Steps to Help Prevent the “Summer Slide” Summer is almost here and I bet your children are already talking about the break from school. Honestly, as a parent, I am ready for the break as well. The summer months are a welcome pause from keeping up with each child’s school schedule, homework, tests, and projects. […]
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 […]
Sometimes when we hear terms like “behavior management,” we think about kids with “behavior problems.” Really, all kids benefit from behavior management because all kids need to learn how to behave. Some kids learn a little more quickly than others and with less work from their parents. Here are a few tips for managing your […]
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 […]
I just listened to a talk about Autism Spectrum Disorders. The speaker shared a poem by one of his patients, a teenager with ASD, who wants to be a writer. It’s remarkable. (This is copied exactly as he wrote it.) Devin Teichert Song of Myself December 16, 2008 Were They but There at Night There […]
Most children begin to develop empathy as toddlers. Your child’s ability to understand, value, and respect others’ thoughts and feelings will mature over time. You can help your children to understand others’ feelings and feel for others in many ways. As you’re reading stories together, pay attention to the characters’ faces. Every now and then, ask your […]