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Parenting style matters - a lot!

The challenge of adolescence is to balance the right of the parents to feel they are in charge with the need of the adolescent to gain independence.

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

Wouldn't it be nice if children would simply listen and learn.

There has been an explosion in the prescribing of medication for very young children, particularly preschool and kindergarten boys (Juli Zito , Univ. of Maryland)

If it  was going to be easy to raise kids, it never would have started with something called "labour".

Setting limits teaches your children valuable skills they will use the rest of their lives. One day, they will report to a job where their ability to follow rules will dictate their success.

"Parents aren't the cause of ADHD, but they are part of the solution." (Kenny Handleman, M.D.)

A tantruming toddler is a little ball of writhing muscle and incredible strength. It's like trying to carry a greased pig past a slop bucket.

The quickest way to change your child’s behaviour is to first change your own.

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ADHD and the Brain

“The human brain is the best organized, most complex , highest functioning object in the universe.” (Kenneth Wesson)

An adult brain weighs about 3 pounds and has over 1 trillion cells (100 billion of them are neurons) and the cell connections within the brain number  about 1 quadrillion. The brain stores bits of information and can accomplish processes of unfathomable complexity. Unlike a computer (which simply regurgitates information) the brain can initiate new thoughts and experience emotions. The brain is a highly organized structure made up of 3 distinct sections.

a) Brain Stem – this is the most primitive part deep within the skull. It is similar in appearance to a reptile’s brain and controls unconscious body functions (eg. breathing, heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure). It works tirelessly and continuously performing its functions throughout your lifetime.

b) Cerebellum – The primary function of this small grey structure that surrounds the brain stem coordinates purposeful movement.

c) Cerebral Cortex – This outer portion of the brain deals with behaviour, concepts, emotions and personality. It is the part of the brain that distinguishes humans from lower animals. It is divided down the middle into 2 hemispheres and each hemisphere is divided into 4 lobes. The frontal lobe is the part of the brain that assigns priorities and sends signals to other portions of the brain. Among its many jobs is to:

  • organize information
  • interpret information
  • evaluate information
  • weed out unimportant information
  • assign  priorities

Most researchers and doctors suspect that it is frontal lobe malfunction that is responsible for ADHD.

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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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See more of our workshops


Contact

2720 Rath Street, Putnam, Ontario
NOL 2BO

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

Email: info@rickharper.ca

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Parents' Comments

“Our daughter was the joy of our life until she turned 13, then all hell broke loose. Rick helped us understand what was happening to her and we made some adjustments that helped us get through it. She’s now in University and doing well.”

(D.A. – St. Thomas)