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The best inheritance  parents can give their children is a few minutes of their time each day.

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

Relationships matter:  change comes through forming trusting relationships. People, not programs change people.

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

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

If there is no relationship - nothing else matters !

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

"To be a man, a boy must see a man."  (J.R. Moehringer)

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.

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

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Rewarding Behaviour

    Consistent, small rewards for small achievements work much better than large rewards for big goals, especially for younger children. After all, you wouldn’t expect your child to learn to read if you paid him no attention until he’d finished his first book. You would indicate your pleasure along the way.  Why set such a high expectation for behavioural self-control? Food and toys are often the first rewards that come to mind, but they […]

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Preventing Teen Suicide

FACTORS THAT FACILITATE SUICIDE                   – an impulsive personality                   – neurochemical imbalance                   – lack of strong family ties                   – social isolation                   – family history of suicide                   – recent suicide of someone else                   – easy access to method                   – agitated mental state         FACTORS THAT INHIBIT SUICIDE                    -strong family and social support                   – being around others                   – religious taboos against suicide                   – […]

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Depression & Discipline

CONFLICT AND DISCIPLINE   – conflict in a home with a teenager is inevitable – challenge for parents is to balance firmness with support and encouragement -parenting a depressed teen is particularly challenging                   – “walking on eggshells”                   – scared of pushing too far   TIPS 1. “Pause” button                                     – don’t get sucked into full-scale war                                     – exit & wait                                     – brain dead phrases                                     – reflectors 2. active listening 3. […]

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Suicide – Warning Signs

WARNING SIGNS   – depression – previous suicide attempts – suicide of someone close – talking of suicide – preoccupation with death – giving away possessions – saying “Good bye” to family & friends – cryptic statements “You won’t have to worry about me  anymore” – listening to sad music – drawing morbid pictures – statements indicating feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness – statements about being a burden to others – loss of interest in […]

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Sleep Problems (part 3 – the middle of the night screamer)

A child who regularly wakens in the night and won’t go back to sleep without  a parent’s help is SO DRAINING!  The following technique is worthy of your consideration if you have a middle of the night screamer and you are sure that there is nothing wrong with the child ie. ill. The Controlled Crying Technique Step # 1 – when the child wakens and begins to cry, let him cry for 10 minutes – […]

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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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Contact

2720 Rath Street, Putnam, Ontario
NOL 2BO

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

Email: info@rickharper.ca

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