welcome image

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

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

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

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

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

Children mimic well. They catch what they see better than they follow what they hear.

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 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.

Parenting style matters - a lot!

Children fare better when expectations on them are clear and firm.

Learn more.

All Day Kindergarten

Ontario has instituted funding all day/everyday kindergarten for children as young as 3 1/2  years old. Current research on the developing brain facilitated by modern imaging equipment shows the language areas of the brain of many little  boys  is about 1 1/2 years behind little girls. Timing is everything. It is not enough to teach well. You have to teach well to kids who are developmentally ready to learn. Expecting little boys to attend all […]

Read complete blog post

Sex Change

“Our universities have undergone a sex change !” I recently attended a conference presented by Dr. Leonard Sax (M.D., Ph.D.) who shared the following data from Statistics Canada: 1971 – 68% of Canadian university graduates were male 1981 – 54% were male 1991 – 51% were male 2001 – 42% were male 2006 – 40% were male This data clearly indicates that a growing proportion of males are “disengaging” from school. More and more of […]

Read complete blog post

Underarm Hair

One of the rights of passage for boys entering puberty is the growth of underarm hair. Every boy is eager for this milestone to occur as they regularly count each hairs emergence. It is a good idea for parents to demonstrate a positive attitude towards their child’s excitement as it gives us an opening for an ongoing discussion on puberty and hygiene and the other changes that are soon coming.

Read complete blog post

Eating Out with a Toddler (survival tips)

Taking a young child to a restaurant can be challenging but it doesn’t have to be a disaster. Planning your outing is the key. 1. Timing – choose a time when your child is rested and the restaurant is less likely to be very busy 2. distract – pack a “survival kit” containing items that will entertain your child while waiting to be served (e.g. ( paper & crayons, small toys, books, etc. 3. Set […]

Read complete blog post

So what is the best advice regarding meds for ADD/ADHD?

James Garbarino (a noted  American psychologist) answers that question this way: “When prescribed for very specific conditions after a thorough exploration of psychological and social conditions in the child’s life, and with appreciation that the principal interventions needed for such children are behavioural and intellectual, some drugs make sense. However, the overall pattern in the western world does not generally meet these standards. There is too much prescription, too little in-depth diagnosis, too little effort […]

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

+ 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

+ A Guided Tour of ADHD (now available online)

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

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

“Implementing Rick’s techniques and adhering to them is exhausting, but it is a healthy exhaustion rather than the detrimental exhaustion I used to experience.”

(B.F. – Woodstock)