Alana DiMario

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A transplant from southeastern Massachusetts by way of Wells College and Bridgewater State University, Alana has been in Rhode Island long enough to feel the loss of 95.5 WBRU and Benny's, and to give directions based on where things used to be. After living in Providence, Woonsocket, and Lincoln, she happily planted her toes in the sand in Narragansett almost a decade ago with her husband Eric, a Rhode Island native. Two sons and a daughter came along afterward, and she transitioned from working full time at an intensive behavioral health clinic in Providence to her own private practice in Peacedale, Essential Parenting of Rhode Island, in 2010. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Alana focuses on helping parents navigate the transition to parenthood, supporting families with young children, and assisting people across life stages with anxiety and other mood issues. To further her mission to get families off to the best possible start, she also leads groups for new moms and developmental play groups for babies and toddlers at Bellani Maternity in Warwick. (As a mom, Alana tries to take her own advice at least 85% of the time). She is an avid reader, totally addicted to podcasts, never says no to trying out a new restaurant, and is always DIYing some type of home improvement project. She would also like to say she enjoys running, but believes it's important to be honest. Along with her family, Alana loves exploring Rhode Island's many public parks and natural areas, gardening, cooking, and - to the surprise of many who know her - going to visit a certain mouse's house on the regular.

Keep Your Elf Busy: 10 Holiday Activities for Toddlers

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Christmas is approaching fast and it can be easy to get swept-up in an endless list of things to do. If you have a toddler this holiday, like everything else, it gets even more...

Explore at a Snail’s Pace: Encouraging Deeper Play With Your Kids

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"Come on." "There's more to see, so let's keep moving."  "We didn't come to the aquarium to watch a duck in the pond all day, let's go." I get it. Many of us feel the pressure to...

Small House Solutions: Six Ways We Make It Work

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We are a family of five (plus a dog) in a house that is a little under 1,000 square feet. When we bought this house eleven years ago as a newlywed couple, we marveled...

Head’s Up, Partner: Here’s How to Help With Our Mental Load Imbalance

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Photo by Dan Burton on Unsplash Emotional labor, invisible labor, mental load - the terms might be new, but they are putting a name to something that is familiar to a lot of women. These concepts refer to...

Sparking Joy For Our Boys: Marie Kondo and the Gillette Ad

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Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash At its core, parenting children is a hopeful act. You hope that your baby gets here safely, you hope they like you, you hope you will do the right things to help...
Childs hands holding a colored pencil completing school work as part of Providence Moms Blog post about RICAS

Why I Don’t Care About RICAS Scores

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If you live in Rhode Island and have a child in school or about to enter school, you may have seen that the results of the first year of the Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment...

Small Joys for Small Kids: The Case for Not Overdoing It

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One November night when my oldest son was almost three and his younger brother was about six months old, I was solo parenting through bedtime. I had my baby on his changing table fresh...

Fall Playground Burnout? 4 Fun and Budget-Friendly Activities to Mix it Up!

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It's no secret that I am all about maximizing outdoor time during every season. Looking for opportunities to be out in nature, stretch our legs, and get out some energy are important throughout the year....
interior of laundromat Providence Moms Blog

Laundromat Lessons: Finding Teachable Moments

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    My children have never known a life without a washing machine and dryer in their home. A few years ago, I started teaching them how to do their own laundry - sort, settings, start,...

Five Strategies To Help Busy Families Run Smoothly

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School, work, sports, play dates, birthday parties - the non-stop schedules can sometimes leave us feeling scattered and overwhelmed. If you have already been able to evaluate your family's schedule and make the decision...