Talking to your child about mental health and mental illness: Consider their age group, talk openly, and additional tips by Daniel Wittler | Mar 27, 2020 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics, Parenting According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in every 5 adults in the US suffers from mental illness. And those who don’t suffer personally, likely know someone who does. This means that, inevitably, your kids will at some point encounter a mental illness, be it a personal…
Fifteen percent of parents don’t know what cyberbullying is—do you? by Ian Garland | Feb 3, 2020 | Bullying Awareness & Prevention, Mental Health Topics, Parenting Cyberbullying has become increasingly common in recent years, with 59% of American teens facing some sort of online harassment during 2018. Despite this, around 15% of parents still haven’t heard of cyberbullying, and some of those who have don’t really understand what it entails. With this in mind, we’ll share…
Is social media good or bad for teens? What are the pros and cons? by Taylor Bennett | Jan 31, 2020 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics, Parenting Many of us have a love-hate relationship with social media: We’ve got accounts on every platform there is, but we debate whether using these accounts is good or bad for our health. Some decide they’re better off without social media; some cut back and find a sweet spot; and others…
How to help a child who has suffered from trauma: Build a connection, be gentle, and help them process their emotions by Hilary Jacobs Hendel | Dec 20, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics, Parenting, Trauma Traumatic stress leaves you feeling terrible. When you’re experiencing traumatic stress, your body tenses and gives in to physiological changes that can lead to digestive issues and headaches. When children experience this kind of overwhelming emotion, it limits their ability to engage positively in learning. Curiosity is a result of…
Set your child up for success: Learn how to say no, help develop their self-control, and share praise in the right way by Dan Tamasulo, PhD | Oct 21, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics, Parenting Nowadays, a child will spend over six hours a day in front of a screen. That’s around 45 hours a week! Let me put this into perspective for you: you probably work a 40-hour week. The average child spends more time looking at a screen then you spend at work…
How-to respond to a kid’s temper tantrum (Video) by Taylor Bennett | Oct 14, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Parenting You’re seconds away from declaring your grocery run with your 5-year-old a success when they start screaming. They beg for a candy bar and flail their arms in protest when you say no. What now? It all depends on how you respond to your 5-year-old’s temper tantrum. Here are four…
How does ADHD affect learning? Parents can help their child retain information and learn better by Alannah Miller | Aug 16, 2019 | ADHD, Mental Health Topics, Parenting Mr. Stevenson is teaching his third grade class about the importance of using manners—he encourages the students to say “please” and “thank you,” as well as “sir” and “ma’am.” Afterwards, he asks the kids in the class to write a few sentences summarizing what they just discussed. McKenzie, though, can’t…
Parenting Teens: Fathers more likely to lead with anger, should practice patience instead (Video) by Taylor Bennett | Mar 18, 2019 | Men's Issues, Mental Health Topics, Parenting Fathers often lose control of their anger and use cruel measures of discipline on their teens. They can benefit from leading with patience and understanding, instead. A Rochester study observed that when conflict arose, fathers often lashed out in anger at their kids. They assumed their teen was being intentionally…
Parents can prevent sibling bullying by spending more time with their firstborn (Video) by Taylor Bennett | Mar 13, 2019 | Bullying Awareness & Prevention, Mental Health Topics, Parenting Older brothers and sisters push around their younger siblings. But parents can put an end to this sibling bullying by spending more quality time with their firstborn. A University of Warwick study found that giving the eldest child more attention will prevent them from feeling threatened by and bullying siblings….
How to help your kids adjust after a divorce by Taylor Bennett | Mar 12, 2019 | Family, Mental Health Topics, Parenting When my parents decided to divorce, I was 19 years old and a sophomore in college. Fortunately, because I was 19, I was able to cope (mostly). I was able to understand and adjust accordingly. I also had distractions aplenty, being that I was away at college. My kid brother,…
When you have an angry child: lead with empathy and follow up with discipline by Taylor Bennett | Jan 21, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics, Parenting Dealing with an angry child can lead to all sorts of frustrations—however, it’s important that parents address these angry outbursts properly. Fortunately there’s a 3D model that works to build a child’s self-esteem, encourage their healthy expression of their feelings, and cultivate a healthy parent-child relationship. First, parents should cast…
Researchers say if parents want to successfully cut back on their child’s screen-time, they must first cut back on screen-time themselves by Taylor Bennett | Jan 11, 2019 | Mental Health Topics, Parenting, Research New research shows that if parents want to successfully reduce their children’s screen-time, they should cut back on their own screen-time. Kids are spending more and more time playing on iPads and sitting in front of the TV, which feeds an increase in obesity among children. The researchers sought to…