Parent Talk

What do you do when your baby isn’t your baby anymore?

2012-05-22T12:03:04+00:00

By Ruth Klein, Ph.D., Director, Mental Health Services - Summer breaks, mid-semester vacations, Thanksgiving – these are times when our almost-adult children return to the nest. Often, the longing for the sweet, delicious child we said goodbye to what seems like oh, so long ago, turns into a longing for them to go back to where … More »

Does Empty Time in the Summer Spell Trouble for Teens?

2012-05-08T12:12:31+00:00

By Susan Kurlander, Health Educator - “Summertime. . .and the living is easy” — or so thought my teenage daughter. She planned to sleep until noon every day and then just hang out with friends during the summer of her junior year of high school. It was a rude awakening for both of us when I … More »

A Fresh Look at Childhood Anxiety: What’s the Tipping Point?

2012-04-24T12:41:39+00:00

By Myra Strassler, LCSW-C - All parents have the experience of seeing their children become anxious now and then. It might be when they are facing their first day of school, taking a test, or learning a new skill. A little mild anxiety is helpful in some situations; it helps children…Read more

On Their Own Away from Home: What 20-something Adults Need Most from their Parents

2012-04-10T14:12:48+00:00

Bryan Kraus, Guest Blogger for Jewish Community Services, The process of growing up, and what the psychologists call individuating from one’s parents, is usually not an easy one. We go from being completely dependent to independent, from being part of a whole to…Read more

Being a Good Sport

2012-03-27T12:47:41+00:00

By Emily Love, LCSW-C. Many of the most vivid memories that adults have of their childhood are related to the games they played. Sportsmanship is one of the many, and potentially the most meaningful, life-long lessons that can learned from team athletics. While most memories from these childhood experiences are positive, there is a negative … More »

Finding Teachable Moments in Tragic News

2012-03-13T12:55:51+00:00

By Susan Kurlander, Health Educator
Tragically, we have recently been bombarded with news of drug and alcohol related deaths. The media have focused graphic and in-depth attention on the death of singer Whitney Houston, who… Read more

Growing Up with a Sibling Who Has Special Needs

2012-02-28T13:24:12+00:00

For twenty-one years I have had a brother who has High-Functioning Autism. Some might say that having a sibling with any type of special need can be difficult, challenging, often times overwhelming, and even frustrating. However, being a sibling to someone who has a disability can… Read More

Bedtime Stories 2.0

2012-02-14T15:11:44+00:00

By Alison Dodge, Development Coordinator. At a family gathering over the weekend, my sister brought a recently purchased copy of Goodnight iPad, a parody of the children’s classic Goodnight Moon. As parents of toddlers, we all browsed the pages, laughing at the updated “goodnight iPhone, goodnight charger…” text and graphics. However, while a part of … More »

When Your Teen Begins Driving: Nightmare or Opportunity?

2012-01-31T14:05:14+00:00

By Susan Kurlander, Health Educator. I had gone out shopping while my husband took my daughter out for her first driving experience. I thought I would come home to find my husband feeling successful and my daughter feeling elated as this eagerly awaited new stage in her development was getting under way. Instead, I… Read more

Do Something “Big” for a Child: Be a Mentor

2012-01-17T13:58:07+00:00

President Obama Has Proclaimed January as National Mentoring Month. By Karen Schloss, Match Coordinator “There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.”* Stories abound testifying to the miraculous difference a mentor can make in the life of a child or teenager. Those of us who staff the … More »