Most parents want their kids to grow up, move out, and be able to support themselves financially and emotionally. Why then, is it so hard for parents to raise confident kids who are competent and capable? Try incorporating the following 4 phrases into your conversations with your kids. Give them the chance to try, make […]
Long winter breaks and snow days can leave kids feeling bored and parents a bit frazzled. As one of my friends texted last night, “there are not enough movies or wine in this house to get us through another day off of school.” While I definitely appreciate the structure and routine of school days, these […]
At what point in your child’s education should they take over responsibility for the management of their own assignments and test preparation? How much should a parent help, remind, or insist? When does a parent’s support cross the line from a necessary step in building their child’s skills to preventing them from flourishing? Parents can use […]
From preschool through high school, it’s easy to get sucked into the trap of stressing (and over-stressing) about if our kids will grow up to be successful. We want them to work their hardest, earn perfect grades, and study to get top scores. We want them to play on the right teams and to work […]
In the last newsletter, I wrote about framing your challenges in a way that orients you and/or your child towards success. Now that you’ve found your frame, you can practice zooming in and out on specific sections of the picture. Whether you’re the parent of a child with significant special needs or you’re the parent […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]