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Some hope their children will be like sponges soaking up the truth and wisdom imparted by their parents. However appealing this philosophy might be, it seldom seems to catch on with their children.

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.

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

Children do not develop on their own - they only develop within relationships.

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.

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

It's more effective to reward your child for being "good" (appropriate) than to punish him for being "bad" (inappropriate).

Removing a child from a traumatic environment does not remove the trauma from the child's memory.

"Cutting" is a visible sign to the world that you are hurting.

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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TRACKING – a tool for teaching appropriate behaviour

Many children with FASD have difficulty with sequencing and seeing cause and effect. Life seems to be a series of randomly unrelated events. “Tracking” means to help the child recall an event or situation and its resulting consequences. Bedtime is a good time for “tracking” as he may be more ready to listen (a teachable moment). We want him / her to begin to connect the dots” of life. It may need to be repeated many times before the child begins to make the connections. It is particularly useful for reoccurring problem times: eg. church, shopping, going for a walk, playing with peers, etc. It is also valuable to “track” events where the child made “good” choices as you are able to reinforce those times as well. It is very important that your tone be  supportive rather than harsh during the tracking sessions in order to retain the “teachable moment”.

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

This full day or 2 evening workshop will introduce you […]

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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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+ A Guided Tour of ADHD (now available online)

This workshop will present the facts, myths, misconceptions, controversy and […]

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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)