Worst Case Scenario — How to Handle a Parenting Crisis, Part I

What is a Parenting Crisis? Dictionary.com describes a crisis as "a turning point, a condition of instability or danger, or a dramatic upheaval". For the purpose of this series of articles, I am going to define it as any unexpected problem or situation that arises in the course of your life as a parent, that challenges your ability to cope effectively or to parent at your best. The first thing that everyone will tell you about handling a crisis, is that you must remain calm. This has got to be the most worthless piece of advice I have ever encountered.... [ MORE ]


Worst Case Scenario — How to Handle a Parenting Crisis, Part II

If you have ever taken a first aid or CPR class, one of the first things you learn is the "Triage Model". Triage in an emergency situation refers to assessing and determining the priorities for action. You address the most serious problems first. The triage model is the framework for immediate response that I promised you in yesterday's lesson. Panic tends to ensue when you know that there is a problem, but you don't know what to do about it. Knowing how to triage a situation will help you keep panic at bay, because it teaches you exactly what to do, and gives you a plan of action to follow.... [ MORE ]


Worst Case Scenario — How to Handle a Parenting Crisis, Part III

At this point, you are sure that there is no immediate danger, and if there is, you have taken steps to get appropriate professional help. Luckily, most parenting crises don't involve the threat of imminent danger, but it is always better to be safe than sorry. Sometimes there are very real dangers lurking underneath the surface of a seemingly minor problem... [ MORE ]


Connecting with your Child
By Lisa DiMarino, MA, LMFT

The wonderful thing about making a genuine connection with your child is that it can happen in a thousand different ways. It is that split second when playing peek-a-boo with your two-year-old that your eyes connect with his and you have a shared moment of laughter, it is holding your brave five-year-old while she gets her shots for school, it is singing silly songs in the car with your ten-year-old even though you know she would DIE of embarrassment if she ever got caught by anyone she knew, and it is commiserating with your teenager as he experiences his first break up. Connecting with your child doesn't have time limits, it doesn't require you to have all the answers, and it doesn't even have to be a "positive" situation, but it does take paying attention to your child and being willing to be a part of what they are experiencing... [ MORE ]


Seven Signs Your Teen Could be Using Drugs

Drugs and alcohol have become a pervasive part of adolescent culture across the country. As a marriage and family therapist who has spent the last 10 years working on both high school and middle school campuses, I have worked with many teens and families coping with drug and alcohol problems. Not all teens who experiment with or occasionally use drugs or alcohol will go on to develop serious problems with addiction. However, a significant percentage of them will, and for those families, studies have shown that early intervention is one of the best predictors of successful treatment... [ MORE ]


Depression Risk Factors

It is estimated that 15-20% of American Teenagers experience depression at a level that meets the criteria for major depression, and countless more endure painful emotional and physical symptoms that affect their lives on a daily basis. Girls are twice as likely to experience depression than boys, and are more likely to suffer from anxiety. Some researchers dispute this statistic, hypothesizing that girls are simply more likely to report symptoms than are boys. [ MORE ]


Top 10 Reasons Why Your Teen Still Needs You to Be a Parent
(Even though s/he refuses to be seen with you in public)

#10. Help him make good choices: As your child grows from childhood to adulthood, he begins to make more and more choices for himself. When he was little, you chose when he went to bed, what he was going to wear, and who he played with. Now that your child is a teenager, he is probably making most of those kinds of decisions for himself, and sometimes it can feel like you no longer have very much control in his life. In fact, you have about the same amount of control you did when he was younger; it is simply exercised in a different way. When he was younger, your control was more directive: "do this, or go on time out". Now that he is older, control should be more cooperative: "Lets talk about what you are going to do and why...these are my ideas on why this would be the best choice". In both cases, you have a clear agenda of what you would like to have happen, and in both cases, the ultimate decision is his. [ MORE ]