Breaking Free of the Picky Eating Trap Many families struggle with picky eating. They often find themselves stuck in the same repetitive cycle where the child shuts down at the sight of certain foods, and parents get anxious about food intake and frustrated at their inability to “make” their child eat. If [...]
Having back to school stress is a common struggle for children, but there are some things you can do to ease the pain. Here are some tips to help reduce anxiety and have a tear-free first week of school. 1. Healthy Family Routines: The Arkansas Psychological Association reports that family plays a key role in modeling [...]
Cultivating Positive Relationships Oftentimes as parents, we accept the notion that siblings can not and will not get along, especially in the summer. While some sibling conflict is normal, there are also things parents can do to set a positive tone in the home. Consistent, intentional efforts to cultivate a positive relationship will help children [...]
Making the Most of Summer Part 1 - Strategies for Parents! Children cherish the summer time. They wait all year for the season when they can stay home and play with their friends. For them, summer is a time of exploring, swimming pools, sports, video games, bike riding and no home work! But for parents, [...]
Social Media, Internet and Youth: Tips for Parents As mental health professionals, we’ve come to view social media use as a modern developmental task in which all youth should become proficient. Most teens can be taught to use social media responsibly just like most learn to drive responsibly. As with driving, it takes education, supervised [...]
Is Your Cell Phone Coming Between You and Your Children? by Adam Benton, Ph.D. and Mary Ekdahl, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologists at Arkansas Families First, LLC. Children, smartphones, and social media have made the news again, but not in the way you might think! This time it is not about the risk of online predators, too [...]
Autism Spectrum Disorder 101 What it Autism Spectrum Disorder? Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors (www.autismspeaks.org). Did you know ... Autism now affects 1 in [...]
Helping Your Child Overcome Teasing and Bullying If your child is unfortunate enough to face chronic teasing or bullying there are some strategies taught by various programs to help them cope. The strategies below were taken from a program that we offer at Arkansas Families First, LLC called the PEERS Program. Dealing with Verbal Teasing [...]
ID 23675295 © Fasphotographic | Dreamstime.com Bullying is a serious problem for many children. Nearly one in three students experience bullying and some 40 percent of teachers observe bullying once a week or more, according to Chris Munsey’s recent report in the APA Monitor. It is not “just kids being kids,” it is actually associated [...]
Dreamstime.com Recently, my 6 year old son had a fairly minor accident (relatively speaking of course) on our treadmill in which he cut his finger pretty good. Yes, I understand...kids and treadmills don't mix...a lesson we are all more familiar with now more than ever. This particular injury required many creams and ointments, [...]
