Does your teen have trouble adapting to change or bouncing back from challenges? Teenagers don’t have it easy during a pandemic. Their lives were already full of physical, social, and emotional changes every day. With the added stress of COVID-19, it’s understandable for teens to struggle with changes or setbacks. A mistake as small as spilling their glass of water or a problem as big as doing poorly on a math test could negatively impact their mood for the rest of the day. In today’s world, it’s more important than ever for teens to cultivate emotional resilience. It will help them deal with life’s changes and challenges without all of the emotional suffering. Share these helpful tips with your teen so that they can cope with adversity effectively…

Mindfulness Tips to Help Teens with School

Does your teen struggle to stay focused on schoolwork? School was challenging enough before the pandemic. With online and hybrid learning, it has become even more difficult for teens to manage the responsibilities of being a student. It’s tough to focus in class when the classroom has become their bedroom. It can be a hurdle just to get started on homework when your teen is anxious about the workload. When teens get stuck in overwhelming feelings of anxiety, mindfulness skills help bring them into the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can really make an impact on your teen’s learning experience. Here are some mindfulness tips to help teens succeed at school…

Adolescence, Helpful tips, Teenagers, Tips for Your MindEmily ZemanOctober 11, 2020teens, school, mindfulness, focus, good habits

Cultivating Kids’ Social Skills while Social Distancing

Are you concerned about the impact of the pandemic on your child’s social skills? It’s been months since children and teens have been in school in-person. With the new year approaching and many schools opting for hybrid or remote learning, kids will not experience the same amount of in-person interactions as they did during this time last year. It’s understandably troubling for parents who want to ensure that their children develop proper social skills for a healthy life ahead. Don’t worry—kids and teens continue to have opportunities to cultivate their social skills while social distancing! Help your child make the most of this time by taking an encouraging, purposeful approach with their social interactions. Here are some strategies to get you started…

What's Causing your Teen's Problem Behavior?

As parents, we know that something is wrong when our teens lash out, act up, or isolate. The tough part is figuring out what they are struggling with and how to solve it. And when the issue at hand is procrastination, anxiety, self-harming, or other problem behaviors, many parents at a loss for where to begin. This is where DBT comes into play. DBT skills like Behavioral Chain Analysis can help you and your teen identify and prevent problem behaviors before they get out of control. With the uncertainty of the school year just around the corner, now is a great time to get a handle on negative patterns of behavior so that they don’t escalate in the weeks to come. Here’s your teen’s guide to identifying and preventing negative behaviors…

Managing Emotional Ups and Downs

Has your child been emotional lately? Do certain things make your teen feel angry, upset, or on-edge? Maybe the tone of your voice sets them off, or a passing thunderstorm dampens their mood for the day. It’s understandable that some things will make people feel one way or another. Sometimes (especially with added stress of a pandemic), experiences can be very emotionally triggering—so much so, that they cause teens to get stuck in negative emotions for longer than necessary. Do you wish there was a way to help your teen not feel as frustrated by a friend who canceled Facetime plans or as anxious about ? Try using DBT skills, specifically emotion regulation skills! It’s simpler than you’d think…

How Radical Acceptance Can Help Teens During a Pandemic

It’s totally understandable for teens to be feeling heightened emotions lately. The current situation may seem crazy, unfair, or just plain frustrating to your teen. While it’s valid to see things this way, constant negative thinking can take its toll on your teen’s mental health. It can get them stuck in unhappiness, anger, shame, sadness, bitterness, or other painful emotions. Let DBT skills like radical acceptance help you and your teen through this challenging time. Radical acceptance skill of accepting the things that you cannot change. It doesn’t mean that your teen has to like the current situation or agree with it. Instead, When your teen cannot solve a problem or change how they feel about the problem, encourage them to try acceptance as a way of reducing their suffering.

3 Ways to Develop your Child’s Healthy Independence

As your child seeks independence, you may be asking yourself "What's the right balance?" Creating more independence is often a topic in family therapy and in therapy with teens. For parents, the struggle lies in giving your children enough space to make mistakes that they can learn from AND not so much space that it risks your child getting seriously hurt. It’s not easy to find middle ground between your child’s needs to be independent and venture out and your need to keep your child forever safe and close. So how do you strike a balance? Where is the line between creating independence and promoting safety? Here are 3 tips on how to approach this topic in your family discussions…

Teen Anxiety and Social Distancing

In the last few weeks since schools have closed and many businesses have begun working remotely, we have heard from many parents of teens with pre-existing social anxiety and/or school refusal, that their teens are thriving while sheltering in place. Whereas we hear that other parents are left at a loss, unsure how to help their teens who feel tortured from the lack of social interaction. No matter which end of the spectrum your child falls on, social distancing is a major concern for many parents. Parents are worried about the long-term effects of social distancing on their already distanced kids. How can you help your teen through this turbulent time? Here are some suggestions…

Messages from your Teens about Social Distancing

Social distancing is difficult for everyone. Staying at home causes tensions to run high in the family. For parents of teens, this makes your relationship with your child even more complicated to manage. How do you know what your teen needs during this troublesome time? How can you best support your child? Here are three messages that your teen needs you to hear about social distancing and COVID-19.

How Mindfulness can Reduce your Teen’s Stress

Is your teen feeling overwhelmed? Are the demands of schoolwork, social activities, and extracurriculars stressing out your son or daughter? Are you looking for some much-needed relief? It’s normal for teens to feel stressed from time to time. They have many priorities to manage and they are still learning how to handle it all. All of these responsibilities can take their toll on your teen’s mental health and overall well-being. When teens get stuck in overwhelming feelings of anxiety, mindfulness skills can help bring them into the present moment. Mindfulness practice is a simple, natural, and effective way to feel calmer and maintain control of their emotions. Here’s how it works…

How to be a Dialectical Parent

Do you have trouble keeping your cool when parenting your teen? It’s not easy dealing with teens emotional up and downs while keeping your own emotions in check. Therefore, taking a dialectical approach might be helpful for you. Being dialectical means finding balance—specifically, balance between opposites. There is an opposite to everything in life, and we tend to be most effective when we balance those opposing ideas. By finding balance between things that seem completely opposite to you, like a draining day and a calm mind, you can manage your teen without the emotional strain. Are you ready to apply dialectics to your parenting approach?

Teaching Kids to be Smart about Social Media

As parents, it’s normal to feel a little uneasy about our kids using social media for the first time. We’re well aware of the negative consequences of social media use, and we want to make sure that our children use it safely. Whether we like it or not, social media isn’t going anywhere. Apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter have become platforms for socialization and exploration. Luckily, there are positive aspects to responsible social media usage as well. Let’s explore how social media can be beneficial and how to guide your child into appropriate social media usage…

Understanding Middle Schoolers: Tips for Success

Are you worried about your middle school student? In middle school, our children grow and change in almost every aspect. You may notice maturity in your child’s physical development, cognitive skills, social abilities, and/or emotional development. Or, you may notice that your child is lacking in one or more of these areas. There is not a specific timeline of milestones that your child must follow. Every pre-teen and teen develops at his or her own pace. With so much variation in maturity in middle school, it can be hard to tell if your child is on track or if he or she is struggling to keep up. Are you unsure about what’s typical and what’s cause for concern? Let’s learn about the usual milestones and use it as a guide for what to expect…

Adolescence, Parenting Techniques, TeenagersEmily ZemanOctober 6, 2019teens, middle school, parenting, children, school

Helping your Child Overcome School Refusal

For some parents, getting your children to school can be a major struggle. If your child often throws a tantrum or has a meltdown before school, it is possible that he or she has school avoidance, or school refusal. It is more than nagging your kid to get ready for the day; school refusal is a serious emotional problem that is very distressing for both children and parents. School refusal can be attributed to stress inducing situations like bullying, peer pressure, or academic concerns, unhealthy attachments to the parents, or underlying mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression. Therefore, it’s important to begin to understand your child’s school refusal and help him or her overcome it. If your son or daughter is struggling to get to school, or you are starting to see some unhealthy patterns developing, here are some helpful suggestions…

How to Manage Social Media Anxiety

Are Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter making your teen feel anxious or depressed? Your son or daughter is not alone. Recent studies and surveys reveal that social media is one contributing factor towards rising mental health issues among teens. Teens who use social media for hours each day tend to feel more anxious, more insecure, and more alone. There is not a “one size fits all” approach to parenting a teenager with social media related anxiety. Just like teens use social media in various ways for different purposes, there are numerous ways for parents to support their children. Here are some helpful strategies to consider:

How to Motivate Your Teen to Get Things Done

It’s almost winter break—a time to relax, celebrate with family, and take a break from the busy routine. However, there’s still so much to do before the holidays arrive! It can be difficult to get your teen to be productive when all he or she can do is count down until the week off from school. Arguing or nagging your teen isn’t always effective. Instead, try using these helpful tips to motivate your teen to get things done…

How to Reduce School-Related Stress

Everyone deals with stress. In small amounts, stress is actually beneficial. It motivates us to accomplish tasks and challenge ourselves. For kids, teenagers, and young adults, a main source of stress is school. Homework, tests, and navigating class schedules and friendships can be challenging. However, the pressure should not be overwhelming. If you find that your child is struggling with school-related stress, consider these tips…

Adolescence, Anxiety, Parenting Techniques, TeenagersEmily ZemanSeptember 30, 2018school, stress, teenagers, children, school-related stress

Getting Through the College Acceptance Process

Every year around this time, there are high school seniors all over the world anxiously waiting to hear back from colleges. Just like you, they’re all anticipating that email or letter in the mail from their top choice school. Think about it—you are not alone! This process sometimes feels endless, stressful and tiring, but the most difficult parts are already over! As your decisions roll in, whether they are acceptances, referrals, waitlists or rejections, it is important to stay positive! Here are some tips to help you through this crazy time…

Group is more than just a social hour!

GROUP IS MORE THAN JUST A SOCIAL HOUR.

So much more! Here are three reasons why group IS EFFECTIVE and how it HELPS....

4 Tips for Monitoring your Teen’s Online Life

Today, teens are constantly on their phones. They text friends, post to Snapchat, like each other’s Instagram posts, and scroll through their Facebook feeds. It’s like their phones are attached to them—they simply cannot disconnect! It’s hard for parents to keep up with their app profiles and online activity when there are so many apps that they use to connect to their peers and friends. Parents want to make sure their teens are safe online, but it’s difficult to stay updated with the latest online trends. Here are some tips to help you monitor your teen’s digital life.

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