Ways to Improve Your Child’s Behavior
Tess September 29th, 2006
Archive for the 'Parenting' Category
Social Skills Training and Rewards: Six Tips for Fine Tuning Your Child’s Behavior Change Program
Tess September 19th, 2006
Of course, you want your child to experience that internal sense of satisfaction of a job well done. That is a feeling money cannot buy. But for the tougher skills and for our more challenging loved ones, concrete rewards are appropriate and valuable as motivational tools.
I have heard parents and teachers lament, “This behavior mod stuff does not work!†Well, chances are, they just need to have a closer look at the reward component of their behavior change program. Here are six key questions to help you design and refine your child’s reward system:
Dads Are (Harried) Parents, Too!
Tess May 26th, 2006
My husband thought he was immune to the apparent “Lost-Mind-Syndrome” that had afflicted me during our childrens’ toddler years. What, you haven’t heard of “Lost-Mind-Syndrome”? Okay, so maybe it’s nothing more than being scatter-brained from having ten thousand things to do each and every day! But read on to see that even the most practical-minded man is no match for the beleaguered mind-weariness of parenting!
Parenting Tips: The Parent-Teen Struggle
Tess March 7th, 2006
A reader writes in to ask: “We faced with some power struggles with our 14 year-old. They just keep getting bigger and bigger. No matter what we try to do it seems he has to fight us for all he’s worth. We don’t want to give in, but we are afraid of what might happen. Do you have any suggestions for how we can successfully take stand without losing the relationship?”
How To Teach Your Child To Be Thankful
Tess February 2nd, 2006
The holidays are approaching. Another year has blown by. Our children have grown miraculously before our eyes. As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, we pause to reflect on our blessings - what we’re thankful for. For many of us, we struggle with the concept of blessings as it requires that we take a long hard look at our lives and acknowledge our strengths, as well as our struggles.
Kids, Creativity and Clay
Tess January 27th, 2006
This recipe can be prepared easily by children 12 or over and nothing spells contentment like kids, creativity, and clay. (Not to mention, these ornaments are a great gift for family members!) For younger children, have a parent or older sibling do the first few steps, then let children take over. This clay will keep for two weeks when stored in a zip-top bag or airtight storage container. Try creating it a week before school let’s out to keep kids busy and creative.
Teens and Risky Behavior
Tess December 22nd, 2005
Studies have linked risky behavior in teens to a variety of factors, including chemical imbalances, peer pressure, trauma, exposure to lead, too much protein and not enough carbohydrates, rejection by peers and television. Risky behavior has also long been identified with race and ethnicity and family income and structure. But in the fall 1998 issue of the Journal of American Psychology, neuropsychologist Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, Director of Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroimaging at McLean Hospital Brain Imaging Center, the psychiatric teaching hospital at Harvard University, linked risky behavior in teens to their underdeveloped prefrontal cortexes.
Garden Projects For Kids
Tess December 8th, 2005
Butterfly Feeders
This is a fun project that’s easy enough for the kids to do, and it can be as elegant or as simple as you like. All you need is a small jar, such as a baby food or small jelly jar with a lid, and some cotton.
1. Make a small hole in the lid of the jar. 2. Fill the jar with butterfly food. 3. Screw the lid tightly onto the jar and poke a small piece of cotton into the hole. 4. Invert the jar and hang it in the garden.
Bathtime Magic For Kids
Tess December 7th, 2005
Bath time is the perfect opportunity for parents and children to really get to know each other and spend quality time together.
How you view “bath time” is up to you. Many parents choose to treat it as a chore and dread the evenings - as do their children. In many homes, bath time is about as boring as brushing teeth. You, however, can choose to turn bath time into something special, which both you and your child will look forward to every day. For a child, bath time should be a transition between the noisy, busy world of day and the peaceful, cosy world of bed. With very little effort on your part you can make it a magic time for both of you.
When Your Kids Fight
Tess December 2nd, 2005
Researchers tell us that 36 million acts of sibling rivalry occur every year. Some are severe. Most are normal. When your kids fight, they want you in the middle. They want you to be the judge and jury. They each want you to take their side. I remember my own mother’s reaction. When I was a kid, my brother, Art, and I fought constantly. We kicked, we teased, we shoved, we called each other names, and we rolled over and over on the ground punching each other as hard as we could. My mother said, “I was sure you two would kill each other.”
