Being a parent and finding out that your child has been intentionally harming themselves without any intent to kill themselves can be bring up a range of emotions; it can be upsetting, difficult, and maybe even confusing. It is something that no parent ever wants to learn about their child. This can bring up many questions for a parent related to how to proceed or why this is happening. The following will help best answer these questions.

Erik Erikson (1902-1994) is a psychologist most well known for his model on psychosocial development. Erikson’s focus on the social aspects of development, and the impacts of social influences on our development, differentiated his model from others and provided a framework that would progress the field of psychology for decades to come.  Erikson’s stages of development theory details eight distinct and consecutive stages one progresses through to develop a healthy sense of self.

Cognitive development in teenagers is a fascinating topic.  As teens develop both socially and cognitively, they are also able to think more deeply about complex ideas and concepts, and they begin to understand the world around them in a more complex way.  This however, does not come without its share of successes and challenges for the teen and those committed to supporting them.

Picture this: it is a Saturday morning, and your child has a soccer game. You spend the morning rushing to make sure your child eats breakfast, puts on their clean uniform, and has a bag packed of necessary items. As you are pouring your coffee in a thermos before you run out the door, your child gets comfortable on the couch and turns on the television. You remind your child as you approach the door, “we are getting ready to leave, turn the TV off, and let’s go!”. Your child, who is zoned into their favorite show, does not listen, and continues to watch the TV. Frustration sets in and all patience disappears as you are looking at the clock and opening the door, “Bye! I’m leaving without you!”. Those simple five words then causes your child to begin crying and screaming, a full-on meltdown. The frustration grows bigger, and a fight begins, causing you to then be late for the soccer game (which you were trying to avoid happening). The result: you are agitated, your child is upset, and now you are late. Many have been in this position, when you express to your child that you are leaving without them. While this expression may come out of frustration, it can be considered a fear tactic which may invoke long term stress or fear of abandonment within your child. It is important to avoid invoking this fear because it could foster mental health and emotional difficulties. Getting your child ready to leave the house can become a positive experience to foster the growth of time management and responsibility by making a few changes to that morning routine.

This may be your first year, this may be your third, regardless, it is very common for people in college to experience stress and anxiety. Is this the first time you are living away from home, or far away from home? Do you feel isolated, overwhelmed from all of your deadlines, and pulling late nights? Many factors can impact how you function and feel each day and college is an environment that presents a lot of different factors to make you feel that way. Transitioning from high school to college is difficult as is. The culture is different, the schedules are different, and it can be easier to let things pile up and prioritize other things, like friends, parties, or work.

If you have teenagers or have older children who were at some time a teenager, you may be able to understand how different it can be to interact with someone from the ages of 13-19 than it is to interact with someone younger or older. It has been well documented those adolescent years have unique and often challenging experiences for both the teen as well as those close to them in their lives. It is in these years that many parent-teen relationships suffer with both parties feeling as if the other is so disconnected. This is a common issue that many families struggle with, and it is also indicative of a time in all our adolescent journeys that we may use to relate to one another.

Talking to your child about any topic can be difficult at times, however, the discussion of mental health can be particularly tricky. There could be many reasons why this topic is tip-toed around, but it is important to address if you are worried about your child, so you can assist them in receiving proper mental health treatment.

As we grow, our families hope that we remain healthy, feel satisfied with our careers, have satisfying friendships and romantic relationships, and feel positive overall about our lives. Are there factors that might impact the transition from adolescence to adulthood, ensuring we feel positive about these life transitions? Absolutely.

Research suggests that a teen’s affect, particularly positive affect, is a critical factor impacting positive outlook. So what is affect? It’s the tendency to express positive or negative emotions, which in turn influences how we experience things and determine whether to judge a given situation as positive or negative.

These mindfulness tips can transform your life!

Is your lack of focus just regular inattentiveness or something a little bit more serious?