Back to School Tips for Parents: Don’t forget self-care and wellness
Dr. Tomeka McGee-Holloway It’s back-to-school time, and the excitement is palpable as our children embark on a new educational adventure. With new teachers to meet, friends to reconnect with, and a full slate of activities including sports, clubs, and field trips, the school year is brimming with opportunities. But amidst all the excitement, it’s easy […]
Teen Rebellion: Behavior With a Reason
Focus on the Family Counseling Staff This information is directed to parents and teens working through normal struggles of healthy teenage autonomy. If your teen is in crisis and is blatantly rebellious (whether from substance abuse, mental health issues, violent behavior, or other concerns), reach out for professional help. The topic of teen rebellion usually […]
Tips for Communicating With Teens: How to Unlock Your Teen’s Brain and Ask Good Questions
Focus on the Family Counseling Staff An adolescent’s brain undergoes a literal “pruning” process, explain Jeramy and Jerusha Clark in Focus on the Family’s broadcast Understanding How Your Teen Thinks. Here are four helpful tips from that conversation. Four tips to unlock your teen’s brain 1.) Understand the power of shorter conversations “Think of it […]
Recognizing When Your Teen May Need Therapy: Insights from Meier Clinics
Adolescence is a pivotal and often challenging phase in a young person’s life, marking a period of significant physical, emotional, and psychological changes. During these formative years, the emergence of mental health problems can often go unnoticed or be misinterpreted as typical teenage behavior. However, it’s a time when underlying issues such as anxiety, depression, […]
Tips for Communicating With Teens: Good Communication Is Safe Communication
One reality behind common parent-teen struggles is that teens have one foot in childhood and one foot in adulthood. Therapists call this developmental individuating. It means your child is becoming their own person. They’re gaining independence and getting ready to launch out on their own. And that process of separating from you is normal, natural, […]
Help for Helicopter Parents: Strategies for Growth and Learning
We love our kids and have a healthy desire to protect them. But that can sometimes morph into an unhealthy need to control every aspect of their lives. And that could rob them of opportunities to develop confidence and strength. Kids need to be challenged. They need opportunities for manageable risk: to problem-solve, advocate for […]
Managing Family Conflict with your Teen
Living with family is not always easy. Living with teenagers can be especially challenging. We find ourselves experiencing hurt, disappointment, and anger, no matter how often we might want to avoid or ignore it. Whether it’s a major life transition, loss, behavioral concern, or just general difference in opinion, unresolved issues can lead to strained […]