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

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.

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

Simple rules adhered to when children are young can prevent more serious problems later.

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.

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

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)

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

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

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.

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Foster Parent Training

    It was my pleasure recently to have had the opportunity of speaking to a group of foster parents from Carpe Diem Residential Treatment Homes in the Hamilton/Ancaster, Ontario area. Approximately 20 foster parents and staff participated in the workshop “A Parent’s Guide to the Teenage Brain” and they learned that modern science can now explain biological reasons for some of the worrisome behaviours we see in our teens. The invention of those marvelous […]

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Sleep Problems

    Sleep problems are common in children and often cause significant frustration, worry and anger in the home. Sleep problems are not the same in children as they are in adults. For example, infants and toddlers who are not sleeping well do not complain – their parents do. Young children are usually more unhappy about having to go to bed than about any inability to fall asleep, in fact they are more likely to […]

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FAQ re: ADD/ADHD (# 2)

                  Question – Do ADD/ADHD children also have other significant problems? Answer – yes A incomplete list of common conditions that coexist with ADD/ADHD include: learning disabilities oppositional defiant disorder conduct disorder anxiety disorder obsessive compulsive disorder depression bipolar tic disorder Asperger’s sensory integration dysfunction sleep disorders

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FAQ re: ADHD (#1)

    Is it true boys have ADD/ADHD more often than girls? The short answer is “yes” – 3 to 6 times more boys. The longer answer – girls may be under diagnosed because they typically display less severe social problems. Boys are more risk of developing almost any childhood behavioural or emotional problems except depression and eating disorders.

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Quotes from the Medical Minority re: ADD/ADHD

As mentioned in a previous blog, there is no consensus among the medical community regarding the cause and treatments for ADD/ADHD. In fact there are even doctors who question whether ADD/ADHD even exists. This medical minority believe that the individuals diagnosed with this disorder are nothing more than people who occupy one extreme end of the range of some behavioural characteristics. Note the following quotes from some of the medical minority: “Research does not confirm […]

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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 are foster parents who took in a 13 year old girl (going on 18!) and she ran us through the wringer. Rick helped us learn how to set limits that made the difference.”

(G.E. – Strathroy)