When we enter the world, we transition from an insulated environment to one that is full of challenges. We must learn how to navigate around both expected and unexpected events. It is a journey that is easier for some and more difficult for others. As adults, it can be easy to overlook the process our… Read more »
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While bearing our own suffering is bad enough, watching our children struggle can be almost unbearable! It’s natural to want to avoid things that are uncomfortable and unpleasant, and especially to protect our children from experiencing them. And clearly, suffering for extended periods of time is unacceptable. But the truth is, life is not without… Read more »
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For years, I’ve taught a weekly psychology class to students ranging from 7 to 14 years-old. In this class, I encourage self-reflection, asking kids to identify and express what they think and feel and to consider the thoughts and feelings of others. The results are often surprising. Strong, self-aware statements come out of their mouths… Read more »
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The other day I recommended the movie Inside Out to my friend, Cynthia, as an intervention. Her favorite niece, Emily, is going through puberty. The sweet little girl who used to love shopping and doing craft projects with her aunt, is now moody and not interested in sharing those activities. Cynthia feels hurt about this… Read more »
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Anyone can tell you that discipline is a messy business. Not even the best of parents could possibly get it right all the time. However, part of what complicates the process of teaching our kids to behave is that parents bring a lot of their own baggage to the table. Kids can be a big… Read more »
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Watch an excerpt from PsychAlive’s interview with Dr. Allan Schore. Dr. Allan Schore explains how to optimize a child’s capacity to regulate their own emotional states. Dr. Allan Schore: The right hemisphere is in an early growth spurt from the last trimester of pregnancy through the second year of life, which overlaps perfectly all of the… Read more »
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Research has shown that there are positive effects of praising children, but it depends on what kind of praise we’re dishing out. A recent Stanford study of toddlers showed that “praising effort, not talent, leads to greater motivation and more positive attitudes toward challenges” down the road. These findings are consistent with previous research, which has connected… Read more »
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As I began to research the topic of moral development, unbeknownst to me, was enough information to write multiple books (hence why it’s been done). Although the topic is incredibly situational, I came to believe that moral development comes down to having a few traits instilled in a powerful way… Read more »
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By Deryl Goldenberg, Ph. D. and Cherisse Sherin, M.A. What do we mean by social isolation in children diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum? There seems to be a valid concern, not only about the lack of social opportunities for children on the Autism Spectrum to develop friendships with peers, but for how these children learn… Read more »
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I was in Trader Joe’s the other day. Next line over was a boy and his mom. Suddenly, wails billowed from his little three-year-old body. He was holding his mouth, pointing to the shopping cart. The nasty steel contraption that is so fun to hang on, had somehow come alive and pinched his lip. His… Read more »
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