Going to therapy for the first time can lead to a variety of feelings in parents and their child. Worried, mad, surprised, confused, hopeful, hopeless, relieved, and other emotions may be the reaction your child feels when they are told about meeting with a therapist. Many parents have asked me how to talk to their […]
When faced with challenges, no matter what those challenges are, I find that it helps to do two things. First, figure out how to frame your challenges in a way that orients you (or your child) towards acceptance, resilience, and solutions. Second, learn how to adjust your focus, deciding when to zoom in and recognizing […]
My family is experiencing significant changes this summer as we move from Chicago to Cleveland. As we walk through these changes as a family, our goal is to help our daughters transition as smoothly as possible. We know we cannot prevent sadness, disappointment, frustration, or confusion, but we can help them identify, accept, and express […]
Many parents put an extraordinary amount of resources into their child’s sports, including time, money, and emotional energy. Emotional energy? That doesn’t sound right, but I think for a lot of parents, it’s true. I encourage parents to ask themselves a few questions when they enroll their child in a sport and throughout their child’s […]
Electronics. I have a love-hate relationship with them. I love how easy they make everything, but hate how they seem to suck the brain right out of our kid’s head. The dazed, far-off stare of a child who has had too much screen time, followed by the anger and screams of that child when told […]
The recent Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why, has stirred lots of discussion amongst the media, parents, adolescents, and professionals working with adolescents. The series, based on a book of the same name by Jay Asher, explores topics of bullying, sexual harassment, rape, and suicide and is wildly popular among adolescents. Many adults are concerned that […]
When our kids have “big feelings,” intense emotional reactions to a situation, we as parents can end up having big feelings, too. Our kids can be pretty good at pulling feelings and emotional reactions from us. Most of us would probably agree that responding to our kids with sensitivity and empathy is a good thing, […]
College acceptance letters (or, sadly for some, rejection letters) have been making their way into mailboxes and inboxes over the last couple of months. Now is the time for many seniors to make their decision. In my practice, many of the seniors I work with are faced with the tough, but good, problem of making […]
An individualized education program (IEP) meeting can be a stressful event for many parents! As parents, we only want our child to receive the tools they need to succeed – but when our child has a learning difference, the tools can be more difficult to identify. IEP teams are most successful when parents and school […]
The holidays can be a time of overindulgence, even when it comes to gift giving. Though none of us want our kids to “act spoiled,” we often can’t help spoiling them. To foster gratitude during the holidays, try putting the following suggestions in place and then keep it going all year long. Teach Take advantage […]