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

Parenting style matters - a lot!

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.

The quickest way to change your child’s behaviour is to first change your own.

Hurt people hurt people.

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)

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

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

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

Don't wait for him to turn 10 before you reveal that you are not in fact the hired help whose job it is to clean up after him.

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Research on Teens Attitudes

 

 

Reginald Bibby (a  noted Canadian sociologist from the University of Lethbridge) has been traccking the thoughts and beliefs of Canadian teenagers for nearly 30 years. His findings are encouraging as the majority of teens:

  • are not causing undue problems at home
  • have compassion
  • are not in extreme turmoil
  • are honest and polite
  • are not deeply disturbed
  • are forgiving
  • are not totally at the mercy of their impulses
  • are respectful
  • are not overly rebellious
  • are pleasant
  • are not opposed to parental values
  • care about their future
  • are not in trouble with the law
  • do well in school
  • are not seriously abusing drugs and alcohol
  • agree that sex should be associated with meaningful ties
  • expect to get married
  • expect to stay married to the same person for life
  • are opposed to extramarital sex

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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 daughter was the joy of our life until she turned 13, then all hell broke loose. Rick helped us understand what was happening to her and we made some adjustments that helped us get through it. She’s now in University and doing well.”

(D.A. – St. Thomas)