18 Nov
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Activities such as games and outings can help families cohere and build feelings of togetherness. Planned, regular family meetings, or “family councils”, can yield particular benefits. Family councils can improve communication, deepen relationships, improve decision-making, and develop a greater sense of belonging for all. Carefully-conducted meetings can also help children learn to voice opinions, problem-solve, and make decisions cooperatively, respectfully, and effectively.
While it is important that families use methods for conducting their meetings that work best for them, the following guidelines may be useful to get started: Read more »
14 Sep
Much has been written over the ages about the nature of love. Romantic stories with fairy-tale endings abound in the mass media as well as in classic literature. But what is love? Recently, the fields of psychology and evolutionary biology have been coming up with a new way of looking at the bonds of love between mates. They are learning that love is a key survival mechanism, hard-wired into human beings from the moment we are born. Adult attachments are a response for our need for emotional safety and connection. We weather life’s storms by reaching for our partner, our safe haven in time of need.
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10 Sep
Child and Family Mental Health is pleased to present a guest post by Ellen F. Kandell, Esq. Ellen has 15 years of experience as a mediator and is the owner of Maryland Family Mediation and Alternative Resolutions, LLC. More information is available at www.marylandfamilymediation.net or www.alternativeresolutions.net .
What is mediation?
Mediation is a process where a third party neutral helps the individuals in conflict make their own decisions about the problems they face. The mediator sets ground rules for managing the dialogue between the couple and for open and full disclosure of all necessary information required to make decisions. In this way the less knowledgeable party is empowered. By using skilled listening and paraphrasing the mediator helps bring clarity so that each person can begin to understand the other’s needs and make decisions that meet both parties’ needs. Read more »
13 Jul
Children’s and teens’ use of electronic devices have vastly increased over the past several years. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that kids ages 8-18 now spend about seven and half hours per day consuming electronic entertainment. On average, they watch about four hours of television or video, spend two hours playing video games, and surf the internet for over an hour. Because many children often use multiple devices simultaneously, a typical child may spend a combined total of more than 10 hours daily using entertaining themselves with electronics. These figures do not include time spent listening to digitally recorded music, texting or talking on the phone. Read more »
12 Jul
Children’s needs shift as they travel across the developmental stages from infancy, middle childhood, adolescence, and into young adulthood. Throughout these stages, parents may need to adjust their strategies accordingly and remain firm but flexible. Parents serve as their children’s secure base from which they could explore the world around them, providing safety and comfort as children’s capacity to explore the world gets bigger and wider. It is also through this attachment that children can learn about relationships, as well as means to regulate their emotions. Read more »
06 Jul
The Child and Family Mental Health blog is pleased to present a guest post from Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst, Ph. D., a psychologist in Silver Spring, MD, with over 30 years experience working with children with ADHD and learning disabilities and their families.
One of the common fears for parents is that a diagnosis of ADHD will be stigmatizing for their child. Sometimes an evaluation is put off because of this fear. In my work with clients who have ADHD, I have learned that knowing the diagnosis is the entry card to the mysterious world of the brain. Exploring how our brain works and understanding what goes on inside of this world will enable the child to take charge of his own functioning and facilitate progress in learning how to cope with this unique brain. Read more »
04 Jun
Limit-setting is the process parents use to teach their children the rules of the family and the world – what is expected of them, how far they can go, and what happens if they go too far. In the short term, limits stop unwanted behaviors, ease daily transitions, and provide safe boundaries. In the long term, limits help children become responsible people willing to accept the consequences of their actions. Reasonable limits provide a secure structure within which children can make choices and act with freedom. Unreasonable limits over-regulate the child or are so broad as to be meaningless. Read more »
