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

Parenting style matters - a lot!

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

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

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

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

The best inheritance  parents can give their children is a few minutes of their time each day.

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

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

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.

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Depression Facts

FACTS -80% of depressed teens do not get psychiatric help – 75% have continuing problems into adulthood – 25% develop additional problems                                     eg.           – substance abuse                                                       – anxiety                                                       – eating disorders                                                       – school failure – 20% have seriously considered suicide – many clash with their parents

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Symptoms of “Executive Dysfunction”

These are the kinds of things that make living with or working with an ADHD child challenging. lack of foresight (unable to predict consequences for his/her behaviour) poor hindsight (“Johnny, how many times do I have to tell you to  . . . ) live for the minute (the future and past do not exist) poor organization (unable to “get it together” in A.M.) trouble returning to a task (“Johnny, you never complete anything”) poor […]

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School and the FASD Child

School demands (behaviour and academics) can be overwhelming for a child with FASD. In my opinion behaviour should take precedence over academics. It is possible that the sights, sounds and human dynamics within the school may be too stimulating for the child. Expect rules to be have to be taught , retaught and retaught  some more.  It will probably be beneficial for the child to sit near the teacher and he will probably  take a […]

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Depression & Anxiety Disorder in Teens

ANXIETY DISORDER IS A STRONG PREDICTOR OF DEPRESSION   “Depression” is mourning the “past” or “present”. “Anxiety” is fearing the “”future”.   “Anxiety” is a normal  and useful reaction and warns us to be careful:                                     – wear a seatbelt                                     – use a bike helmut                                     – designated driver                                     – hold a child’s hand when crossing a street   Worries and fears that interfere with “normal” life and routines are anxiety disorders   […]

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Caregiving – FASD (part 3)

3 steps to managing children with FASD a) Recognize that FASD is a medical condition – FASD is not a bad attitude – it must be treated as a medical condition – society has denied this reality of FASD and blames the indivivual – “just sit down and behave” is unrealistic – punishing a child with FASD for brain damage is useless – society (homes, schools, treatment centres, hospitals, jail) seldom provide adequate     […]

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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

“Rick’s approach is so logical. He helped us clearly define the problem, analyze what has happened and select the best strategy. We now feel empowered to do something positive for our kid”

(A.N. – Tillsonburg)