It may sound counterproductive to pause the conversation and take a lunch break, but by doing so, you can prevent a potential conflict from descending into a kitchen-sink fight that will take much more time.
Why Are Teens So Stressed Out?
Teens experience stress in many areas of their lives. Some stress, in small doses can be helpful for motivation. But many teens are experiencing higher levels of stress for extended periods of time, which is called ‘chronic stress’. If chronic stress isn’t identified and coped with, a teen’s physical and emotional health can be negatively impacted.
HALT Part 1 of 5 – Something to remember just before your next fight.
This is hands down one of the most helpful tools I have ever come across as a counselor. It’s a fairly common question used for self-reflection in recovery circles. You may be familiar with it if you or someone close to you has ever struggled with substance abuse. However, the … Read More
The Importance of Consistent Sleep Patterns
Are your children difficult to manage? Are they having behavior concerns that seem out of control? While there may be a variety of reasons, sleep patterns could be one of the most impacting. According to some research, children with inconsistent sleep patterns are more likely to have emotional difficulties, increased … Read More
How to Talk to Your Children About Tragedy, Part 2 of 2
In the previous blog, we discussed tips on how to talk to your children when we are faced with tragic situations. But what if your children are not handling it well? How do you help your children manage and cope? Here are a few ways to help.
How to Talk to Your Children About Tragedy, Part 1 of 2
As adults, it can be hard for us to understand or even wrap our minds around tragedy. It can be even harder to try to explain a tragedy to our children. How do you even start? Detailed below are few tips in order to help you talk to your children when faced with tragedy.
Letter to Parents of an Injured Student-Athlete
You are not alone. Did you know that according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control high school students account for an estimated 2 million injuries each year? Although this may be true, when it happens to your son or daughter you may feel very alone and alienated. After the panic and relief that your child is “ok” wears off, the disbelief and disappointment starts to set in. Does this sound familiar? Depending on the injury, you may begin to wonder how your child’s ability to play will be impacted in the future. You may have feelings of helplessness because you can’t “fix” the situation. All of these feelings and frustrations are very normal but may cause significant emotional distress without proper care. This difficult experience can be managed by a variety of coping skills.
Understanding the Value of Play for Adults
A recent post on Facebook of a toddler finger painting got me wondering; at what age do we decide finger painting is no longer an option. It’s not just finger painting, but what about playing chase, or jumping on a trampoline, or just lying in the grass watching the clouds go by. I’m not suggesting we all run off to Neverland and refuse to “grow up”. There is however, something to be said about the value of incorporating play into our lives.
One hour to becoming a better spouse and parent.
We all know the importance of good habits. As we head back in to the school year, it’s not uncommon for parents to begin helping their children by establishing schedules that include things like regular homework time or a routine bedtime. However, the start of the school year can be a great time for parents to re-examine their own schedules and routines as well. One area that can be particularly helpful for many couples is to establish some routines or habits around spending time together.
Keep the Spark Burning by Focusing on the Home Team!
Couples can actually learn a few valuable tricks from their favorite teams. According to marriage researcher, John Gottman, PhD., happy couples have a few things in common: They have friendship and admiration, they have each other’s back, they handle conflict well, and they have a sense of “we-ness”. With these characteristics, they form a pretty strong team that can handle life’s toughest challenges.