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

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.

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.

If it  was going to be easy to raise kids, it never would have started with something called "labour".

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

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.

Hurt people hurt people.

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

Children mimic well. They catch what they see better than they follow what they hear.

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.

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Types of Temper Tantrums

There are 2 types of tantrums: manipulative (child is trying to get his own way – conscious, planned, controlled) temperamental (child can’t help it – he is truly “out of control”) Both types can look the same and one form can lead into another. A temperamental tantrum acquires a manipulative quality when the child comes to understand the value of what he’s is doing. Guidelines to Help Distinguish the Two Types the manipulative tantrum is […]

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ADHD

    Some children can’t sit still. They appear distracted by every little thing and don’t seem to learn from their mistakes. These children disregard rules, even when they are punished repeatedly. They tend to act without thinking, and this results in many accidents and reprimands. ADHD is one of the most common reasons children are referred to mental health professionals. Every classroom in the country probably has several children with ADHD. Raising any child […]

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Mom, Dad, think before you act!

    It is easier to stop difficult behaviour before it becomes entrenched. You should be very skeptical of the phrase “I’m just going to do this once” when it pops into your head in moments of parenting stress. Frankly, whatever you’re thinking of doing, you’re unlikely to do it only once. So unless you’re prepared to spend hundreds of hours in a car with your baby, don’t use a car ride to put your […]

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Anger

I find this quote from Gary Chapman intriguing as it relates to temper tantrums and the importance of handling them in a wise fashion. “It may surprise you that the primary lifetime threat to your child is his or her own anger. If your child does not handle his own anger well, it will damage or destroy him. The mishandling of anger is related to every present and future problem your child may have – […]

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Teen Issues # 3

  Every teenager rebels against authority at some point – talks back, breaks curfew or disobeys. It goes with the territory – it’s normal development. But many teens go beyond normal adolescent rebellion to engage in out-or-control or dangerous behaviour. If one of those teens is yours, you’ve probably lived through years of conflicting advice and pat solutions that haven’t led to lasting change. One source that I have found useful in assisting parents is […]

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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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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 psychiatrist recommended Rick to help us sort out behaviour management issues for our autistic son. He was an invaluable help.”

(C.C. – Sarnia)