Small Changes for a Big Change

Here we are in January. It’s boom time for health clubs and diet plans – how many of us have made New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and get in better shape? Unfortunately, most people fall off the diet-and-exercise wagon fairly quickly, leading to feelings of frustration, guilt, and even hopelessness and depression. The problem … Read more

Strategies for Dealing with Insomnia

There are few things as frustrating as not being able to fall asleep. As an activity, sleep is right up there with eating and breathing. Sleep is vital for all living beings. When we sleep we grow, we heal, we consolidate memories, and we rest. If we are sleep-deprived, we can have trouble focusing, remembering, … Read more

The Internet and Teens

Most parents of a teenager can often find their teen glued to the internet or a cell phone reportedly “interacting” with friends. Many of these parents do not fully understand what their child is doing for all those hours while on the phone or computer and could benefit from a brief lesson on some of … Read more

When Logic Fails: 8 Strategies for Managing Meltdowns

As parents, most of us have been witness to our children “melting down.” Whether your child is a toddler, a preschooler, school age, or even an adolescent, there are times when your normally relatively reasonable offspring seems to become someone else all together. Often this happens when children are tired and/or hungry, though sometimes these … Read more

Parenting is Tougher When You Have a Child with ADHD

Children with attention deficits don’t respond to traditional parenting strategies (including punishment and rewards) the same way as do children without the condition. This occurs because they don’t seem to learn from their mistakes, avoid behaviors because of punishment, or are motivated by rewards as easily as other children. As such, parents often second guess … Read more

Be Something Different for Halloween This Year

The best part of Halloween is transforming into something you nor anyone else could imagine you as before…and it’s even better if they don’t recognize you. I remember the Halloween my sister and her boyfriend rented these Darth Vader costumes which prevented anyone from recognizing them. They visited the circuit of Halloween parties without talking– … Read more

Balance Beyond the Olympics

Many of us were glued to our television sets this summer watching the Olympic gymnastic competitions. We sat in awe of the athletes’ graceful movements on the balance beam and envied their talent and opportunity. While we may never be Olympic competitors, we can learn to balance “Olympic-style” in our daily lives. With the start … Read more

Moral Development from Preschool to Adulthood

When children make poor behavior choices, I often hear parents say, “I thought he knew better.” Raising a morally responsible child is a main goal for many parents, and parents often experience anxiety or frustration when their child chooses a path that does not reflect the expected morals of the family. However, it is critical … Read more