How Holiday Traditions Help Kids of All Ages
Routines, Rituals, and Families: Staying Grounded There’s an interesting paradox that’s central to teaching and parenting. In order to do either one effectively, it’s important to keep kids interested in what’s going on by offering new takes on old lessons, inventing fun ways to do mundane things, and finding fresh approaches to regular daily activities. […]
I Think My Teen is Being Abusive Toward Their Significant Other: What Can I Do?
You’ve already taken the first, most difficult steps. You recognize and accept there may be a problem. This sounds like the second half of an overused platitude, we know: the first step in fixing a problem is….but in this case, it applies. Taking those first crucial steps is truly very difficult. No parent wants to […]
Adoption and Teens: Identity, Acceptance, and Trust
Adolescence is a challenging time for almost all teenagers. Puberty launches their bodies and brains into a radical series of changes during this pivotal transition from youth to adulthood. Powerful new hormones course through their bloodstream as the part of their brain responsible for rational decision-making and impulse control – the prefrontal cortex – develops […]
The Pitfalls of Parenting Teens: Reframe, Rephrase, and Revive Your Relationship Your Teen
A recent article in the Washington Post written by parenting journalist and survivor-of-the-teen-years mom Kathryn Streeter discusses some common mistakes parents make when raising teens. We found the article full of good, solid advice, but we’re going to reframe the content in much the same way a therapist might teach a teen to do during […]