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Removing a child from a traumatic environment does not remove the trauma from the child's memory.

Simple rules adhered to when children are young can prevent more serious problems later.

Whining and crying are employed by kids for the purpose of getting something. If it works, then it was worth the effort and will be repeated.

Criticism is not a motivator.

The best inheritance  parents can give their children is a few minutes of their time each day.

Some hope their children will be like sponges soaking up the truth and wisdom imparted by their parents. However appealing this philosophy might be, it seldom seems to catch on with their children.

Being a parent of a teenager can cure a person of narcissism.

"Unexpressed feeling never die. They are buried alive and come back later in ugly ways." (Stephen Covey)

The more 2 parents differ in their approaches to discipline, the more likely it leads to trouble for the child.

Don't wait for him to turn 10 before you reveal that you are not in fact the hired help whose job it is to clean up after him.

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10 Things to Know About an Angry Brain

 

I recently had the pleasure of attending a full day workshop entitled “Healing the Angry Brain” presented by Dr. Ron Potter-Efron from Wisconsin. He informed and entertained a large group of mental health professionals about his research and clinical experiences of working with clients dealing with significant anger, hostility, aggression and rage issues.He emphasized that there is not a one size fits all approach to treatment as each person’s anger experience is unique. One part of his presentation was titled “10 Things to Know About the Angry Brain”:

  1. Think of the brain as a survival machine and anger as a survival enhancing emotion.
  2. Much anger is defensive and protective – derived from and maintained by perceived threats.
  3. A core sense of safety is ultimately the best anger inhibitor.
  4. Anger is usually turned on unconsciously but may be turned off consciously.
  5. People with angry brains often have: a) very distorted or selective memories b) inaccurate interpretations of the present c) unrealistic expectations about the future – all of which trigger defensiveness and anger.
  6. The principles of neuroplasticity apply to the angry brain.
  7. People with angry brains are continually training themselves to become more angry.
  8. Positive interactive circuits must be developed to replace negative ones.
  9. Changing the angry brain involves people changing their lives, not just their anger.
  10. Anger is a social experience and must be treated in the context of a person’s entire life.

Ron went on to present a number of therapeutic approaches to assist clients and he finished with this optimistic summary:

  • angry people have angry brains
  • angry people can change their brains
  • doing so greatly improves their lives
  • so the likelihood for relapse to anger is relatively low
  • we can help people change their angry brains

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

This full day or 2 evening workshop will introduce you […]

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+ Lick Your Kids

  “Lick Your Kids” (figuratively not literally) (2 hours) First […]

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+ A Parent’s Guide to the Teenage Brain

  A teenager’s brain is not just an adult brain […]

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+ Reading Rescue

A program for children with reading problems

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+ Taming a Toddler

Many parents wonder what hit them when their sweet little baby turns into an unreasonable toddler – ideas for dealing with mealtime, bedtime, temper tanturms, toilet training, noncompliance, etc.

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2720 Rath Street, Putnam, Ontario
NOL 2BO

Phone: (519) 485-4678
Fax: (519) 485-0281

Email: info@rickharper.ca

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“I wish we had found Rick 2 years ago. We could have saved ourselves and our son a lot of trouble.”

(T.T. – Byron)