Coping skills are great tools for kids to have when the stresses and strains of life threaten to slow them down or overwhelm them. It can be useful to think of coping skills as tools. Just like no single tool is right for every home improvement project, no single...
Discipline Techniques for Children Who May Have Been Abused or Neglected Very Well Family - May 29, 2018 Foster parents are not allowed to use corporal punishment with foster children. Adoptive parents are also wise to try other discipline techniques and to avoid...
Stanford Children's Health - June 11, 2018 Many teen suicides can be prevented if warning signs are detected and appropriate intervention is conducted. The reasons No two teenagers are alike, but there are some common reasons they consider suicide. Many teens who...
Psycom - May 22, 2018 by Katie Hurley, LCSW Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) isn’t simply a fear of making or interacting with friends. It’s actually characterized by an intense fear of social situations in which the child might be judged or scrutinized by...
Parenting a child exposed to trauma can be challenging. Learn the skills to help your little one thrive!
All children are capable of extraordinary things. There is no happiness gene, no success gene, and no ‘doer of extraordinary things’ gene. The potential for happiness and greatness lies in all of them, and will mean different things to different kids. We can’t change...
Time - December 12, 2017 Does this scenario feel familiar? Marisa is 12-and-a-half years old. She has become moody and irritable, wants much more private time alone in her room, but spends it all socializing with friends on social media. She has little time for the...
Very Well Family - Sherri Gordon The teen years are filled with all types of mean girls. From frenemies and fake friends to toxic friendships and controlling girls, their mean girl behavior from often leaves other girls feeling hurt, puzzled and distraught. This is...
Parents Magazine - Vicki Glembocki Listening to my three kids' fresh talk was getting stale in a hurry. I was ready to try anything—and did. Find out which methods worked best. It started with a reasonable, motherly request: I asked my 7-year-old daughter, Drew, to...
Kids who seem oppositional are often severely anxious Child Mind Institute- January 22, 2018 by Caroline Miller A 10-year-old boy named James has an outburst in school. Upset by something a classmate says to him, he pushes the other boy, and a shoving-match ensues....
A guide to more confident, consistent and effective parenting Child Mind Institute - January 22, 2018 One of the biggest challenges parents face is managing difficult or defiant behavior on the part of children. Whether they’re refusing to put on their shoes, or...
Blessed Beyond a Doubt - January 16, 2018 It happens to just about every kid at some point – back talking. The sassy and negative replies can sneak up on a parent, but you can stop the back talking with these 4 techniques to end rude responses. Quickly defuse the...
Your child desperately wants to declare his independence. And you can let him -- while staying in control. Parents Magazine - January 15, 2018 by Jennifer Benjamin As a baby your child was happy to follow your lead. But now that he's a toddler he realizes that he...
A guide for parents to help prevent teen suicide. Psychology Today - June 13, 2013 by Dr. Earl Turner Suicide related behaviors (e.g., suicidal ideation, self-harm, suicide attempt) are becoming more frequent among adolescents and is a major public health issue. Many...
Time - October 27, 2016 Are you worried about your teen and don't know what to do next? Below is some advice from Fadi Haddad, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and the author of Helping Kids in Crisis. Talk about the real stuff Sometimes conversations between...
WebMD - December 26, 2017 by By Serena Gordon HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, Dec. 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A girl who gets her first menstrual period early in life -- possibly as young as 7 -- has a greater risk for developing depression and antisocial behaviors that...
If your child melts down, talks back, or ignores you, it could be because he’s still a little kid! Consider this a reality check. Parents Magazine - January 2, 2018 by Jennifer Benjamin As a work-at-home mom of 4-year-old twins, let me tell you: This past year was...
More interventions needed to treat problem before adulthood. MedPage Today - December 18, 2017 by Molly Walker Children and adolescents who suffer adversity, including abuse, throughout childhood tend to have poorer cardiometabolic health, according to an American...
Anxious Toddlers - May 29, 2015 by Natasha Daniels Bath time a struggle? Although bath time may be relaxing for some children – there are many kids who go running in the opposite direction when they hear the word “bath.” Kids fight bath time for many...
Could this classic discipline technique actually make the situation worse? Learn what experts recommend, including a new and improved five-step technique for giving time-outs. December 17, 2017 - Parents Magazine By Alisa Bowman Time-out certainly sounds like a...
Ideas to Help Promote Bonding Through Activities The Spruce - April 4, 2017 by Carrie Craft These activities are not for every foster or adoptive parent or every foster or adoptive child. Only do what is comfortable for you and your foster/adopted child. Keep in mind:...
The Spruce - September 15, 2017 by Carrie Craft So, you have decided to add to your family through foster care or adoption, and now you're probably wondering how best to prepare your children for the new addition. There are several things to keep in mind as you...
The Spruce - April 4, 2017 by Carrie Craft Your Role as Mom or Dad So, you've gone from an empty house to a full one. Now what? When it comes to foster and or adopting a child, especially an older child - setting roles, rules, and boundaries can be tough. This is...
As a professional, engaging teens can be hard. Learn some great tips and tricks to make the whole process a little easier.
Huffpost - May 7, 2017 by Mary Lee There are more than 400,000 foster children in state custody right now. Every year, more than 20,000 age out without being reunited with their biological family or finding a new one through adoption. Every day, another child is taken...
Sunshine and Hurricanes - November 28th, 2017 by Michelle Meyers Parenting a teen (or tween) isn’t easy. We have certainly heard all the horror stories of defiance, disrespect and general disinterest. But, often such tales of teenage turbulence are wildly exaggerated....
Life as Mama - September 3, 2015 Parenting a toddler certainly has it’s ups and downs. It can be absolutely wonderful and amazing at times, and then downright exhausting and frustrating at other times. Once a child becomes a toddler they develop a mind of their own...
Sunshine and Hurricanes - November 28, 2017 by Kira Lewis Does it feel like your disrespectful teens and tweens need an attitude adjustment? The door opens and in walks the tween or teen. You sense their arrival because the energy in the air completely shifts. You can...
Mental Floss - February 2, 2012 by Kathy Benjamin For everyone who is or was a teen, here are some scientific explanations for why they behave that way. 1. Risk Taking All teenagers take stupid risks that they one day look back on and wonder what the heck they were...
WTOP - October 11, 2017 by Teta Alim WASHINGTON — October is ADHD Awareness Month, bringing attention to people who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. For parents with children who may have ADHD, it’s important to recognize symptoms and learn how they can...