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"Moody" and "unpredictable" are adjectives parents will often use when referring to their teenagers.

"The thing that impresses me most about North America is the way parents obey their children"    (King Edward VII , 1841-1910)

The quickest way to change your child’s behaviour is to first change your own.

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

"Rules without relationship leads to rebellion" (Josh McDowell)

We should not medicate the boys so they fit the school; we should change the school to fit the boy. (Leonard Sax, M.D. Ph.D)

Whining and crying are employed by kids for the purpose of getting something. If it works, then it was worth the effort and will be repeated.

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

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

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

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“Alternative” Approaches

The preceding 5 approaches could be described as the “conventional” approaches to changing behaviour. There are of course other directions one could look, but they would be categorized more as “alternative” approaches. I do not mean to belittle them in any way, it is just that they are more “outside the box” and they generally do not have the degree of independent and peer reviewed research to provide evidence of their effectiveness.

Examples of these “alternative” approaches include:

  • chiropractic skeletal adjustments
  • magnet therapy
  • nutritional supplements
  • colour therapy
  • “healing” circles
  • hypnosis
  • meditation
  • and many other

There are unquestionably many honest and sincere anecdotal reports claiming the merits of these approaches, but they represent initiatives beyond the scope of my postings.

Next posting – What is the Best Option?

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

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  A teenager’s brain is not just an adult brain […]

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A program for children with reading problems

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

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Parents' Comments

“We were so naive. We thought our son’s poor behaviour was just a phase he was passing through. Thankfully you led us ‘out of the wilderness'”

(N.S. – London)