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Adolescence can be the cruelest place on earth. It can really be heartless.  ( Tori Amos)

Early intervention is always better than crisis management - but it is never too late to do the right thing.

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

You cannot reason with someone who is being unreasonable.

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.

Good parenting requires sacrifice. Childhood lasts for only a few brief years , but it should be given priority while it is passing before your eyes

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

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

Parents are the external regulator for kids who cannot regulate themselves.

Children today are under enormous pressures rarely experienced by their parents or grandparents. Many of today's children are being enticed to grow up too quickly and are encountering challenges for which they are totally unprepared.

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Suicide – Warning Signs

WARNING SIGNS
 
– depression
– previous suicide attempts
– suicide of someone close
– talking of suicide
– preoccupation with death
– giving away possessions
– saying “Good bye” to family & friends
– cryptic statements “You won’t have to worry about me  anymore”
– listening to sad music
– drawing morbid pictures
– statements indicating feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness
– statements about being a burden to others
– loss of interest in activities
– risky behaviour (eg. driving, alcohol, drugs)
– sudden distinct improvement in mood ( the decision to kill self may relieve the burden)
– the association between substance abuse and suicide is strong
 
 
 
But the warning signs can create a false impression of probability
 
Even the experts are unreliable for even the next 24 hours
 
Trust your instincts
 
Be extra cautious if:
                              – a peer is suicidal
                              – child gives away possessions
                              – a close relationship is lost
 
What is the best way to determine if someone is suicidal ? (answer – ask them!)

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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)