Other than seeing harm come to their children, what’s every parent’s worst nightmare? For most, it’s feeling out of control—that helpless, sickening feeling that arises when a child simply refuses to comply, no matter what you do. The majority of parents only have to deal with defiant behaviour of this caliber occasionally, or as part of ...
As I was driving my four-year-old son to a friend's birthday party, a truck, stopped at the traffic light in front of us, had a four-wheeler in its bed with a newly-shot deer flopped over the seat and roped down to keep its carcass from sliding off. Immediately after taking in the lifeless body of the deer, my son became ...
Bullying often leaves deep psychological scars. If your child has been verbally or physically harassed by classmates, he (or she) probably dreads returning to school. As a parent, you may have your own anxieties about sending your child back to an environment where he feels threatened. Though bullying is a serious problem, there are ways to limit its impact. Knowing ...
Tantrums are an inevitable part of childhood. Because children lack the perspective that comes with many years of experience, even small misfortunes can seem calamitous to them. Moreover, young children (those under 7-8 years old) have yet to develop the impulse control and social filters needed to consistently avoid overt, inappropriate displays of anger. While most children learn to limit ...
The human brain processes all sensory information whether or not you are fully aware of it. Most children are able ...
While most of the issues adopted children face while growing up differ little from the challenges experienced by non-adopted children, ...
As a psychologist living and working in Toronto, where 51% of residents were born outside Canada, I deal with immigration related ...
Having a sense of fairness is a great virtue and a sign that your child has a strong moral compass. Sometimes, however, kids become obsessed with fairness to an unrealistic degree. Toddlers, gifted children, and children with ADHD are especially prone to this kind of behaviour. When left unchecked, a deep preoccupation with fairness can lead to excessive tantrums, arguments ...
At some point, every parent has to deal with disrespectful behaviour from his or her child. Whether it’s something as minor as ignoring your requests or as upsetting as a string of curses and insults, your child will sometimes express himself in unproductive ways. When this happens, first and foremost you must understand that you’re not alone and ...
For gifted children, relaxation is often hard to come by. Not only can their bright and creative minds conjure up endless reasons to worry, these children are often perfectionists. They’re prone to being highly critical of themselves and can therefore become unhealthily driven. Alternately, they may be immobilized by fears of failure and rejection. It is therefore little wonder ...
If you are the parent of an anxious child, you probably find yourself occasionally wondering whether or not you have done something “wrong,” something that made your child develop a perpetually worried mind. While such concerns are normal, you can rest assured that the answer is likely “no”; an elevated level of vigilance is simply endemic to the minds of ...
