This article first appeared on This Old Mom. These days we are bombarded with stories of kids bullying each other and doing unkind things to one another. Then someone like Cody Pines comes along and reminds us that there is still hope for our children. Cody Pines, a teen from Huntington Beach High School in…
When children come into the world, they are immediately bombarded with stereotypes and biases about gender roles. Society, the media, and parents all play a role in conveying to children what it means to be a boy and what it means to be a girl. For example, we dress little girls in pink and frills…
Bullying in schools is currently a national epidemic. Research findings suggest that 19 percent of U.S. elementary students are bullied, and each day 160,000 kids stay home from school because they fear being bullied. It’s no wonder parents are concerned! Every day parents send their kids off to school there’s a possibility they will be…
“Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom in the direction you want to go is attainable, and you are worth the effort.” ~ Deborah Day How often do you feel drained and find yourself wishing for more hours in the day? You know you need a break and promise that as soon as…
He said he’s not gonna be my friend She won’t let me watch the T.V. He took my book She’s sitting in my seat I could go on and on with the number of complaints I hear on a daily basis from my children. They could be playing together nicely one minute and then the…
Emotional abuse often goes unnoticed because it leaves no visible scars. In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, today I’m sharing my experience with emotional abuse. I’ve also included warning signs of emotional abuse in children. I could hear her screaming downstairs through my closed bedroom door. She was in another one of her rages and…
Getting kids to talk can be tricky sometimes. In this edition of Freebie Friday I’m going to share an activity I learned from a wonderful friend/colleague/mentor, Dina McManus, LCSW-R, on getting kids to talk. This activity also teaches kids how to express their thoughts appropriately and also that their opinions matter. This exercise can be…
Stress management isn’t a skill we often teach children. The assumption is that kids live care-free lives and have no experience with stress. However, there are many things that can lead to stress in children. Stress is simply a function of the demands placed on us and our ability to meet them. Children face demands…
When I practiced as a school social worker, I noticed that a common reason why many of my students were performing poorly was because they were disorganized and would often do things like forget to turn in assignments, wait until the last minute to start working on projects, etc. This was especially true for my…
There are so many reasons why kids have meltdowns and temper tantrums. The reasons range from the mundane-he or she is just plain old tired, to the absurd-“he won’t stop looking at me!” When you are a parent, you quickly come to the realization that it’s not a question of whether or not your child…