As I read the book, “The Rabbit Listened” by Cori Doerrfeld, to my daughter last night it had me thinking about what it means to really listen. As a child and teen therapist in Washington, DC I am often talking with parents about how to help their children listen more effectively. In this post, I’m going to talk about ...READ MORE »
I’m writing this morning on a topic that many of us are facing as we work to transition our children and teens into virtual learning environments during the pandemic. Screen anxiety shows up in children and teens when they resist, avoid, or shut down in the face of demands to participate in asynchronous and especially synchronous instruction during distance ...READ MORE »
Why are family routines important for my children’s well-being? Recent medical, economic, and social crises pose an ongoing threat to what is normal in children’s lives. Many have experienced upsets in routines related to school, out-of-school activities and family life. You and your children have likely experienced these upsets. Leaders of children organizations around the world agree that focusing on having and ...READ MORE »
After months of virtually seeing couples and families in my psychotherapy practice in Washington, DC and Bethesda, MD during the pandemic, I’m noticing how much relationships are changing due to the impact of COVID-19. Many of us in the DC metro area have been sheltering in place for almost 12 weeks–we’ve home schooled our kids, worked remotely at home, ...READ MORE »
While the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) has changed its screen time guidelines for younger children ages 2- 5 years old {<1 hour daily of high quality use with adequate sleep, physical activity and media free zones/times), it is less clear about guidelines for school-aged children and teens: Where We Stand: Screen Time The APA (American Psychological Association) gives ...READ MORE »
Are you worried about what your kids will do with their time once school ends? Do you fear that they will become permanently merged with their favorite device? At TSG, we have spent the spring talking with kids and families about how they are coping during this pandemic. We know that many of your children are bored, disappointed, and ...READ MORE »
As a therapist I have been working with parents for over 20 years. I have consulted on so many different parenting concerns that I could not possibly list all of them. Consulting with parents on how to take care of their children during a pandemic is new to me. There are no chapters in books, at least that I can ...READ MORE »
I’m writing this post as a follow up to last week’s blog on basic LGTBQ terminology for parents of tweens and teens. As an adolescent and family therapist in Washington DC, I’m often the first point of contact for teens who are exploring their gender and sexual identity. That means that I’m often helping parents navigate this new territory with ...READ MORE »
As a therapist working with adolescents and families, the topics of gender and sexual orientation come up regularly in my work. Times have changed quickly and gender is a very popular topic not only for kids, but also for our broader culture as gender roles are evolving beyond binary terms. Back in the day (actually, not very long ago), we ...READ MORE »
In my previous article, “How to Mother a Middle Schooler: Spoiler Alert, You Already Know!” I spoke of the similarities among the toddler years and tween years. I also addressed how your middle schooler or “tween” has a desire to fit in with peers, (hence they whine, “Everyone has a phone but me!”) and their desire for more independence at ...READ MORE »
