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If you (parents) tend to overreact to your child's misbehaviour - your child learns that he can't trust you. Mom, Dad, stay regulated!

Being a parent of a teenager can cure a person of narcissism.

The mistake that Sharon and I both made is we never set any boundaries.  (Ozzy Osbourne)

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

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

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.

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

"Parents aren't the cause of ADHD, but they are part of the solution." (Kenny Handleman, M.D.)

Hurt people hurt people.

Children fare better when expectations on them are clear and firm.

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So what is the best advice regarding meds for ADD/ADHD?

James Garbarino (a noted  American psychologist) answers that question this way:

“When prescribed for very specific conditions after a thorough exploration of psychological and social conditions in the child’s life, and with appreciation that the principal interventions needed for such children are behavioural and intellectual, some drugs make sense. However, the overall pattern in the western world does not generally meet these standards. There is too much prescription, too little in-depth diagnosis, too little effort to help the social environment change to meet the legitamate needs of children, and too few professionals with the psychiatric knowledge needed to justify the use of drugs as they are currently employed.”

You will of course find contradictory advice from equally qualified experts as Dr. Garbarino but my observations over the years tells me that many children are being medicated  without proper evaluations. I have worked with many children who have been prescribed strong medications based on a 10 minute doctor’s visit.

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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)