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

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.

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)

The more 2 parents differ in their approaches to discipline, the more likely it leads to trouble for the child.

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

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.

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.

"Unexpressed feeling never die. They are buried alive and come back later in ugly ways." (Stephen Covey)

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

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

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Behaviour Management

 

 

First the good news!

Children’s behaviour is strongly influenced by the positive and negative consequences that immediately follow from certain actions. If you can set appropriate expectations for behaviour and get the consequences right, your children will follow your household rules – most of the time anyway.

Now the bad news . . .  it’s the same news!

If whining or throwing tantrums gets your kids something they want, that’s what they’ll do. You may not think of nagging as a way of rewarding your child for misbehaving, but even yelling can actually encourage the behaviour you’re trying to stop, especially if that’s the best way for your child to get your attention. Completely ignoring the problem behaviour is usually the most effective way to get it to stop – if you can stick with it long enough.

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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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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

“Rick’s approach is so logical. He helped us clearly define the problem, analyze what has happened and select the best strategy. We now feel empowered to do something positive for our kid”

(A.N. – Tillsonburg)