Call for a free assessment: 1-800-665-4769

Family & Home Life

Family & Home Life

Family & Home Life

Family & Home Life

What Do You Do in the Middle of an Adolescent Meltdown?

In our article  “What Causes Adolescent Meltdowns? ” we shared that adolescents with oppositional defiance disorder (ODD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD), conduct disorder, sensory processing disorder, or other behavioral issues can have frequent meltdowns or temper tantrums. So can teens with depression, anxiety, panic disorder, emotion dysregulation, and other mental health issues. Dr. Ilyssa Bass, PhD, an expert on child and

Read More »
Anxiety & Mood Disorders

Winter Break: Time for a COVID Mental Health Check-In

The holidays are finally here. Which means the new year is right around the corner. This means that very soon, we all get to put 2020 behind us, and look forward to a better 2021. We don’t need to reiterate why everyone is excited to turn the page. We know every one of you is tired of hearing the word “unprecedented.” You don’t want to read one more email that

Read More »
|
Family & Home Life

Teenage Stress, Meltdowns, and the Brain: How to Manage the Fight-Flight Response

Here’s a scenario parents of teens may be familiar with: Your teen enters the kitchen. You ask them a question. Something innocent. The next thing you know, they erupt. They go into full meltdown mode, their anger off the charts. They yell and scream and slam doors. Maybe they end up crying. You’re left wondering: How did that escalate so quickly? What on earth just happened? To answer that question,

Read More »
Family & Home Life

Kate Atwood Dispels Two Myths About Childhood Loss and Grief

In a recent Ted Talk, grief specialist Kate Atwood spoke about the topic of childhood loss and grief. The statistics on childhood loss are alarming. For example, did you know that one in fourteen children in the U.S. will experience the death of a parent or sibling before they turn eighteen? In some states that number is even one in nine. That makes a total of five million children in

Read More »
|
Family & Home Life

What Causes Adolescent Meltdowns?

Most parents think meltdowns should only happen during toddlerhood, and – if they last past toddlerhood – they should end by late childhood. Just so we’re on the same page, experts generally agree that toddlerhood happens between ages two and five, and childhood ends at around age twelve. By the time adolescence arrives at age thirteen, most parents think something like this: Shouldn’t temper tantrums be a thing of the

Read More »
Family & Home Life

How Blended Families Make the Holidays Work

When we think of blended families in the U.S. we often forget we have an iconic example of a blended family that was mainstream, popular, and widely accepted by the public as a new norm in our society – and that was 50 years ago. Can you name the family? If you guessed instantly that I’m talking about the Brady Bunch, we know at least one thing about you. You’re

Read More »
Family & Home Life

Five Holiday Co-parenting Tips

When parents who aren’t married agree to share the responsibility of raising a child together, it’s called co-parenting. We think of co-parenting duos most often as divorced parents, but they’re not the only types of co-parents. Some unmarried couples have children together, and if they decide to continue raising their children together when they break up, they’re also considered co-parents. There are additional permutations of the co-parenting dynamic: an individual

Read More »
Family & Home Life

Three Steps For Supporting Teens When Their Heroes Go Wrong

Fandom is a significant part of many teens’ lives. Connecting with other people who share a passion for a particular TV series, book series, movie franchise, musician, or sports figure can be a great way for teens to build meaningful relationships and celebrate the things they love. But every hero is still human, and if your teen follows their hero closely they might discover that they’ve said or done hurtful

Read More »

How to Manage Thanksgiving With A Troubled Teen During COVID

If you have a troubled teen in the house, you’re more than aware they can throw a monkey wrench into the works during the holidays. You want everyone to be happy and you want everything to run smoothly, but you’re worried sick your unruly teen might throw a tantrum during dinner, embarrass you in front of your own parents and relatives, and embody the exact opposite of gratitude and warm

Read More »

Get Your Teen Interested in Thanksgiving Again, Despite COVID

The winter holidays are upon us – but this year the holidays are going to be different than any year in recent memory. In the U.S., the six-week period between mid-November and New Year’s Day – in a typical holiday season – is the most publicly festive time of the year. These holidays take over normal life. Almost everyone gets involved in some way or another. Cities and towns across

Read More »