By Lori R. Cooper, MSS, LSW As many teenagers mature and begin to assert their independence, some of them alter their behavior. The young person tests limits and frequently disregards their parents' rules and expectations. During my twenty years of working with teens...
parenting / families
Helping Your Child to Break Bad Habits
By Jay Finestone, MSW, BCD Having a cigarette with your morning coffee. Reading the sports section of the newspaper first. Ordering out pizza on Friday nights or Chinese on Sundays. These may be a few of your favorite things. But do you remember how or when these...
Helping Children Find Permanence: Tips for Foster Parents
By Kristen Humphrey, PhD, MSW Introduction When the Plan Is for Reunification When the Child Will Be Moving On to Another Permanent Placement Your Relationship With the Foster Child Children's Advice to Foster Parents Your Relationship With the Biological Parent The...
When Terrorism Strikes: What Parents Can Do
By Lynn Hagan, PsyD, CTRS, LCSW NOTE: Lynn Hagan is a social worker who lived and worked in Kuwait for five years. As part of her duties she counseled State Department employees helping them deal with the stress and tension of living in this highly volatile...
Helping Children Cope With Traumatic Events
By Lynn Hagan, PsyD, CTRL, LCSW Introduction Helping Your Child Introduction By now, many children have witnessed, over and over again on television, acts of horrific violence and destruction. As a consequence, you may notice that your child may begin to act...
Parenting in Native Alaskan Villages
Success can mean a high school diploma or a college degree to some. To others, success can mean being a family provider, a carver, skin sewer, beader, or weaver. Parents must decide how they define success within their family and then work to model this for their children.
Raising Confident and Secure Children
By Jay Finestone, MSW, LSW, BCD Introduction Temperament Makes a Difference Know Your Child's Strengths and Weaknesses Set Clear Limits Listen to Your Children Learning from Mistakes How Social Workers Help Introduction Strong self-esteem is the foundation for success...
Are Tantrums Getting the Better of You?
By Gary Direnfield, MSW, RSW Introduction Are There Stresses at Home? Redirection Check Your Child's Hearing Ignoring Tantrums Ask a Social Worker for Help Calling a Time-Out Introduction Tantrums or "acting-out" behaviors are natural during early...
How to Discipline an Angry Child
By Lynn Hagan, PsyD, CTRL, LCSW Introduction What You Can Do The Use of Punishment Teach Discipline by Teaching Consequences Listen for and Reflect Feelings in Your Child's Complaints Introduction Very few things try a parent's patience more than disciplining...
Parent-Youth Safe Driving Contract
By Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW Introduction Teen drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group. Per mile traveled, they have the highest involvement rates in all types of crashes, from those involving only property damage to those that are fatal. The problem is...
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Recent Articles
How to Date in a Post-Pandemic World
By Marisa Markowitz, LMSW, CASAC-T and Daniel Pollack, MSW, Esq. Updated May 2023 During the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, dating was a challenge. Safety restrictions created an environment where apps and virtual dates were the only ways to meet new people. But...
How to Cope with Race-Based Stress
By Crystal Mullens-Johnson, LCSW Systemic racism, social injustice, oppression, voter suppression and police brutality have negatively impacted the mental health of people who are Black and other races for generations. Trauma witnessed and experienced is very personal...
Self-Care and Mindfulness in Trying Times
Self-care, when practiced daily, can improve the health of individuals, families and communities. What is self-care, and how do we fit it into an already busy life? Self-care falls into several categories: Self-care at work enable a person to work at a consistently...