Separation anxiety can be difficult for children AND their parents

Helping Your Child’s Separation Anxiety

Separation Anxiety is common, yet can be very frustrating and upsetting for children (and their parents). Oftentimes, children have difficulties separating, and can experience panic in these situations. They may feel sick, and feel worried or guilty about not being with their families. Often children wonder what their parents or loved ones are doing and whether something terrible has happened to them, like death, a car accident, or a shooting. As a result, they have great reluctance or refusal to separate from their parents. They may have difficulty sleeping in their own room or different parts of the house. When they come home from school or camp, they may be irritable, tired, and upset, as it takes a lot of energy to hold that level of stress/anxiety in all day. Oftentimes, a loved one will make a simple request, and then the child will yell, cry, or tantrum.

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The Gratitude Tree

For those of you who have not visited lately, there is a tree in the hallway outside our office. It’s not a real tree in the vegetative sense, but merely in the artistic sense. The tree is just a large sticker, and next to it, a sign asks, “What are your grateful for?” Simply take a post-it leaf or bird, write one small thing that you are thankful for, and put it on the tree.

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Difficulty with Visual and Spatial Reasoning

Math Challenges in Children: How to Help

Mathematics is often thought of as a subject that a student either understands or doesn’t, with little in between. In reality, mathematics encompasses a wide variety of skills and concepts….. Challenges with learning can be very difficult for a child. But, they don’t have to reflect catastrophe or a life-long battle with success. In fact many of the world’s most talented people have struggled with some type of learning issue. The main goal is to keep going, reach out for help, and learn about yourself in the process.

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7 Quick Tips About Gratitude

Being grateful doesn’t mean finding good things to drown out the bad, or to somehow say that you’re not allowed to feel grumpy because you have things to be grateful for. Ultimately, it’s trying to remind ourselves that often we have both; that our lives are both wonderful and difficult, light and heavy, fun and frustrating. It’s taking on a practice that says maybe sometimes you get to be grumpy and grateful.

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Just one thing

Just One Thing and That Is Enough

A wise friend once said to me:

“Mollie, you’d never buy a footlong sub and then tell yourself – ‘I better eat this all in one bite.’”

At the time, I had a good laugh. And now, years later, I think of this all the time. Because when you put it that way, it makes so much sense – it’s crazy to set an expectation like that. You’d choke, you’d be sick, and you’d feel really terrible about that sandwich.

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Why Mindset is More Important than Achievement for Your Child’s Success

Most parents want nothing more for their children than to be happy and to succeed in life. Parents often spend a lot of time and money to help children in school become strong students. Teachers and schools emphasize grades and test scores as indices of how your child is doing, and even your child’s potential. Many people feel that children need to be intelligent or have good grades to become successful in life. The truth is, however, that there may be something more important than academics that we should be teaching our children.

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Support and encourage your child's participation in therapy to help him recover from the effects of divorce

Starting Therapy for Your Kids When You Are Going Through Divorce

Separation and divorce are very difficult times for families. In fact, other than death, researchers have ranked it one of the most stressful things that people can go through. Many times, in divorce, people can be hurt, angry, and distrustful of their ex-spouse. Often they have to deal with the loss of income, change in residence, and even loss of friends. They may feel a sense of guilt or shame regarding their marriage, and their inability to make it work. They may have to find a way to handle their ex-partner treating them disrespectfully. These concerns are further amplified when you have children.

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Psychological Evaluations/Assessments

Psychological and neuropsychological assessments can cover a broad range of areas, including cognitive functioning, intellectual functioning, attention, learning, social skills, personality, career, and psychological health and well-being. Concerns in these areas can surface at home, school, or work, and sometimes in all three. While these concerns are sometimes identified early in children, assessments can be valuable tools for individuals across the lifespan. An “assessment” will vary based on what areas you are looking at, but often includes paper-and-pencil questionnaires, interviews, and activities that you would do with your psychologist provider to gather information and help answer your questions.

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Art as a Self-Care Skill

An alternative self-care activity is something we learned in elementary school: art. It doesn’t have to be grand, and in fact, it is often better if it isn’t. It’s just supposed to be something enjoyable to you. Many people feel intimidated by the idea of doing some art for enjoyment. They may feel like they aren’t very good at it, or that they aren’t “artistic.” Most good art teachers will tell you than anyone can be an artist. Art is just a means of self-expression.

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word-cloud dyslexia star

Dyslexia Facts that Parents Should Know

Dyslexia means that there are significant difficulties with language and reading. Students with Dyslexia also often experience difficulties with spelling, writing, phonics, and pronouncing words.

Dyslexia is referred to as a learning disability because it can make school very difficult.

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