Children, even teenagers, are keen observers and they tend to mirror what they see and feel from their primary caregivers. That means that if you are struggling with the COVID-19 crisis, your children will, too. The best thing you can do for your entire family is to stay calm. Today’s blog offers some tips on how to stay calm during
Read moreAs the world shuts down and families take refuge inside their homes in an effort to flatten the curve of the coronavirus pandemic, it is inevitable that family tensions will rise. Everyone feels stressed – although in different ways – and there’s no escape or distraction from one another. We are bound to have short fuses and moments of frustration.
Read moreOne of the reasons difficult circumstances are hard to deal with is because we feel out of control. When we don’t know how to “fix” something or what to expect next, our fear increases. In fact, studies have shown that people who feel in control of their lives report better mental health, fewer physical pains, and faster recovery from illnesses.
Read moreDue to the rapidly spreading COVID-19, many families are facing the unimaginable … being stuck together inside for weeks in quarantine. With no outings or visits from friends allowed, this can be a daunting prospect and a recipe for boredom. So here is a checklist of possible activities to undertake with your teens: Make music (singing / dancing / lip
Read moreYes, teens are moody. They often roll their eyes, act annoyed, and slam doors. This is to be expected, as teenagers are going through rapid hormonal changes, tend to be overscheduled, are dealing with a lot of stress, and are trying to establish their own identity. It’s a lot for anyone to manage and that means that most teens will
Read moreMiddle school is an inherently stressful environment because it’s a major transitional stage in life. Tweens are being faced with three important changes: Physical. Your tween is beginning puberty. They are flooded with hormones that result in wildly fluctuating emotions and poor decision-making, and their bodies are undertaking massive outward changes which can feel embarrassing. Social. Children are transitioning out
Read moreAccording to a new report, The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens, 2019, American teenagers spend an average of more than seven hours per day on screen media for entertainment, and tweens spend nearly five hours. Note that those averages do not include time spent using screens for school and homework. And in another 2018 study by
Read moreIs your teen a positive or negative thinker? Believe it or not, regardless of our inherent personalities, science tells us that we can train our brains to think more positively and to find the good in our lives, both of which lead to more happiness. Humans all have neural pathways in our brain, which are a series of connected nerves
Read moreIf you’re a parent of a teen who is angry, aggressive, or violent, you may live in constant fear. You may feel like you need to tiptoe around your child to avoid conflict. You may worry every time your teen leaves the house that they could get hurt or hurt someone else. You are likely unsure of how you ended
Read moreThe American Psychological Association (APA) periodically surveys the American public about their stress levels, and since 2013, teens have consistently reported higher levels of stress than adults. In the most recent survey, teens reported worse mental health and higher levels of anxiety and depression than all other age groups. Our high schoolers are stressed! The problem with stress A little
Read moreAdolescence is a time of major change. The changes can be so dramatic that it leaves parents confused and uncertain if what they are seeing is just typical teen behavior or cause for concern. Today’s blog will explain why teen behavior can be confusing, what behaviors are appropriate for this age group, and how you can best handle the typical
Read moreRecent research shows that perfectionism – which includes a combination of excessively high personal standards and overly critical self-evaluations – is on the rise among children and adolescents, and that this tendency negatively affects their mental health. Since we all know that humans are not perfect, trying to be perfect is stressful, depressing, exhausting, and causes anxiety. Today’s blog will
Read moreOne of the worst things to hear from your child are the words, “someone is spreading rumors about me.” It’s so hurtful, and you feel so powerless. Gossip is really a form of emotional bullying. The adolescent years, more than any other period in life, tends to be a time characterized by gossip and rumors. As we all know, gossip
Read moreHaving healthy relationships is a vital part of a person’s overall wellbeing, and our teens are no different. Teens need positive connections with parents, family, peers, teachers, coaches, and other authority figures. The problem is that, since teens don’t have a lot of life experience, they often don’t know what a healthy relationship looks like. This can become a big
Read moreAt our core, everyone wants to feel that they matter. People want to know they are important in some way or make a difference to someone. They want to belong. In an ideal world, this sense of belonging and importance is first created within a family. Parents instill self-worth in their children by demonstrating that the child is important to
Read moreMay is Mental Health Awareness Month, so it’s a great time to consider our stress and how we deal with it. “Coping” – or managing our emotions – is something we all do, whether we do it consciously or without thinking. Some ways we cope are healthy and build resilience, while other ways we cope with stress simply help us
Read moreLast week’s blog discussed the importance and value of setting boundaries. This week, it’s time to help your teen learn how to make those limits. The good news is that people-pleasing is simply a habit – a behavior we have learned – so that means we can also unlearn it. When we set our mind, we can break any habit.
Read moreMany people struggle with maintaining healthy relationships, which are characterized by respect, trust, equality, and honesty. Creating healthy relationships is a skill that must be learned, and teens are no exception. Girls, in particular, are more prone to developing the habit of “people-pleasing,” or putting other people’s needs ahead of their own. Although people-pleasing seems like a very nice thing
Read moreA new national study, published in the March 2019 Journal of Abnormal Psychology, found sharp increases over the last decade in the number of young adults and adolescents who reported experiencing negative psychological symptoms. While the researchers did not study the cause of these increases, they have theories. The lead author says that shifting cultural trends among the youth over
Read moreAnxiety is very common among teens. In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that nearly one in three adolescents (31.9%) meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder. Researchers have found that anxiety in children has increased 20% over 5 years. Anxiety among teens is clearly on the rise, and there are many factors that have contributed to it.
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