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

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

Good parenting requires sacrifice. Childhood lasts for only a few brief years , but it should be given priority while it is passing before your eyes

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

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

Hurt people hurt people.

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

You cannot reason with someone who is being unreasonable.

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

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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Consequencing Teenagers

Identifying and following through on appropriate consequences is a necessary but challenging task   for many parents of teenagers . A consequence for inappropriate behaviour typically involves one of two directions:

a) removing a desirable ( example – removal of computer privileges)

b) adding an undesirable (example – extra chores)

Removing something the teen wants is usually more effective than adding something he/she doesn’t want.

Why? – often the teenager is already involved in a very busy schedule (school, part time jobs, athletics, etc) and there just isn’t time.

– it requires more of the parent’s time to supervise and monitor the added responsibilities

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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

“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)