Halloween is supposed to be fun. That last crisp, cool October evening is perfect for admiring all the costumes as they zoom past you on the sidewalk. That is, as you frantically scan the crowd, looking for your own trick-or-treater (who absolutely will not wait for you no matter how many hundred times you ask […]
When children repeatedly refuse to go to school there can be a variety of causes and ripple effects for the individual and family. Resolving school refusal is not as simple as “just get them in the building,” and interventions should involve multiple groups of people working together. School refusal can stem from anxiety about separating […]
Being bored is something I hear a lot about in my day-to-day interactions with children. I hear “there is nothing to do,” “school is so boring,” and “everything besides my tablet is boring.” I am sure we have all heard this from our children, especially in today’s fast-paced world. What I remember from when I […]
When parents have a concern about their child’s mood, behavior, or school performance, they often ask themselves some version of, “should I actually worry or is this just a normal phase?” They try to figure out, “is it bad enough to actually talk with someone, or do we just wait and see?” If you find […]
Fight, flight or freeze. Those are the typical responses to anxiety that most people have. When your child feels anxious, you may notice that your normally very rational child seems to become possessed, yelling and screaming and acting hysterical. Other children seem to dig in their heels and just not move. In general, children who […]
Helping your Young Child Develop Emotional Coping Skills As adults, parents, or caregivers, we talk. A lot. We talk to our children in the morning to get them out of bed, we talk to our children about breakfast, we tell them what to do and what to stop doing, we give them praise, and we […]
Some people will do anything to avoid making a mistake. They may decide not to embrace a challenge, for fear of failing or making a mistake, or they may spend tons of time and energy working towards a perfect product. Often times, these people are described as “perfectionists” and many of them experience a significant […]
Many of you may be feeling like the summer honeymoon is over. You dreamt of warm weather, but now it’s just hot. The kids prefer inside over outside—and if you’re lucky, they’re kind enough to share with you how bored they are. All day long, as a matter of fact. You couldn’t wait for less […]
Being a psychologist who works with kids, people assume that I am an expert at parenting. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. I have my own weaknesses, and parenting is really hard sometimes. One of the biggest lessons I have tried to apply to my parenting is something that use regularly when working to improve emotion […]
Researchers are beginning to look at the ways young children spend their time and how it relates to the development of executive functioning skills such as time management and problem solving. Some early findings suggest that children who spend more time in less structured activities display better self-directed control. Summertime seems to be a great […]
