p>\n How to Handle Cyberbullying vs. In-Person Bullying, Phone Use, and When Kids Don\u2019t Tell You?<\/strong><\/p>\n Cyberbullying is difficult to detect, so younger teens still need occasional phone checks. A cell phone contract helps clarify that the phone belongs to the parent and comes with clear expectations. If a teen isn\u2019t talking, watch for behavior changes and involve trusted adults\u2014siblings, cousins, coaches, or therapists\u2014because connection-based communication builds trust over time. If cyberbullying is confirmed, stay calm and include your teen in deciding next steps; schools, and sometimes police, may need to be involved. Delay smartphones and social apps as long as possible, and use limits, controls, and your own modeling to promote healthier habits. Firm, neutral consequences for misuse are essential, and emotional outbursts when a phone is removed signal dependence, not a reason to give in. A strong parent-child connection remains the best protection.<\/p>\n VOL. 116, NO. 1 – Jan. 7, 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Mental Health Q&A Column for the Community by Safe Harbor Coronado Welcome back to Ask Safe Harbor!…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":76566,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,1582,276,51350,3549,7264,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-508252","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-california","11":"tag-coronado_island_news","12":"tag-san-diego","13":"tag-sandiego","14":"tag-united-states","15":"tag-united-states-of-america","16":"tag-unitedstates","17":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","18":"tag-us","19":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115875887459524738","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=508252"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508252\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=508252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=508252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=508252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}