Blog

(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

(1.5-minute read) Turning Sore Losers into Good Sports:Using Rewards to Build Positive Habits When I teach kids red and green behaviors, such as being a sport instead of a sore loser, I define a red response to losing as yelling, pouting, throwing things, or quitting mid-game. A green response, on the other hand, includes staying

(3-minute read) What to Do When a Toddler Hits Their Baby Sibling In one of my recent workshops, I discussed a common challenge: when a two-and-a-half year old toddler hurts their new 4-month-old baby sibling. Managing this behavior can be tricky because the toddler is still very young and requires a great deal of compassion.

(1-minute read) Do I Love My Child More Because I Do Things For Her? As parents, we often find ourselves wondering if doing things for our child is the ultimate act of love. When a 5-year-old begs to be fed, a 7-year-old wants you to dress him every morning, or a 10-year-old says, “I don’t