It’s painful and frustrating when your shutdown teen won’t open up and communicate with you. You’re desperate to know what’s on your teen’s mind, but all you’re getting is one-word answers and shoulder shrugs. What gives? More common that you’d think (or like) pre-teens and teens tend to shut down when it comes to talking […]
7 tips for talking with family about your child’s diagnosis
You’ve been dealing with your child’s mental health challenges for some time. You’ve kept it mostly private between you and your spouse but on the edge of your mind is “How do I talk to family about my child’s diagnosis?” Maybe family members (siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents included) have seen your child’s […]
The most effective phrase that will improve communication with your child
What do you do when you child starts a conversation with you …and then shuts it down? I’m sure you’ve had that experience before: your child approaches you to tell you something. She starts the conversation, you respond, and then all of a sudden your child says “I don’t know” or “I don’t care” or […]
From Fussy to Explosive: Understanding Your Tween’s Anger
Anger is one of the most difficult emotions for your child to cope with. Understanding where it comes from, what to do with it, how to express it in a safe and appropriate way, and then how to problem solve to resolve the anger, is a monumental task for any tween—and their parent. Understanding the […]
3 Reasons Your Tween Lies and What You Can Do About It
So you’re noticing you’ve caught your child lying and you’re not sure what to make of it. You remember her telling tall tales when she was a preschooler but now that she’s getting older and she’s just flat-out not telling the truth. You’re eager to nip this habit in the bud. I get it. Lying […]
The Quick Guide to Setting Limits
Boy oh boy, if there’s ever any struggle I see parents have it’s setting limits with their child. Setting limits is an important part of parenting and it has to happen on a daily basis in order to keep your child safe, and guide her through life. I bet you’ve struggled from time to time […]
How to Praise Your Child the Right Way
We all need a little praise now then. Doesn’t it feel good when your spouse thanks you for doing the laundry, or your boss says “well done” when you complete your latest project? (This is the point where you start laughing at me and say “I don’t get thanked for those things!”) But I bet […]
How to Respond When Your Teen Says “I Don’t Know”
How many times in the past week have you tried to have a conversation with your teen about something she did wrong and she says “I don’t know”? “How come you got a D in math?” I don’t know. “Didn’t I say you needed to get off Facebook and study more??” I don’t know. “Why […]
10 Steps to Getting Your Child to Open Up and Talk
It’s painful when your child won’t open up and talk to you. You’re desperate to know what’s on your child’s mind, but all you’re getting is one-word answers and shoulder shrugs. What gives? More common that you’d think (or like) pre-teens and teens tend to shut down when it comes to conversing with their parents. […]