Four Important Things Most Parents Don't Realize about Anger
I don’t know about you, but when my child gets upset I just want him to stop. Obviously, I don’t like that he is mad for him, because I care for him. But, more than that, I want him to stop for me. I don’t like how I feel when someone around me is mad, especially if someone is mad at me. But the truth is no one can stop another person’s feelings. Trying to stop a child’s feelings usually causes those feelings and behaviors to become amplified because the child, and every o
Who's the Boss? How play therapy works.
Above is a picture of a sink I just met, but already love. Why does this sink excite me so? It is being installed in my soon-to-be-open customized play therapy room. With a sink in the room, children will be able to engage in sensory and art activities more easily. They will also be able to test limits more frequently, and as a play therapist I welcome that. Children will be allowed to use a small amount of water in the sand. They will also be allowed to ‘wash’ a baby d
Little Anxious Bosses?: One Thing a Parent can Do
In my last blog, I shared how one sleepless night I made the disturbing realization that cartoons might send young children unintended and anxiety-provoking messages. Specifically, cartoons might be sending the message to young children that they have to take charge and assume the role of the adult. This might explain the apparent increase in the sass level of most young children nowadays or one of the reasons so many young children seem overwhelmed with worry. With so many
Young, Anxious and Bossy, but Why?
Have you heard the stories of various children who drove off in the family car headed to McDonald’s or grandma’s? Or have you experienced your child telling you what to do, as if she is the boss of you? How can a young child honestly come to believe they are the same as an adult? One recent night I couldn’t sleep and for some reason I spent time recalling my favorite cartoons from my youth and then contrasted them with what my kiddos watch nowadays. As I kept analyzing in
