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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Don't wait for him to turn 10 before you reveal that you are not in fact the hired help whose job it is to clean up after him.

If you are headed in the wrong direction as a parent - you are allowed to make a U-turn.

Relationships matter:  change comes through forming trusting relationships. People, not programs change people.

There has been an explosion in the prescribing of medication for very young children, particularly preschool and kindergarten boys (Juli Zito , Univ. of Maryland)

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Did You Know ? # 14

Consistent small rewards for small achievements work much better than large rewards for big goals, especially for younger children. Growing up under conditions of deprivation can damage children’s brains

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Brain Fact # 14

Dr. Larry McCleary (Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Denver Children’s Hospital) was asked the following question: What is the single most important brain-related idea or concept that you would like every person on the planet to fully understand? His answer: “The most important take  home message about brain health is that we now know that no matter what your brain status or age, there is much you can do to significantly improve brain functions and slow […]

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Did You Know ? # 13

Ritalin (stimulant medication for ADHD) was first synthesized in 1944 by a chemist and he named it after his wife, Rita. She had low blood pressure and she used it to pump herself up before tennis games. Heavy marijuana use during adolescence increases the risk of schizophrenia in people with a particular variant of the gene catechol-O-methyltransterose.  

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Brain Fact # 13

Food for Thought   If you were to inject a blue dye into the blood stream of an animal, tissues of the whole body would turn blue – except the brain and the spinal cord. This is due to the presence of the blood brain barrier which prevents some materials in the blood, such as bacteria, from entering the brain. The blood brain barrier works to maintain a constant environment for the brain while allowing […]

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Did You Know ? # 12

People who have spoken 2 languages actively for their entire lives experience the onset of dementia 4 years later on average than their peers who spoke only 1 language The brain cannot concentrate well on more than one thing at once.

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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

“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)