by admin | Feb 24, 2018 | Dear Family Coach
Extreme Stranger Danger and Crazy Neighbors for 02/24/2018
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My daughter, who is just 3, seems to have severe stranger danger and social anxiety. She struggles to use public bathrooms and attend fun activities like storytime. She won’t participate, shuts down, clings to me and cries. Everyone looks at me like I beat her. Today we couldn’t even coax her into looking at the dentist. I’m at my wits’ end. Is this a normal phase, or should I find us a good therapist? – Despondent Dad
Dear Despondent: Being shy isn’t necessarily a problem. Some kids just need more time to warm up to new people and situations. Given a period to do so and the right support, most kids can overcome their inhibitions. However, when shyness begins to interfere with the child’s daily living activities, it could be cause for concern.
Updated: Sat Feb 24, 2018
Extreme Stranger Danger and Crazy Neighbors for 02/24/2018
by admin | Feb 24, 2018 | Dear Family Coach
Extreme Stranger Danger and Crazy Neighbors for 02/24/2018
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My daughter, who is just 3, seems to have severe stranger danger and social anxiety. She struggles to use public bathrooms and attend fun activities like storytime. She won’t participate, shuts down, clings to me and cries. Everyone looks at me like I beat her. Today we couldn’t even coax her into looking at the dentist. I’m at my wits’ end. Is this a normal phase, or should I find us a good therapist? – Despondent Dad
Dear Despondent: Being shy isn’t necessarily a problem. Some kids just need more time to warm up to new people and situations. Given a period to do so and the right support, most kids can overcome their inhibitions. However, when shyness begins to interfere with the child’s daily living activities, it could be cause for concern.
Updated: Sat Feb 24, 2018
Extreme Stranger Danger and Crazy Neighbors for 02/24/2018
by admin | Feb 24, 2018 | Dear Family Coach
Extreme Stranger Danger and Crazy Neighbors for 02/24/2018
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My daughter, who is just 3, seems to have severe stranger danger and social anxiety. She struggles to use public bathrooms and attend fun activities like storytime. She won’t participate, shuts down, clings to me and cries. Everyone looks at me like I beat her. Today we couldn’t even coax her into looking at the dentist. I’m at my wits’ end. Is this a normal phase, or should I find us a good therapist? – Despondent Dad
Dear Despondent: Being shy isn’t necessarily a problem. Some kids just need more time to warm up to new people and situations. Given a period to do so and the right support, most kids can overcome their inhibitions. However, when shyness begins to interfere with the child’s daily living activities, it could be cause for concern.
Updated: Sat Feb 24, 2018
Extreme Stranger Danger and Crazy Neighbors for 02/24/2018
by admin | Feb 17, 2018 | Dear Family Coach
Eating Paper and Test Anxiety for 02/17/2018
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My 7-year-old son is always ripping the pages off of books and eating them. All the corners are gone and eaten. I have no idea what to do about this, or if I should even do anything about this. Is this normal or a problem? – Not So Sure
Dear Not So Sure: Well, it probably isn’t a problem, but it’s worth checking out. Eating nonfood items is a symptom of a disorder called Pica. One of the most common nonfood items ingested is paper. It’s so common is has a name: Xylophagia. There are a variety of reasons people do it. Your son may have obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Anxiety could be the culprit, as could simple boredom. It’s also possible that paper eating might be just tip of the iceberg. There are numerous serious medical concerns when people ingest paper, including intestinal obstruction, perforation and infections. So it’s important to double-check that this issue isn’t more serious.
Updated: Sat Feb 17, 2018
Eating Paper and Test Anxiety for 02/17/2018
by admin | Feb 10, 2018 | Dear Family Coach
Broken Cellphone and Therapy-Averse Dad for 02/10/2018
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: I know my son broke his cellphone on purpose so he could get a newer one. He denies it, but I have proof. He needs a phone. But I’m hesitant to get this for him, since it feels like I would be rewarding dishonesty. What should I do? –Mad
Dear Mad: You say he needs a phone. Well, maybe he doesn’t. Generations of children survived quite well without a phone in their back pocket. It would be even easier to be in touch nowadays, as nearly every other man, woman and child over the age of 12 has a phone he could borrow.
Updated: Sat Feb 10, 2018
Broken Cellphone and Therapy-Averse Dad for 02/10/2018
by admin | Feb 3, 2018 | Dear Family Coach
A Prying Parent and a Persuasive Son for 02/03/2018
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: I ask my fifth-grader obsessively about her day – who did she eat lunch with? Who did she hang with on the playground? Where was Girl X? Who did Girl Y hang out with? She has always talked openly with me about everything, but she is starting to keep things to herself. I know that is supposed to happen, but I really love details. How do I satiate my own need to know while still respecting the privacy I know she needs? – Nosey Parker
Dear Nosey: You are in for a long adolescence. Younger children tend to be more forthcoming about their day-to-day adventures. But as puberty ensues, they drift away from the home front and move closer to a private life.
Updated: Sat Feb 03, 2018
A Prying Parent and a Persuasive Son for 02/03/2018
