Managing Summer Expectations: Helping Kids (and Parents) Navigate the Season The school year is over (Whew!) and our children’s excitement for summer vacation has likely hit a fever pitch. Images of endless free time, fun activities, and carefree days fill their heads. While summer can indeed be a magical time for kids, it’s important for … Read more
Practicing Radical Acceptance in Parenting No matter how old your child is, there are likely times when you feel a high level of distress, frustration, and/or anger at their choices and behaviors. In those moments, you may find yourself thinking things like: “why can’t he/she just do X?!” or “I did not raise him/her to … Read more
Preparing Your Child for an Intelligence (IQ) Test This post was originally published on 11/17/2010 and updated on 11/01/2021 Many private schools and advanced academic programs require children to take an intelligence test as part of the admissions process. Often, when parents hear that their child needs to take an intelligence test that will … Read more
In early March (what I have come to refer to as “the before times”), none of us could have imagined that we would be heading into a new school year with social distancing, mask wearing, and limits on travel and other activities still necessary and still in place. As time goes on, it may become … Read more
In these extraordinary times, many parents are feeling overwhelmed and stretched thin in a way that they have never experienced before. Not only are they navigating their own anxiety about how to care for their family in the midst of a global pandemic, but they are also concerned about the long-term impact that it will … Read more
As COVID-19 continues to impact our daily lives, families are charting a new course this summer while we all work together to keep our communities safe. From the loss of end-of-the-school-year parties to limited playdates and cancelled summer camps, these unexpected changes in plans, normalcy, and routine mean that kids (and parents) are challenged more … Read more
Imagine that you are on your way to the airport for a much-needed vacation. Although you arrive early, you are informed upon your arrival that your flight has been cancelled and that you have been moved to a different flight. In the morning rush you did not see the email notifying you of the change, … Read more
Parenting is hard, and parenting is teenager is often incredibly hard. Many issues present themselves during this phase of life that are uncomfortable to talk about, and also where there aren’t always clear-cut answers. Parents often struggle to communicate well with their teenagers in general, much less about difficult topics such as sexual behavior. Further, … Read more
Being a child is hard. While as adults we may idealize our childhood years and daydream about returning to that simpler time, let us not forget that being a kid in today’s society (or at any point in time, really) has its challenges. Most kids feel a lack of control over their own lives; they … Read more
Saying “I’m sorry” can be trickier than it may seem. No matter how good our relationships are, having conflict and sometimes hurting people is unavoidable. Making an apology is essential for maintaining the quality of relationships. Unfortunately, we have all experienced bad apologies – given them, received them, or even witnessed them in situations that … Read more
