The next Parent Class To Help Your Teen starts September 27th!
Elliot Waksman specializes in sports psychology with kids and teens and offers this great guest post with advice about how to help your child be successful in sports (or anything for that matter) regardless of whether a trophy is involved. Detested by some, celebrated by others, participation trophies have become a hot topic. Some parents…
I hope you’ve been having a wonderful summer. If you’re like most of the families I’ve been seeing lately, you’re probably starting to think about school. This is a good time to start thinking and talking about hopes, expectations and challenges that may come up in the fall. Most parents I talk to struggle with…
Now that marijuana is legal, it’s more important than ever to have conversations with your teen or preteen and make it clear about your values and approach with this issue. I want to provide you with some guidance to help you do that. Teen pot usage over the past few years has remained relatively flat.…
Does this sound familiar? Parent: “You’re grounded and I’m taking away your phone.” Teen: “That’s ridiculous.” Parent: “Maybe you’ll think next time before doing something so stupid!” Teen: “Maybe you’ll learn how to stop being a controlling psycho.” Parent: “You really are a spoiled brat!” Teen: “You’re a terrible parent, that’s why my friends don’t…
You may not be surprised to hear me tell you that a lot of teens today are taking longer to “grow up”. This despite the fact that today’s teens are highly intelligent, conscientious, capable and even eager to take on more responsibility. Yes, even yours. But when a 15 year-old can’t do her own laundry,…
What does adolescence really mean, anyways? Do you know? To be honest, I didn’t always have a clear idea. I would often think of it synonymously with “the teen years.” When you think of this period, what comes to mind? How many negative adjectives are popping up right now? Most people seem to describe this…
Teens today may be the most stressed out and anxious cohort ever. The American Psychological Association conducted a large stress survey a couple years ago. On a scale of 1 to 10, teens reported their
Co-parenting today is a lot different than it used to be. It’s harder, in part, because it comes without a clear template to follow. The days of nuclear families with clearly defined parental roles and blind deference from kids are long gone. Effective co-parenting requires better communication and more of it. Teens in particular also…
The good news first. Arguing and conflict in a relationship is normal and can even be a sign of health! Now the bad news. Unfortunately, many of us experience conflict in our relationship as a demoralizing and overwhelming experience that progressively tears at the fabric of our connection. The typical response for most couples struggling…
Have you ever wondered about that visceral reaction we sometimes get from watching sports or our favorite show? Have you ever found yourself reaching for a drink of water immediately after observing someone else do the same? Experiences like this are partially explained by clusters of cells in our brain called mirror neurons. Our brain…
