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

The quickest way to change your child’s behaviour is to first change your own.

It's more effective to reward your child for being "good" (appropriate) than to punish him for being "bad" (inappropriate).

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

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

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)

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.

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

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

Setting limits teaches your children valuable skills they will use the rest of their lives. One day, they will report to a job where their ability to follow rules will dictate their success.

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FASD – early adolescence 13-17 (life’s challenges)

SEXUALITY

  • hormones are probably working fine
  • problems frequently emerge because of lack of boundaries, lack of impulse control, inability to link behaviour and consequences, need for acceptance, social isolation
  • often leads to sexual activity with predictable consequences eg. STD’s, pregnancy, exploitation, easy victimization

DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

  • often exploited by older teens & adults
  • substance abuse treatment is generally more difficult, refuses help and more relapses

SCHOOL, JOB, DAILY LIFE

  • school frequently causes  extreme stress
  • employment is hard to find and keep

 

 

 

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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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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

“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)