Category Archives: Parenting

Helping Your Teen Help Themselves: Using Books As a Tool To Confidently Navigate Adolescence

As a child and adolescent therapist in Washington, DC, I often find that parents are desperate to better understand the thoughts, feelings, and most of all, the behaviors of their developing teenager. Parents often want to build their understanding of this time in development and also crave strategies to help them and their child feel confident and prepared for this ...READ MORE »

Pandemic Parenting 2021–The WALL

Posted by Allison Sibley

I don’t know about you, but 2021 has brought hope and the realization that this has been a long long haul so far. I’m not someone who tires easily or gets discouraged quickly. And 10 months into this pandemic, I now feel it more than ever. While January 2021 brought hope as many started the vaccine process, it also ...READ MORE »

A Bird’s Eye View of Virtual Learning for Children with Special Needs

Posted by Michelle Pittman

COVID-19 has impacted our world in numerous ways. Here in our nation’s capital and surrounding suburbs, children have had to adjust to remote learning. Some students are returning back to school at the time of this writing with varying “hybrid” schedules, while others are continuing remote learning from home. As a therapist working with young children and their families in ...READ MORE »

Being With: Learning how to Honor One’s Feelings

Posted by Lindsay Tiell

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 »

How to Help Your Child with Screen Anxiety in Distance Learning

Posted by Allison Sibley

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 »

4 Basic Routines for Children’s Well-Being

Posted by Alexander Chan

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 »

Having Conversations with Your Kids about Racial Injustices

Posted by Allison Sibley

I’m writing from my home in Washington, DC with a heavy heart and a troubled mind about how to guide our parents in having hard conversations with their children about the current racial injustices occurring in our city, and in our nation following the death of George Floyd. I approach this topic not as an expert, but as a mom ...READ MORE »

Conversations to Set Up Summer Screen Time During COVID

Posted by Allison Sibley

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 »

Summer Ideas During COVID

Posted by Allison Sibley

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 »

5S’s — Support & Soothing Strategies for Parents & Couples During COVID

Posted by Allison Sibley

I’m writing to you parent to parent on a windy Friday afternoon from my home office in Washington, DC. Before I wrap up for the weekend, I wanted to share some thoughts for parents all over the city, and for parents who are all throughout the nation sheltering at home with their children. I know this is hard–it could be ...READ MORE »