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

"Parents aren't the cause of ADHD, but they are part of the solution." (Kenny Handleman, M.D.)

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

Criticism is not a motivator.

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

If there is no relationship - nothing else matters !

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)

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.

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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What Do The Young People Say Depression Was Like?

“It was like a dread inside, there all the time. When I was with my friends it would go away a bit, but it always came back.”
Jack – age 15
 
“I started worrying about everything, even things that never bothered me before. I was so worried about being asked a question in school that I used to feel sick in the mornings. Some days I just could not go to school.”    Lois age 13
 
 
“I was angry with everyone, they all annoyed me, particularly my mum who kept asking me what was wrong.                                                                                                                                                                         Laura age 14
 
 
“I couldn’t face anyone, I don’t know why. I wanted to be dead, it was in my mind all the time, I couldn’t stop thinking about my death and being dead. At least then I would stop feeling like this.”    Sue age 15
 
 
“Sometimes there’d be this feeling of being trapped, or perhaps overwhelmed. Other times there’d be a feeling of just being completely lost and not knowing what to do, and then the most frequent was probably one of complete and utter apathy for life, the universe and everything.”                                                                                                                                         David age 16
 
 
“I was very fatigued. I’d stay in bed for ever really. I just felt absolutely lousy and I got awful stomach pains as well, and awful headaches.”                           John age 15

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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

“We are foster parents who took in a 13 year old girl (going on 18!) and she ran us through the wringer. Rick helped us learn how to set limits that made the difference.”

(G.E. – Strathroy)