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Many clinicians find it easier to tell parents their child has a brain-based disorder than suggest parenting changes. Jennifer Harris (psychiatrist)

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.

Children today are under enormous pressures rarely experienced by their parents or grandparents. Many of today's children are being enticed to grow up too quickly and are encountering challenges for which they are totally unprepared.

Criticism is not a motivator.

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

Parenting style matters - a lot!

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

The teenage years require a delicate balance between the young person's need to gain independence, and the parent's need to retain authority.

Adolescence can be the cruelest place on earth. It can really be heartless.  ( Tori Amos)

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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Teen Depression vs Adult Depression

DIFFERENCES IN SYMPTOMS IN ADULTS & TEENS
 
ADULTS
  • tend to be sad
  • stay sad
  • sleep less
  • eat less
  • decrease in libido
  • no change in anxiety
  • no change in physical problems

Teens

  • tend to be angry, irrational, act out
  • cycles in and out frequently
  • sleep more
  • eat more
  • libido seldom impaired
  • increased anxiety
  • complains of somatic symptoms

There is a marked increase in irritability which is frequently evident in young people leading to family conflicts.

Not all depressed adolescents experience depression differently than adults

A marked drop in school performance is a primary indicator of depression.

Depression in teens can be particularly insidious and often follows other mental disorders (eg. anxiety disorder)

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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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Contact

2720 Rath Street, Putnam, Ontario
NOL 2BO

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

Email: info@rickharper.ca

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