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If there is no relationship - nothing else matters !

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

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)

Setting limits teaches your children valuable skills they will use the rest of their lives. One day, they will report to a job where their ability to follow rules will dictate their success.

A tantruming toddler is a little ball of writhing muscle and incredible strength. It's like trying to carry a greased pig past a slop bucket.

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.

The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice. (Peggy O'Mara)

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.

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.

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Suicide Threats – Do’s & Don’ts

DO’S & DON’TS WITH A SUICIDE THREAT
DO:
                  1. stay calm
                  2. talk to him         – listen
                                                      – don’t try to “talk” him out of how he is feeling
                                                      – don’t try to cheer him up
                                                      – show concern
                                                      – reassure person you know how to get    help
                                                      – ascertain how well thought out the plans are (fleeting thoughts of suicide are
                                                                                       common – well thought out plans need to be taken seriously)
                  3. get mental health help
                  4. have someone with the young person at all times
                  5. remove dangerous items
 
 
DON’T:
                  1. assume the person is “just trying to get attention”
                  2. promise that you won’t tell anyone
                  3. tell the person how to feel
                  4. try to argue someone out of feeling suicidal
                  5. say “that’s dumb” or “snap out of it”
                  6. challenge the person to “go ahead and do it”
 
Attempts frequently occur after a conflict or stressful event
– these events do not cause an attempt
– they make teen more vulnerable
 
An attempt can be a “turning point”
(an opportunity for change)

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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

“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)