Recent Articles
Tackling tween and teen rudeness
With open enthusiasm, a mom picks up her middle-school-age son and friends after soccer practice, offering them bagels as they pile into the car. “Nobody likes whole wheat” is all the “thank you” she gets from her son. Attributing his snippiness to low blood sugar, she wisely lets his little dig go.
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What to do when your child cheats
Think back to third grade. It’s spelling-test day, and the word is “money.” Would that be “m-o-n-i-e”? Maybe, if you just peeked a bit over your friend’s shoulder and took a look . . . he’s writing the word now … there it is! “Monny!” OK, you never copied someone else’s paper. But maybe your best
Read More »Talking to kids about sexual abuse
It was an uneventful shopping trip for Everett mom Denise Constantineau and her two young daughters. But when 9-year-old Sarah came from behind the display case, Denise knew instantly that something was wrong. “There was a look on her face of fear,” she recalls. And, when she heard the story, Con
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Is your teenager depressed?
Moodiness, irritability, changes in sleep patterns, overreacting to any little thing — these are well-known characteristics of a normal teenager. They are also well-known signs of depression. Nearly 6 percent of adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 are clinically depressed, according to the
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Getting college ready with Dr. Laura Kastner
Doesn’t it seem as if the college quest has just about taken over the high school years? Seattle author and psychologist Laura Kastner, Ph.D., says the whole process of the “launching year” — applying to college, choosing a school and ultimately leaving home — can trigger mega amounts of anxiety for
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Should you hire a tutor?
The school year has just started, yet you’re already worrying about your teen’s first report card. Maybe it was that so-so grade in algebra last year, or maybe you’d just like to see your teen finally get a better grade in history. Is it time to think about hiring a tutor? “When you’re a tea
Read More »Is your child ready to babysit?
Just last week, you hired a babysitter to watch your 11-year-old daughter. Now she’s expressing interest in becoming a babysitter herself. While there’s no magic age at which a child is ready to start babysitting, there are signs you can look for and steps you can take to help your child get ready.
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Worked up about homework
You’ve always been savvy enough to dodge conversational hot topics like politics and religion. Bet you never thought you’d be sidestepping one more contentious issue in the school parking lot: homework. Like so many things in life, views on homework are incredibly subjective. For some families, t
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