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Tips for Helping your Child Transition to Middle School
As the summer comes to an end, kids across the country are making the move from elementary school to middle school. If your child is about to step into a middle school for the first time, they are probably experiencing a mixture of nervousness, fear, sadness, and excitement. This is a time when kids are beginning to make the jump from childhood to adulthood. Your role as a parent is to find a balance of support, guidance, structure and discipline at this emotional time for your child. Below are some tips to help you and your child through the process. Tip 1 – Be prepared Get a list of school supplies from the school and make sure your child knows how to use them. Read...
Read MoreSigns, Effects, and Healing: Narcissistic Parents
When we’re young, parents shape our entire world. We learn from them, look up to them, are loved by them and, at times, may feel hurt by them. As a child, it’s impossible to see parents for who they really are – normal people who have fears, anxieties and sometimes, mental health issues. They struggle to provide the best life they can for their children, but not all parents are emotionally able to provide the love and support children need for healthy development. This is true in the case of narcissistic parents. What is a narcissist? A narcissist is a person who has a mental disorder called a narcissistic personality disorder. A narcissist...
Read MoreWhy Experts Are Wary of “13 Reasons Why”
If you are a fan of Netflix, you’ve probably seen or heard about the popular series “13 Reasons Why.” But did you know that the show has been subject to a high amount of criticism from psychologists and therapists since its release in March 2017? The criticism comes from a diverse range of experts in the mental health field. Articles outlining concerns have been published by: Psychology Today, Newsweek, Medscape, CBS, nprED, The Huffington Post and more. Parents and teachers around the country are also concerned about 13 Reasons Why’s graphic themes and potential to do damage to teenagers who watch. The criticism by mental health experts boils down to these...
Read MoreProtecting Yourself Against Domestic Violence
What is Domestic Violence? Domestic violence is physical, sexual or emotional assault performed by one person in a relationship against the other partner. Typically the partners live together, which makes the situation more difficult to escape from. Domestic violence occurs all over the world and can affect people of any age, race, gender or sexual orientation. The range and forms of domestic abuse vary. Some relationships involve only verbal and emotional abuse, while others involve extreme physical or sexual assault. Any form of abuse or violence, including verbal, is traumatic and can impact the victim’s life negatively. Recognizing the signs of...
Read MoreMoving Past Divorce
Ending a marriage can be both devastating and life changing. Long after the final papers have been signed, we can continue to experience feelings or loneliness, anger, sadness, and frustration. However, just as we might tell a “heart-broken” teenager, “life goes on,” it is important to remind ourselves of the same thing. Learning to heal and move past the divorce is a process of forgiveness and acceptance. Acknowledge your feelings Accepting and facing your feelings is the first step to moving on. The marriage is over, but it’s likely that feelings of anger, fear, stress, and sadness are still present. As much as it hurts, we must face our grief in order to move past...
Read MoreDisciplining Your Child Without Spanking
Learning to discipline your child and teach good decision-making skills is one of the most important tasks of parenting. While discipline is necessary in order for children to learn self-control and the consequences of poor choices, how they are disciplined is important to the development of their self- esteem and self-confidence. As they grow, develop and learn, they make mistakes and need some form of guidance. Parents have different methods of guiding their children and teaching them rules and responsibility, but not everyone agrees how these rules and responsibilities should be taught. A parents’ method for helping their child learn good decision-making skills and...
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