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Quiz: Does My Child Have OCD?

Kids and Parenting

QUIZ:  Does My Child Have OCD   This quiz is intended to help parents identify if there is sufficient reason to suspect a child may have OCD to seek professional assessment. This quiz does not definitively diagnose OCD. If you think your child may have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder QUIZ Child Obsessive Compulsive Disorder 1. Does the child worry excessively about blood, germs, spit, urine etc? 2. Does the child verbalize a preoccupation with religious, sexual, or aggressive thoughts/fears? 3. Does the child engage in Continue Reading...

Raising, Supporting, and Advocating for a Child With Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Kids and Parenting

Raising, Supporting, and Advocating for a Child with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Raising a child with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) brings with it some significant challenges.  It can at times be difficult as a parent to provide support and also challenge the child to not disappear into the OCD. If a child is suffering with OCD...meaning that at the moment it is causing emotional distress, interfering with education, sleep, or social pleasure please seek professional help. This is one of the key ways that parents can Continue Reading...

Adopt a Dog With Kids: Involving Children In Making A Major Decision

Kids and Parenting

As I mentioned in a recent post we very recently lost our 15-year-old dog.  It was difficult for us for sure but at 15 years old we knew it was coming. Honestly, the hardest part was bringing ourselves to say good bye.  To read more about helping your child deal with losing a pet click here. AND as hard as it was on is it was way harder on our 1-year-old Labrador.  She was quickly (by quickly I mean the next day) stir crazy. It was no doubt time to find her a companion.  A companion preferably her age, close to her size, and ready to Continue Reading...

Tiger Mother Goes Too Far In Classroom: A Conversation

Community & Education

The Tiger Mother She lingers.  She growls. She pounces The Tiger Mother in my son's class.   Like an actual tiger she prowls the scene rubbing her scent in all corners of the room.  Staking claim to territory and her kills. I do not want to exaggerate so I will say this.  ALMOST everyday my son comes home from school complaining that the mother of one of his classmates was there again today.  For the sake of this post we will call this classmate Amelia and her mother will be Susan (These are not their real names). I Continue Reading...

Helping Your Child Cope With The Death Of A Beloved Pet BEFORE, During, and After

Kids and Parenting

This is not what I was planning to write about today.  The unfortunate reality is that this is based on our current situation. My Husband and I got a dog from a pound roughly 14 years ago, at which point she was fully grown maybe a year to 2 years old.  She is a curious looking little mutt...cute in her own right I say while many others disagree. Boo was fearful and skittish.  She settled in but forever remained a bit jumpy and neurotic. We loved her though.  She moved with us three times and was right there as our family grew.  She had a Continue Reading...

Emergency Resources

Resources

In an emergency, we are trained to call 911.  Sometimes something else would work better. But What?!  But Where?! This is a list of Crisis Hotlines.  Some offer an opportunity to connect with a trained professional in moments.  Some simply offer specific referrals tailored to your needs. You can ALWAYS call 911 in a crisis, but if you want something else you have options.   Who uses Hotlines?  Anyone in need of help or seeking advice for someone they love.  When a crisis feels eminent we tend to call 911 when a potential for crisis Continue Reading...

Teacher Requests: Getting Your Child’s Needs Met In A Public School

Community & Education

Teacher Requests: Getting Your Child's Needs Met In A Public School It is only April and already I am fretting about what is in store for next year. Will his teacher be sweet? Will his teacher have good structure? Will his teacher understand?  Will he feel safe?  I want him to have a certain teacher but how do I get the school to take my request seriously? Little Man you see has OCD.  As his mother and a psychologist it is easy for me to connect how safe he feels in class and how well routines are adhered to  the status of his symptoms.  To Continue Reading...

Tough Boys, Good Boys, Smart Boys: The Impact of Societal Expectations on Boys

Community & Education

We hear a lot about the terrible messages our society and media send to young girls.  Messages about their worth lying in their beauty, that men need to take care of them etc.  As a woman and a mother I completely agree.  I have often found myself silently celebrating that I only have boys when I listen to the mom's around me talk about the body issues and social/behavioral influences on their daughters. Then I take a step back and think about the cultural challenges for boys.  The challenges are real and hold just as much potential for Continue Reading...

Nightmares Vs. Night Terrors: What to do

Kids and Parenting

Nightmare:  A scary or sad dream that results in waking from sleep.  Generally a concern to parents because it causes distress and a difficulty returning to sleep.  Everyone has dreams that could be classified as nightmares at all ages. Nightmares are not harmful unless they disrupt daytime function or result in significant sleep loss on a recurring basis. VS. Night Terror:  Night Terror occurs during sleep.  The child partially wakes often with eyes open.  During a night terror the child may scream, yell, or mumble.  They may kick, Continue Reading...

Getting Out Of A Fun Rut With The Kids

Kids and Parenting

Human beings are creatures of habit and as such we create routines without even realizing that we are doing it at times.  Routines allow us to get to everyday things that we need to get done efficiently.  When routines for relaxation and recreation are developed they can limit our experiences. I for one am a creature of habit and especially if there is something that I enjoy I tend to do it over and over again.  That is great except when it limits what I am getting a chance to explore that I also may enjoy. I make photo books online Continue Reading...

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