Author name: Devora Samet

(30-second read) Hi All, Last year, I wrote a short book which was actually a social story to prepare children for the expectations of Erev Pesach and Pesach. It contains behaviors that parents and professionals requested to be in the book. I modified it slightly to make it relevant to this year’s yomtov schedule. To […]

(1-minute read) We Do Our Part—And Let Go of the Rest I learned a powerful idea this week from Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski that really resonated with me, and I wanted to share it. I’m grateful to my TorahMate in Dallas, Betty, with whom I study Twerski on Chumash each week. This sefer (book)

(1-minute read) How to Respond When Anxiety Says, “Stay Home”: The Power of Your Response In last week’s post, we explored the anxiety formula: (Threat Likelihood × Threat Severity) + Physiology ÷ Coping = Anxiety Intensity While building coping skills is key, sometimes the most powerful tool we have as adults is how we respond to a

(1-minute read) Why Do Some Kids Experience More Intense Anxiety Than Others? A parent recently asked me, Why does my son’s anxiety feel so overwhelming compared to other kids? It’s a great question—anxiety looks different for every child, but some experience it far more intensely than others. I recently came across a simple formula that helps explain

(2.5-minute read) Expanding Your Anti-Anxiety Toolbox: Strategies for Every Kind of Mind In continuation of last week’s blog, it’s important to remember that there’s no single anxiety strategy that works for everyone. That’s why it’s so helpful to have a whole “bag of tricks” — a variety of approaches to suit different situations and personalities.

(3-minute read) Teenage Manipulation: What to Do When Your Teen Says, “You Never Spend Time With Me” Question: “Thanks for sharing more on this topic (of teens and tweens). These are very helpful tips and can go a long way. What happens when a teenage daughter is manipulative and uses this all to manipulate the parents

(2-minute read) Staying Connected with Your Tween or Teen:A Few Final Ideas to Strengthen Your Bond In the past two blog posts, we explored effective strategies for strengthening your connection with your tween or teen—fully listening, validating their perspective, and creating special one-on-one time. Now, let’s wrap up with a few final ideas to deepen

(2-minute read) Staying Connected with Your Tween or Teen: More Ways to Strengthen Your Bond In last week’s post, we explored the importance of truly listening to our tweens and teens—without judgment—rather than jumping in to preach, advise, or correct. This week, let’s dive into additional strategies. Step #2: Validate and Acknowledge Their Perspective Validation doesn’t mean

(2-minute read) Staying Connected with Your Tween or Teen: Building a Relationship Through Everyday Conversations Hi Devora, I wonder if there are others like me who would be interested in hearing more about this age group of “tweens”…as teenagers seem to be getting younger and younger! How can we get them to still accept hugs

(2-minute read) The Power of Enforceables: Teaching Responsibility Through Setting Limits I recently evaluated a 12-year-old boy struggling with school refusal, anxiety, defiance, and chutzpah (blatant disrespect), alongside behavioral issues at home. At first, I was perplexed—he seemed like a typical, clean, articulate, put-together child, and his family appeared loving and stable. His sisters were