Parents Archives | Page 46 of 107

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,

December 17, 2020

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

December 16, 2020

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

December 15, 2020

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

December 9, 2020

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

December 8, 2020

Parenting

Parents: Consider Treatment for Teens Over Christmas Break

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

December 8, 2020

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

December 7, 2020

Parents

Why Is My Teen so Mean to Me? Part 4: Treatment for Teens

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

December 4, 2020

Anxiety & Mood Disorders

How to Treat Psychosis or Schizophrenia in Teens

If your teen has a mental health issue involving psychosis, it’s undoubtedly a nerve-wracking time. Schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, PTSD, and even depression or anxiety can involve frightening psychotic episodes. Teens can start hallucinating. They can start entertaining delusions, such as thinking they have certain powers, or someone is watching or following them. They can become extremely paranoid. In their out-of-control experience, they can threaten to hurt themselves or others. Their

December 3, 2020