The Parenthood GPS: Recalculating
Imagine you have a trip planned. You’ve been looking forward to it for months and have done all of the things to prepare. The essentials are packed and,maybe, packed beyond what’s necessary- just to be safe. Everything is ready to go and the anticipation is mounting. You hop into the car, punch the destination into […]
Being a Pillar When Facing Conflict
Anyone who spends a lot of time with adolescents is used to hearing about the day-to-day “drama” of peer relationships. For teens prone to anxiety and low self-esteem, even relatively minor conflicts with peers can create elevated distress. These are teens who tend to have difficulty accurately interpreting non-verbal cues and who react strongly to […]
Re-thinking Lists: Helping Kids Take Action When it’s Time to Get Things Done
One of the things I hear most frequently when working with adults on executive function is how fond we all are of lists. We love checking off our completed tasks, feeling accomplished, and perhaps that sense of relief that comes with the inherent brain dump (cognitive offloading) simply creating a list can afford. Coincidentally, one […]
“Remember when…” A Helpful Way to be Mindful of How Your Child Experiences a Moment
In a moment of conflict, frustration, or exhaustion, we can easily lose sight of the impact our words and actions have on our kids. We may be flooded with our own emotions and needs, such that we are not pausing to consider what is happening inside our child. We may be very aware of […]
Could Our Interventions Be Making Her Behavior Worse? The Importance of Routine and Change
Recently I did a school consultation for a child who was being evaluated for an Individual Education Plan. I was asked for my opinion not on what services would be good for the child, but on why her behavior seemed to be cycling in an irregular pattern. Normally, professionals assess, intervene, and judge the response […]
Not Just a Buzzword: Executive Function is Here to Stay
My kids still laugh about the day I didn’t bring home tacos. They were particularly hungry and called me to see if I could stop to get them some quick tacos for dinner on my way home. I waited in a long line, paid for the tacos, and drove home without the tacos. This was […]
Mindfully Communicating with Teachers
As the new school year gets into full swing, you likely have had opportunities to meet new teachers, classroom aides, intervention specialists, and other staff that may be helping your child. If you haven’t, then the opportunity is probably not far away. Teachers and school staff play a vital role in the day-to-day experience of […]
Cracking the Teen Code of Silence
“He never tells me anything” is a common phrase I hear from parents. What I tell parents is that this silence demonstrates a developmentally appropriate change as children mature toward independence. This independence includes managing privacy, forming a unique identity, and being more savvy about what they say to whom, among other skills. Parents […]
When to Worry: Balance, Patterns, and Progress
The books I have found to be among the most useful as both a child psychologist and a parent are a series of books by a developmental psychologist, Louise Bates Ames, and a pediatrician, Frances L. Ilg. Each book highlights the stages that typical children progress through fairly predictably. The authors are careful to remind […]
Homework
It’s coming and you know it. By the time you read my next article, it will be here. Homework is such a common complaint in my office, from both children and parents, that I have become a reluctant expert on the topic. The truth is, I hated homework as a child, and if today it […]