School bullying has become a serious public health issue for children of all ages. In a new book by Dr. Michele Borba, recognized educational psychologist and school bullying expert, insight and advice are readily at hand. Weeks prior to the Columbine High School shootings in 1999, Borba made a presentation […]
Integrity
Child and adolescent psychotherapist, Katie Hurley, believes in empowering girls. And she thinks the time to start is now. She’s not alone. Stories that have emerged from the #MeToo movement have made it abundantly clear that a woman’s lack of self-esteem and her silence on bullying, abuse, and other gender-based […]
Resilience
Whether you are a sports coach, parent, teacher, or young athlete, you know that coaching is key to success in most endeavors. In fact, research shows coaching is so important in athletics that it can be the deciding factor between those who achieve at the highest level and those who […]
Compass-Inspired
A group of fifteen girls ages 8-11 sit before me. We’re discussing “what does it mean to be assertive” and “why is it sometimes so very difficult to speak up?” Specifically, we talk about school. They watch each other carefully, unsure what to say even within the safety of this […]
Sociability
A positive role model serves as an example–inspiring children to live meaningful lives. Role models show young people how to live with integrity, optimism, hope, determination, and compassion. They play an essential part in a child’s positive development. Natalie, age 18, described her role model as a person with “a […]
Integrity
Most of us want to protect our children from struggle. After all, if we shoulder their burdens, they’ll be happier, right? Not usually. Children are happiest when parents scaffold their children’s ability to tackle life’s challenging experiences. This kind of scaffolding is necessary from a very young age. As children […]
Resilience
“No.” This simple two-letter word is often absent from our parenting vocabulary. Yet, a firm “no” can be a positive developmental tool for building resiliency in children. In parenting today, we are encouraged to focus so absolutely on our children’s happiness, self-esteem, and emotional health. It is perhaps this that […]
Resilience
Childhood is a time of life filled with playfulness, innocence, and joy. It’s a time of heightened emotional health — when all worries of the world cease to exist, and the small things get noticed. While pleasant to imagine, this mythical vision of childhood does not accurately capture the world […]
Resilience
The concept of stress relief has far greater implications for families with ADHD than it might seem. That’s because parenting a child with ADHD is demanding, with its impact on parents often underappreciated. There is a common insinuation that ADHD is not “real.” Some people think parents just need to […]
Self-Awareness
Have you taken time lately to witness your child’s imagination at work? Just stood and observed as creative play unfolded in front of you, without prompts or coaching? Children at play are in their most natural and happy state. Through your child’s play, you can witness the development of character […]
Creativity
Parental relationships can be messy and confusing for kids, even in the best of circumstances. Children learn about intimate relationships from their parents. So it’s not too surprising that negative patterns can be repeated from one generation to the next. What should parents know about their own intimate relationships that […]
Sociability
Coaches often utter the words “believe in yourself” to young people struggling with self-confidence. But what does it mean to believe in yourself? And why is it so important to the development of healthy and successful youth? No one in the world of psychology is better known for the study […]
Compass-Inspired
