Coping skills for kids – what your child needs to know
Why are coping skills important? By teaching our children coping skills we are giving them the tools that will allow them to cope with challenges in the future. It might not come easily at first, but practicing these skills from an early age can be likened to “weight-lifting” for the brain. Each time they use […]
Helping your child deal with parental rejection
Probably one of the most heart-breaking issues that I sometimes have to deal with in therapy is a parent’s rejection of their child. In the majority of cases I’ve dealt with, the parents are separated or divorced and the non-custodial parent acts as if they want nothing to do with the child. In one very […]
The impact of child abuse on the developing brain
Child abuse is an especially poignant topic in South Africa. In 2012 there were over 50 000 reported incidences of violence against children. An even scarier statistic is that, on average, 3 children are murdered in SA every day. The impact of child abuse on adult survivors is varied. Experts have known for years that […]
Parenting: Changing your high-pressure parenting style
In last week’s post we looked at the some of the reasons parents may unintentionally put too much pressure on their kids and discussed some of the harmful effects this pressure may have. Remember that your children are unlikely to tell you that they are feeling pressured for fear of disappointing you and you may […]
Parenting: Signs you may be putting too much pressure on your kids
With the advent of Facebook, instant messaging and Twitter we are now constantly alerted to everything everyone else is doing, and more often than not – what they have accomplished. (We all know those parents who congratulate their children in Facebook status updates for their achievements, when said children don’t even have Facebook accounts). This […]
Creating family traditions of your own
In my previous post I focused on the importance of family traditions for children’s development and here I thought we could look at some ways in which to start family traditions of your own. New family traditions aren’t only for young families – you can start a new tradition at any time, as long as […]
The importance of family traditions
It’s that time of the year again – retailers have been bombarding us with images of Christmas trees, Santa Clauses and brightly wrapped gifts for months now and in little over a week families all over the world will come together to experience the joy (and often chaos) of a traditional family Christmas celebration. It’s […]
Disciplining teenagers
Disciplining teenagers presents a rather unique challenge as there’s bound to be a slight power shift in the parent child relationship as children get older – parents need their children to understand that ultimately they are still in charge, yet at the same time need to guide their children in taking greater responsibility and becoming more […]
The importance of creative play
The importance of creative play Kids naturally love creative play. They love painting, playing with play dough, dressing-up and making things. Not only is this type of play necessary for a child’s well-being, but it can also assist children by: Providing a safe, non-direct way for children to talk about their worries Strengthening the relationship […]
10 Myths about autism
Autism refers to a set of highly complex disorders also known as Autism Spectrum Disorders or Pervasive Developmental Disorders. It is important to remember that because it is a spectrum, each person with autism will face different challenges. The sudden rise in autism disorder diagnoses over the last 20 years has also resulted in a […]
