New to learning about autonomy in kids? Start with our post on creating autonomy for toddlers and preschoolers. Welcome back! Ready to create autonomy for teens and school-aged kids? Feeling a sense of control and direction over one’s life is hugely important to school-aged kids and teenagers, and it starts in the toddler years. In
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After over a year of quarantine and social distancing regulations, almost all of us are familiar with telehealth and online or video doctor appointments. But what about therapy? Are online therapy programs good for teens? What about younger kids? It’s crucial to find a good fit between your child and his or her therapist, and
Are online therapy programs good for teens and kids? Read More »
If you’re like me, you’ve relaxed on curfews and bedtimes during the summer months. But before the next school year starts, it’s time to ensure your teen has healthy sleep habits. Better sleep for teens IS possible, so if you have a grumpy teen, a tired teen, a teen who just can’t seem to get
Better sleep for teens: 7 things you should be doing Read More »
First of all, anxiety can come in many forms, and there are several types of anxiety your teen may face. But once your child is diagnosed with anxiety, you may be faced with a decision: ‘talk’ therapy, medication, or both? If you go with the ‘both’ option, your next question will be: which anxiety meds
Making sense of anxiety meds for teens: Which is right for your child? Read More »
When we think of anxiety, we usually think of panic attacks, breathing into a paper bag, and intense fear. But there are many types of anxiety in teens and in the general population. If you’re like me, you may be surprised by how many forms anxiety can take. When my teen son was diagnosed with
Types of anxiety in teens: What to look for, how to help Read More »
When most of us think about depression, sadness is the first thing to come to mind. But the reality is, signs of depression in teens and even in kids vary widely, and some are really easy to miss. The first sign of one of my children’s depression was not lethargy or sadness. It was anger.
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“How was practice today?” “Fine.” “How was school?” “Okay, I guess.” Sound familiar? It can be so hard to talk to your teen, but this is also the developmental age when they need guidance the most (even if they don’t think so!). Important and meaningful conversations CAN just happen organically, but with teens, they often
How to talk to your teen: have important and meaningful conversations Read More »
When my teen was diagnosed with major depression, it was kind of an ‘aha moment’ for me. The symptoms of teen depression had all been there, but for over a year, I had been looking right past them, trying to connect his behavior to life events, disappointments, and other conditional things. When his therapist diagnosed
Four symptoms of teen depression and how to beat them Read More »
What you probably already know: depression and social isolation–due to COVID precautions or otherwise–don’t mix well. But what is the depression loop and how is it affected by social isolation? Picture this: iIt’s 8 pm on a Saturday night, and my teen is ignoring his phone. Weird, right? Maybe even bizarre behavior from a 16-year-old?
What you need to know about depression and social isolation Read More »
My teenager is in a slump. No matter what I say or how much I threaten, I can’t get him to complete his schoolwork and clean his room. His motivation is just not there. Parenting teens feels especially hard right now, while he feels isolated by online learning. It’s all I can do to motivate
Ask the expert: Help! How do I motivate my teen? Read More »