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It's a day at the park for Celeste Garcia and her family. A simple activity together amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
“I'm a single parent of six boys,” Waco resident Celeste Garcia said. “It's hectic, yes, and it's overwhelming, very tired, draining, but you just have to keep going, you know.”
“It’s hard raising kids, it's really difficult raising kids, especially now,” Warmline supervisor Melissa Bledsoe said.
The Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network is starting a new hotline to provide parents with additional help.
The service is called ‘Warmline’ and offers emotional support and guidance for struggling parents with children between the ages of three and 17.
“We recognize the challenges of parenthood and the need for accessible support that may not need to be a crisis level or a long-term intervention. That is what the warm line aims to do,” Bledsoe said. “It's an early intervention service to provide quick, tangible support and guidance to any parents or guardians.”
But it’s not just about the child’s well-being—experts said this hotline could help refocus parents during challenging moments.
“You can use the line as kind of your way to calm down. I think parents can get caught, and then they are kind of part of the escalation. And to me, this line would be perfect to help people kind of recenter reground themselves and calm down,” psychologist MaryAnn Covey said.
“I struggle with the kids with ADHD, personality disorder, dyslexia, and actually in the process of getting my one-year-old evaluated for autism,” Garcia said. “It's just a lot that comes with it.”
Covey told 25 News that sleep and eating issues are some of the top stressors for parents—and behavioral issues can show up differently in each child.
“What are some of the day-to-day strategies that parents can incorporate into their routine when dealing with some of these issues with their kids,” 25 News’ Kadence MaKenna asked.
“I think one of the big ones is not to personalize it. I think that's where we get stuck. We all of a sudden evaluate whether or not we're a good parent based on one interaction,” Covey said. “Slow down, don't personalize it, and really kind of be fully present with your kid.”
After telling Garcia about the hotline, she said it's a resource she plans to use to help herself and her family.
“There's help out there. Just you have to look into it,” Garcia said.
