CHILDREN/TEENS & PARENTING ARTICLES
The Benefits of Structure for All Ages in the Summer
Summer – it is a time when children jump for joy, no longer having to sit in a classroom. For almost three long months, they choose what they would like to do. While the first three days may be relaxing, the time after is anything but. The lack of structure may start to bore children, causing behavioral problems at home. Providing structure is the key to preventing and curing these summertime blues.
When Parents Make Their Kids Their Emotional Partner
Parents in the midst of separation, divorce, a crumbling marriage or being lonely are susceptible to sharing too much with their children, making their child their confidant, and/or leaning on their child for emotional support. Parents who foster this dynamic typically do so unintentionally; they do not realize the impact of their behavior and do not intend to hurt their children.
Your Brain on Video Games: How Playing Video Games Impacts the Brain Video games are present in many households and have become a daily activity for a large number of people. As video games have become more popular and ubiquitous in the lives of many children and adolescents as well, it has become important to understand what impact video games might have on the players, both short and long term.
The Overlap Between Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder & Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder & Some Ways to Differentiate Between ASD and AD/HD
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) are two common neurodevelopmental disorders. Recent statistics from the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network found that 1 in 54 children are diagnosed with ASD.
House Rules: Surviving the Last Months of Covid Closeness As we approach one year since the first stay-at-home orders, and families have a few more weeks of living working, and schooling in close quarters, here are some rules to help you get to the finish line.
Raising Empathic Children Empathy is the ability to really understand another’s feelings or experience from their perspective, putting yourself in their shoes. It shows we value the person, their opinions and experiences just as we value our own. Empathy plays an important role in all interpersonal relationships… family, friends, peers, co-workers, and the larger community. It allows us to recognize how our actions impact others. Empathy halts violent and cruel behavior and urges us to treat others kindly.
Ready to Roll…the 2020-2021 School Year and COVID-19 The new school year is a time filled with excitement and hopefulness for some of our kids, and uncertainty, confusion, and stress for others. As we navigate this new academic year we will all need to be prepared to “roll with the punches.” Although these months will require significant flexibility from you and your child, here are some steps to help your child be successful during these topsy-turvy times.
Six Ways to Keep Your Children School-Ready While at Home 2020 has brought novel challenges around the world, as COVID-19 has confined families to stay indoors and work remotely. Parents learning to juggle working from home while homeschooling children report feeling overwhelmed and concerned about the possibility of their children falling behind academically.
Restrictive Eating in Girls There is no question society puts pressure on females to be beautiful and thin. Although these concerns are not limited to females, the ratio of disordered eating among females is threefold compared to males. Research shows dieting and body image concerns can start as early as 6- years-old and continue throughout a lifetime. A negative body image and subsequent low self- esteem are positively correlated with several mental health concerns, such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. As with any areas of concern, early-intervention is key and having conversations with our daughters can be a source of prevention for many of these issues.
Supporting Your Transgender Child Hearing from you child that they identify as transgender can be a difficult moment for any parent. While some parents may have contemplated or even expected the news, it can be a shock to others. Many parents find themselves grieving the loss of the gender of their child and worrying what the future will entail for their child. They want what is best for their child and understand it can be difficult to accept the future life of their transgender child. Regardless of your beliefs, adapting to your child’s transition is far from easy, but it is important to realize a parent’s support plays a critical role in their child’s mental health and well-being. This article highlights ways you can support your transgender child and provides helpful resources for parents and children.
Preparing Your Child for an Educational or Psychological EvaluationThere are two layers to ensure your child is well prepared for an evaluation. The first is emotionally preparing your child. Talk to your child about their evaluation ahead of time. Children do better and are less anxious when they know what to expect. Let them know you noticed they are struggling despite their hard work and they are going to come see someone to help figure out what they are really good at, what they need some help with, how the adults around them can best give them the support they need to do and feel their best, and ultimately make their life easier. A psychological evaluation is nothing to fear, nor is it something your child needs to study or practice for.
Healthy Parental Boundaries to Protect Children from Internet Pornography There are many wonderful ways children, tweens and teenagers use the internet. Communication with others is seemingly limitless, knowledge about hobbies, sports, just about anything, can be increased, news about world events is delivered instantaneously and information can be accessed for school/research (anyone remember encyclopedias?).
Transitioning Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder into Kindergarten The first day of school can be nerve-racking for any parent but maybe even more so for a parent of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Common parental worries about whether a child will behave, make friends, and succeed academically are heightened by concerns about your child’s additional sensory issues, interpersonal challenges, difficulties with self-regulation, and/or a preference for sameness or routine.
Managing Anxiety for Athletes The fall season brings not only cooler temperatures, but an exciting time in the world of sports. Football season is well under way, baseball season is moving into the post-season, and school sports have started in earnest. For athletes of any level, this is a perfect time to think about the psychological component of sports and fitness.
Kindergarten Readiness: Is Early Entry to Kindergarten Right For My Child? When parents call to ask about early entry to kindergarten, I often hear, “I know everyone thinks their child is brilliant, but my child really is advanced.” … And they are generally correct!
Bullying Touches Nearly Every American School Child Think your child is free of bullying? While 10% of children experience some direct form of bullying, victimization or social rejection by their peers during their school years, estimates indicate upwards of three quarters of school aged children have been involved in peer victimization either as victimizers, victims or bystanders.
Cyberbullying Cyberbullying has been gaining more and more media attention with several recent teen suicides linked to this relatively new form of harassment. Experts agree that cyberbullying is not the sole cause of suicide but can certainly be a strong contributor.
The Impact of Social Media on Girls and How Parents Can Help In 2018, there is no shortage of social media apps, photo filters, emojis, bitmojis, text graphics, messengers, tags and hashtags for young women and girls to use to communicate, advertise and compare themselves with others.
Telling Kids of all Ages About Divorce That is a great question—often it feels as though there is never the right time or perfect way to have this conversation. Experts say that it is not the divorce itself that has the greatest impact on the child, but rather the actions parents take during it. Discussing the upcoming separation is the first step.
How to Plan a Successful Transition to College for Students with Learning Disability or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder This article offers practical tips for high school students who have been identified with a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) and/or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who are transitioning to a postsecondary institution.
Helping Children Become Everyday Heroes We need Everyday Heroes – people whose courage, achievements, and noble qualities shine through in their everyday interactions with others. This article discusses how parents, teachers, coaches, care providers, etc. can help foster these qualities at a young age and encourage children to begin expressing them on a daily basis.
Adding Mindfulness to Your Child’s School Supplies List Children encounter a variety of new stressors at the beginning of the school year such as navigating friendships, managing academic demands, and following new requirements for rules and behavior. This article discusses mindfulness as a beneficial tool you can practice with your children in preparation for the upcoming school year.
Encouraging Healthy Media Use for Kids In this article, Dr. Colette Segalla answers questions from Carolina Parent magazine regarding how to parent in a modern, digital age. In a world where homes now have more screens than people, how much screen time and what type of screen time is healthy for children from toddlers to teens?
It’s Good To Be Happy But It’s OK To Be Sad Too It’s not only okay, but actually important to help people realize their own mental state and being able to communicate that to others. This article includes some quick tips for helping children identify and communicate their emotions.
Using Emotion-Coaching As A Parenting Style How we go about connecting with our child when they’re experiencing a difficult emotion is crucial to our relationship and their development. The difficult emotion is sometimes paired with inappropriate behavior, so we might be inclined to address the behavior and be done with it. This article discusses four parenting styles and a five-step approach toward becoming an Emotion-Coaching parent.
How To Get Your Child To Do Homework Written by Lepage Associates child specialist Dr. Colleen Hamilton as a guest author for Yahoo.
How To Help Your Child Be A Successful Student Written by Jennifer Viemont of The Successful Student Tutoring & Coaching. All children can be successful students! Ms. Viemont provides some helpful hints on helping your child or teen succeed at school.
Children and Body Image: How Parents Matter In this article, Dr. Tina Lepage answers questions from Carolina Parent magazine regarding how culture, media and parents’ body image impact the development of a child’s body image, and ways to help children develop a healthy body image.
The Importance of Early Intervention on Your Child’s Health In this article, Dr. Julia Jacobs discusses the early warning signs of eating disorders and what parents can do to help.
Kindergarten Readiness: Is Early Entry Into Kindergarten Right For My Child? In this article, Dr. Tina Lepage describes the cognitive, developmental and physical signs that a child is ready to enter kindergarten. She also discusses how to help your child understand and prepare for cognitive testing.
Modern Study Tips for a Modern Family Written by Christina Rodriguez of Triangle Total Tutoring. In this article, Ms. Rodriguez addresses the stress and demands associated with academic success, and discusses strategies for setting boundaries, modeling a positive attitude, and intervening at the first signs of trouble. Tina Lepage, Psy.D. also provides suggestions on how to speak to your child about academic successes and failures, and when to get help from a tutor or mental health professional.
Sexuality: Successful Communication Between Parents and Their Children Written by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. In this article, Dr. Lepage discusses strategies to take the awkwardness out of talking to your children about sex at every age.
Educational Testing for Your Child Understanding the symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning Disorders can help you determine if your child needs psychoeducational testing. This article helps you understand these disorders, the treatment for, and outcomes of testing.
Behavioral Problems of Something More: A Look at Child and Adolescent Depression Written by Colleen Hamilton, Psy.D. In this article, Dr. Hamilton addresses symptoms of childhood depression and how to differentiate acting out due to depression from disruptive behavior.
Back to School Strategies for Better Success Written by Dr. Tina Lepage, this article discusses tips to help your child transition back into school, complete homework, and succeed in relationships with others.
Social Skills & Making Friends: How Parents Can Help Friendships and social life are of primary importance to children and teens. In this article we suggest tips for helping your child develop the social skills and competence necessary to build and enhance friendships.
Promoting Positive Parenting: An Annotated Bibliography From the Family Matters section of the journal Pediatric Nursing, a list of books that encourage positive parenting.
STAND UP: Stress & Depression Written by Alex Wise-Rankovic, M.S. This presentation designed for teenagers covers what stress is and what triggers it, the symptoms of depression and what to do about them, information on teen suicide and helping those at risk, how to feel happy and build resilience in oneself, and resources for further help.
Resilience for Teens: Got Bounce? Written by American Psychological Association, this handout designed for teenagers describes the role of resilience in dealing with everyday problems, and provides 10 ways teens can build resilience in themselves.
Internet Predators Written by Alex Wise-Rankovic, M.S. This article addresses the negative aspect of the Internet, that is, at least 20% of children using the Internet will be solicited for sex by an adult on line. Targeted at helping parents to shield their teen from sexual solicitation on line, Ms. Rankovic discusses ways parents can get involved. Teens will also find this information helpful themselves in learning how to more safely use the Internet and avoid adult predators.
Get an A+ In “Back to School” Preparation Written by Lepage Associates’ staff psychologist, to provide numerous helpful hints to make the beginning of the school year go smoothly.
Ask the Expert Series Written by Dr. Lepage and other Lepage Associates staff psychologists. A new series of brief answers written for a local newsletter for single parents who present the questions, these articles provide useful information on a variety of parenting topics, regardless of whether you are a single parent.
Limits, Consequences, and Follow Through for Teen Substance Use Written jointly by Tina Lepage, Psy.D., Linda Hammock, LPC/CAC, and Lynne Johnston, LCSW, as part of a series on teens and substance abuse written for a local newspaper. Dr. Lepage, Ms. Hammock and Ms. Johnston discuss how parents can handle the inevitability of their teen being offered drugs and/or alcohol at some point.
Early Intervention in Teen Substance Use: Noticing Red Flags, Clarifying the Problem, and Preventing Further Use Written by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. In this article Dr. Lepage discusses early intervention as a prevention method. People too quickly think that they have missed the opportunity for “prevention” once a teen uses. Yet, there is still the opportunity to prevent continued use, to make this something that happened one time or a few times versus something that turns into an on-going substance use and abuse problem.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder & Conduct Disorder: Treatment, Prevention and What Parents Can Do Written by intern Alex Childress. Alex helps parents differentiate between normal child and teen acting out versus ODD and CD, and discusses what parents can do to help, to include empirically-validated treatment options to stop ODD and CD now and keep the behaviors from escalating and progressing into adulthood.