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

Good parenting requires sacrifice. Childhood lasts for only a few brief years , but it should be given priority while it is passing before your eyes

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

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.

"The thing that impresses me most about North America is the way parents obey their children"    (King Edward VII , 1841-1910)

It's more effective to reward your child for being "good" (appropriate) than to punish him for being "bad" (inappropriate).

Hurt people hurt people.

"Moody" and "unpredictable" are adjectives parents will often use when referring to their teenagers.

We should not medicate the boys so they fit the school; we should change the school to fit the boy. (Leonard Sax, M.D. Ph.D)

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.

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Foster Parent Training

 

 

It was my pleasure recently to have had the opportunity of speaking to a group of foster parents from Carpe Diem Residential Treatment Homes in the Hamilton/Ancaster, Ontario area. Approximately 20 foster parents and staff participated in the workshop “A Parent’s Guide to the Teenage Brain” and they learned that modern science can now explain biological reasons for some of the worrisome behaviours we see in our teens. The invention of those marvelous imaging machines have allowed neuroscientists to look inside our brains and they have discovered that much of what they used to think about the teen brain is wrong. It is still undergoing a major rewiring process well into their 20’s. We are now tiptoeing on the edge of understanding why teens can be so mature one minute and so maddening the next.

Carpe Diem provides foster homes for children of all ages and I give thanks for the dedication, patience and love of their foster parents.

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

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

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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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+ A Guided Tour of ADHD (now available online)

This workshop will present the facts, myths, misconceptions, controversy and […]

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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

“We are foster parents who took in a 13 year old girl (going on 18!) and she ran us through the wringer. Rick helped us learn how to set limits that made the difference.”

(G.E. – Strathroy)