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
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,
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
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
We’ve talked a lot about social media in our blogs and articles. We’ve covered the dangers for teens and the ways it can help teens. Most content about social media and teens focuses on the negative aspects. Facebook. Instagram. Snapchat. Kik. Twitter. AskFM. On all of these sites, teens frequently glorify drugs and alcohol, partying, and other risky behaviors. Even when it’s not promoting unsafe behavior, social media can still
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
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
2020 has been a year to remember. Or forget. We can’t decide. Either way, everyone will be glad to put 2020 in the rearview mirror. This time last year, we were gearing up for the second half of the winter holidays, highlighted by Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Day. This year, things are completely different. In California, the pandemic is triggering a new wave of shelter-in-place orders. Around the
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
This series discusses teens with behavioral challenges. We’ve shared the causes of parental defiance and the co-occurring mental health issues that your teen might also be struggling with. Now, we’re going to talk about what treatment options are available—for your teen. Treatment for teens with behavioral challenges usually involves a multi-faceted approach. This can include a combination of individual and family therapy, social skills training, medication, or treatment for co-occurring
