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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.

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

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.

Criticism is not a motivator.

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

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

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

When a child is disregulated - is the time parents need to be regulated.

"Cutting" is a visible sign to the world that you are hurting.

You cannot reason with someone who is being unreasonable.

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Teen Issues 2

The good old days when you were a teen aren’t as different today as you think.

For example, between 1978 and 2008

  • the average age for drinking alcohol for the first time went from 16.3 years of age  to 16.2
  • the age for smoking the first cigarette went from 15.2 years to 16.1
  • the age for smoking marijuana for the first time went from 18.4 years to 17.2
  • in 1991, 54 percent of high school students had had sexual intercourse
  • in 2005 the percentage was 46%

Today’s parents can rest assured that many of the issues they faced in adolescence are similar to the challenges their teens face today.

(U.S. data from Centre for  Disease Control)

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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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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

“Our psychiatrist recommended Rick to help us sort out behaviour management issues for our autistic son. He was an invaluable help.”

(C.C. – Sarnia)