welcome image

It is what we say and do when we're angry that creates the very model our children will follow when dealing with their own frustrations.

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

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.

Children do not develop on their own - they only develop within relationships.

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

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

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.

Parents are the external regulator for kids who cannot regulate themselves.

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

Learn more.

Did You Know ? # 12

People who have spoken 2 languages actively for their entire lives experience the onset of dementia 4 years later on average than their peers who spoke only 1 language The brain cannot concentrate well on more than one thing at once.

Read complete blog post

Schizophrenia

  What Is Schizophrenia ? – it is a cruel brain disease – it constricts experiences – it destroys opportunities – it attacks all socioeconomic levels and nationalities – it attacks about 6 people out of every 1000 in Canada – rate in North America appears to be increasing – MRI studies show structural abnormalities in some brains affected by schizophrenia – it usually strikes in late adolescence / early adult years  – just as […]

Read complete blog post

Brain Fact # 12

Staying Fit Improves Cognition Physical exercise triggers increased brain growth and translates into measurable improvements in cognitive function. Studies proving this initially were conducted on participants aged 50+. Two studies conducted by Dr. Arthur Kramer in 2010 on higher-fit and lower-fit 10 year old children confirmed that physical fitness in children is also  associated with better cognitive performance and larger brain structures responsible for cognitive performance. These studies, although they do not show a causal […]

Read complete blog post

Did You Know ? # 11

Growing up in a weight obsessed culture is particularly difficult for girls. Healthy puberty requires the addition of body fat in the form of breasts and hips, at just the age when girls are particularly sensitive to body image. Girls talk with each other during play more than boys do.

Read complete blog post

Brain Fact # 11

Physical Exercise and the Brain   Physical exercise seems to slow and perhaps even halt or reverse the brain atrophy (shrinkage) that typically starts in a person’s forties, especially in the frontal regions of the brain responsible for executive function. In other words, exercise (aerobic exercise) can increase the brain’s volume of neurons (grey matter) and connections between neurones (white matter). This is possible according to neuroscientists because physical exercise triggers biochemical changes that spur […]

Read complete blog post


Back to Top

Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

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

Learn more

+ Lick Your Kids

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

Learn more

+ A Parent’s Guide to the Teenage Brain

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

Learn more

+ Reading Rescue

A program for children with reading problems

Learn more

+ 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.

Learn more

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

Archive


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)