This post was so true, so relatable, and so hilarious! Thanks, Kristen! By Kristen Mae of “Abandoning Pretense” “Pregnancy is a gift from God.” “I just love the feeling of knowing a tiny human is doing laps in my uterus!” … Continue reading
Category Archives: kids
The most important part of the kindergarten curriculum
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By Angelica Shiels Psy.D. Last year, around this time, my oldest son started kindergarten. (And this week, he will be starting kindergarten again. Summer birthday. Boy. Lots of desk-work and worksheets. Nuff said?) Last year, I remember hoping that … Continue reading
For adolescents with extreme emotions and behaviors
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I am a BIG fan of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and use it In individual therapy and with my teenage girls group. DBT is a type of therapy which basically teaches awareness, tolerating difficult emotions, and social /communication skills. Although it … Continue reading
Dear teenage boy thinking about having sex,
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By Angelica Shiels Psy.D. So, teenage boy, you’re thinking about having sex with that girl you’ve been talking to. There’s a conversation we need to have first. Yes, teenage boy, I know you are more than a walking hormonal, porn-obsessed, … Continue reading
Family Routines and Rituals = Good for Kids.
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Research has found a correlation between participation in family routines/rituals and positive language, social, emotional, and academic development in kids. While psyhologists can’t say that the “routines” actually cause the positive outcomes (this is correlation, not true experiment), researchers concluded that families with routines tend … Continue reading
How to talk to people so they will listen. (Yes, even your teenager and your husband.)
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By Angelica Shiels Psy.D. Most mental health counselors receive some kind of training in how to communicate in a way that errrr… doesn’t sound off-putting, arrogant, one-sided, and ridiculous. And lo and behold, it is not just the people who … Continue reading
“Love” Unfit for a Hallmark Card
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By Angelica Shiels Psy.D. (Article also posted on Mamapedia) For two days after the birth of our first child, my husband and I were overcome with this complex combination of calm and crazy. As first-time parents, we were so proud, so … Continue reading
A SKILL that staves off depression in children
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By Angelica Shiels Psy.D. Today’s children are at a higher risk for depression than in any previous generation. Almost one in ten children will experience a major depressive episode by the time they are 14 years old, and almost one in … Continue reading
The best thing a parent can do for a highly emotional child.
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By Angelica Shiels Psy.D. I see many kids and teens that suffer from Depression, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality traits in therapy. Many parents want to know, “What causes my child to feel so sad , lonely, depleted, apathetic, or … Continue reading
Free and Simple Ways to Increase a Child’s Self Esteem.
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By Angelica Shiels Psy.D. (Article also featured on Lifehack) Healthy self-esteem is something that most parents strive to instill in their children. Having “healthy self-esteem” means being able to acknowledge both the positive and the negative aspects of one’s self … Continue reading
ON THE YELLOW COUCH 