As summer heat waves break records across the country, many kids and teens have already started preparations for the upcoming school year. Given the many months of learning at home, virtual school, hybrid education, and … Read more
From a behavioral psychological perspective, behavior is maintained by positive and negative reinforcement. This means that behavior is more likely to occur as the result of the consequences that follow it. Positive reinforcement occurs when … Read more
Online school has altered the nature and degree of parental involvement in their children’s schoolwork. As children have had to take on more independence, many parents have struggled to know how much to involve themselves … Read more
A certain degree of parent involvement is necessary for most children to engage in online school sufficiently. However, too much parent involvement can backfire and hinder children’s academic and behavioral development. So, how much is … Read more
Grief is a normal reaction to the death of a loved one, which is experienced across cultures. Grief can manifest in many ways, based on the bereaved person’s developmental stage, family/cultural norms, relationship with the … Read more
As COVID-19 cases in the area decrease, a growing number of children are returning to in-person school. Many children are excited to return to school in person. However, for scores of children and adolescents, that … Read more
As we approach the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 uprooting our lives as we knew it, most people are eager to return to their pre-pandemic routines and activities. However, the reality is that it will likely … Read more
March 2021 marks the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the end of life as we knew it. Over the past 12 months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we and our kids have adapted to … Read more
Though Valentine’s Day has passed and the end of Black History Month is upon us, the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic, racial reckoning and winter storms have left much of the United States in a state of … Read more
Given that families are spending more time together during the COVID-10 pandemic, conversations about the idea of “bribing” or “threatening” children and teens seem to have increased. Many adults struggle with the language needed to … Read more
Pandemic Parenting Problems: 3 Categories of Behavior and How to Respond by Erika J. Vivyan, PhD As the COVID-19 crisis continues into summer, kids and teens are finishing up their online classes and moving toward … Read more
Written By: Amanda Hilberg, Psy.D., Ellie Jin, Ph.D., Samantha Myhre, Ph.D., Rebecca Suffness, Ph.D., Lauren Weathers, Ph.D. – Psychology Postdoctoral Fellows Attempt to maintain a routine as much as possible. If you have noticed increases … Read more
Coping with Unpleasant Emotions written by Rebecca Suffness, PhD Imagine that your teen is mad that you won’t let her go to a party with friends. Imagine that your child is sad because you stepped … Read more
Selective Mutism is an anxiety-disorder of childhood where a child demonstrates an inability to speak in certain social environments. A child may have difficulty speaking in one environment (speaks at home, but not at school) … Read more
Is my Teen Just Being a Teenager? By Lauren Garfield, LMFT Your teen has withdrawn to their room, the light is off, their face illuminated by the glow of their phone. You bravely pop your … Read more
written by Lauren Garfield, LMFT It’s a familiar scene: you pick your teen up from school and try asking about their day, but their face is buried in their smartphone, and you get grunts or, … Read more