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Parenting style matters - a lot!

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

Adolescence can be the cruelest place on earth. It can really be heartless.  ( Tori Amos)

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)

A tantruming toddler is a little ball of writhing muscle and incredible strength. It's like trying to carry a greased pig past a slop bucket.

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

"To be a man, a boy must see a man."  (J.R. Moehringer)

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.

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

The more 2 parents differ in their approaches to discipline, the more likely it leads to trouble for the child.

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All Day Kindergarten

Ontario has instituted funding all day/everyday kindergarten for children as young as 3 1/2  years old. Current research on the developing brain facilitated by modern imaging equipment shows the language areas of the brain of many little  boys  is about 1 1/2 years behind little girls. Timing is everything. It is not enough to teach well. You have to teach well to kids who are developmentally ready to learn. Expecting little boys to attend all […]

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Sex Change

“Our universities have undergone a sex change !” I recently attended a conference presented by Dr. Leonard Sax (M.D., Ph.D.) who shared the following data from Statistics Canada: 1971 – 68% of Canadian university graduates were male 1981 – 54% were male 1991 – 51% were male 2001 – 42% were male 2006 – 40% were male This data clearly indicates that a growing proportion of males are “disengaging” from school. More and more of […]

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Underarm Hair

One of the rights of passage for boys entering puberty is the growth of underarm hair. Every boy is eager for this milestone to occur as they regularly count each hairs emergence. It is a good idea for parents to demonstrate a positive attitude towards their child’s excitement as it gives us an opening for an ongoing discussion on puberty and hygiene and the other changes that are soon coming.

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Eating Out with a Toddler (survival tips)

Taking a young child to a restaurant can be challenging but it doesn’t have to be a disaster. Planning your outing is the key. 1. Timing – choose a time when your child is rested and the restaurant is less likely to be very busy 2. distract – pack a “survival kit” containing items that will entertain your child while waiting to be served (e.g. ( paper & crayons, small toys, books, etc. 3. Set […]

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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 […]

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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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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

“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)