Losing a Parent: How Teens Grieve
The death of a parent has a profound effect on the life of a teenager. Healthy adolescent development largely depends on parental guidance and support. When a teenager loses a parent, it is typically difficult for them to cope with their grief. Complicating matters is that fact that young people will demonstrate their grief in […]
How Parents Unintentionally Push Teens Away
No parent is perfect and the craft of parenthood evolves in real time. In the best of situations, parents of teens constantly learn alongside their teens. Together they must navigate a rapidly changing world with new roles and expectations held for young people. Despite good intention, parents unfortunately often engage in behaviours that lead to […]
Supporting Teens as they discover their interests
With so many options available, discovering a true passion is no easy task. This is even more so for a tween or teen with little life experience. Parents therefore have an important role in guiding them as they discover their purpose in the world. While this may seem like a daunting task, this can be […]
Teaching Teenagers to be Patient
Patience is a virtue. It is our ability to remain calm and in control despite ongoing adversity, frustration or negative stimulation. During adolescence, reactivity, impulsivity and emotional upheaval occur frequently, and to parents it often feels as if their teen children exist in distress more than at peace. The teen brain is literally wired to […]
Step-Parenting and Blended Families
Family structures vary widely in our society. Although not often labelled as such, a “blended family” refers to the creation of a new family unit, when two divorced/separated/single parents unite bringing with them their children. We recognize that blended family units can adopt many forms of living patterns, as children will often spend time with […]
Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Teens
Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a common condition, although many young people remain undiagnosed. It occurs in approximately 2% in young people worldwide, and left untreated can be extremely disruptive and damaging to the life of a teen. With proper treatment, however, young people can live a completely normal life of productivity. The first step in […]
Dealing with Difficult Teens
A frustrating and even exasperating situation unfolds when a parent receives the “silent treatment” from their teen. Feelings are amplified, when these changes are sudden and seem to arise from nowhere. Things are even more complex for parents, when they previously enjoyed a close and communicative relationship with the young person. Adolescence is a time […]
Developing Grit in Teens
Grit encompasses a combination of perseverance and passion toward a long-term, meaningful goal. By its very nature, grit involves working hard and to completion, despite setbacks and challenges. In addition to requiring a deep sense of commitment, demonstrating grit means the ability to do hard and uncomfortable things. This ability may come more naturally to […]
Be Honest with your Teens
The quality of a teen’s relationship with their parents contributes to overall development and sets the tone for their future lives. A significant part of nurturing this bond is parent-teen communication. By starting early and keeping it often, parents encourage young people to be open and honest. Additionally, parents are themselves required to be honest […]
Make room for mistakes
One of the major tasks of adolescent development is self-discovery. The process of solidifying one’s identity and then relating that to family, peers and wider society. Adolescence involves consolidating unique strengths, while recognizing potential limitations and learning ways to overcome them. With all these lessons to be learned, there will be many processes of trial […]