Tips of the Month for Families are regular tips for building strong relationships and healthy families. If you would like to sign up to receive these tips, scroll to the bottom of the page and sign up.
Toxic Comparisons
For a great many tweens and teens, social media has come to play an increasingly big role in their lives. A 2018 survey found that 95% of teens have access to a smart phone and 45% report going online constantly.i
Teaching Self-Compassion
“I’m so stupid.” Do you ever have that thought? Or mutter those words out loud when you make a mistake or can’t figure something out? “I’m such a loser.”
Being A Sports Parent
A new season of youth athletics has arrived. If you’re a parent of a child engaged in team sports, be aware of the ways that your actions as you stand at the edge of the field (as well as in the aftermath of the game) have the power to shape positive traits of character and self-worth for your growing son or daughter — traits that will influence who they are for the rest of their lives.
Lonely Children
My grandson, age seven, plays the videogame Minecraft every night at 6:30 with a friend. They play online, each at home in front of their respective screens. There are occasional in-person play dates, but those are rare. When I first heard about the Minecraft routine, I considered it a wonderful way of engaging with a pal, especially during the pandemic. Lately, I’m not so sure how wonderful it is.
Terror Through Texting
The story has been circulating through the Chicago grapevine: a 15-year-old student at one of the city’s high schools hung himself in January. The family claims that relentless bullying, much of it through text messages, pushed their son to this horrifying outcome. They have filed suit against the school and a host of parents of the classmates who participated in the bullying.
Too Much Control
It’s what we do: we correct, advise, remind, coax, solve, teach, warn, scold and lecture. These are all forms of parental influence —or parental control, depending on the lens you’re looking through. “Controlling my children is part of being a good parent,” many of us believe.
What Builds Resilience
"Is it true what Nietzsche said: "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger?" Research says it's true — to a degree. Psychologists have found that people who encountered a moderate amount of early life adversity showed lower overall distress and higher life satisfaction than people who experienced lots of adversity or no adversity at all.