School is back in full-swing and some kids are loving it; reconnecting and building new friendships while others are being shunned and ostracized. I am getting many heartbreaking emails from parents who are feeling helpless as they watch from the sidelines as their child cowers from the pain of rejection. One parent shares how her …
We tend to think of romantic relationships as the ones that break hearts, but when a friendship suddenly ends, it can hurt just as badly. It is important to recognize that although it was not a romantic involvement, this doesn’t mean that when a friendship ends that it doesn’t hurt. Gone are the late night exchanges, the …
How To Help Your Teen When a Friendship Suddenly Ends Read More »
Have you ever yelled at your partner or kids, typed something you later wish you hadn’t sent or told off someone in a parking lot? Then you may have been emotionally-hijacked. Who hasn’t witnessed – or experienced – the pain caused by a lack of emotional regulation? Most of us, if triggered enough, have acted …
Words matter, yet sometimes how you say something is heard more loudly than what you said. Your tone greatly impacts how your words are perceived. As we know from experience, kind and gentle tones are welcoming while snarky or sarcastic tones rarely go over well. This holds true whether you are in a difficult parenting …
Why Your Sarcastic Tone Is Such a Turn Off to Friends, Family & Co-workers Read More »
A BIG shout out to those of you who answered my survey. Of particular note, it is apparent that many of you are exhausted and not practicing self-care. I am therefore dedicating this blog and newsletter to How to Practice Self-Care and Mindfulness in times of stress. I personally find the exercises below to be …
School is back in-person (for many) and your child was placed – again – with “those” kids—the mean ones, the cliquey ones, the ones who dictate the terms of how the year will go. Kids know who they are, and so do parents. We talk around it because we don’t really know how to help …
Kids Need Your Support, Not Passive Parenting: Help Them Stand Up to Bullies Read More »
Now more than ever, we need to be reminded of skills to listen, show respect and empathize. Practice these social skills with gusto. There are probably many areas where you agree or where you have a mutual fondness – even if you have to reach as far back as a shared favorite movie or family memory – than you don’t. Reconnecting with that touchstone comes with listening, really hearing the perspective of another person and trying to support another.
As parents, we do our best to ensure our kids don’t fall behind in the “lost year” and yet many parents don’t know what to look for regarding to social emotional development in children, or how to even help if needed. Age-appropriate social development in children includes taking responsibility for actions, evaluating risks and opportunities, …
Frustration is something most of us are familiar with. We may have had our hearts set on something that didn’t materialize, or we personally fell short on a goal, or someone had promised us something that didn’t happen. The same frustrations can exhibit in our kids too. And some kids can be more easily frustrated …
What Can I Do To Help My Kid Who Seems So Easily Frustrated By Little Things? Read More »
Socializing well may come naturally to some, but it sure doesn’t come easily to others. Your child or teen might be the “Socially Awkward Kid”: the one who avoids direct eye contact, hesitates to initiate a conversation, or desperately relies on one friend. Introverted, Socially Awkward or Socially Anxious? Being introverted is not the same …
Help, I Am the Parent of The Awkward Kid Who Can’t Seem to Socialize Well Read More »
