ONLINE PARENTING COACH

Most parents think that violence in the media is fairly harmless.  THINK AGAIN! Recent research has shown that: 1. There is a 12% increase in aggressive behavior after watching violent television. 2. Heavy television viewers (4 or more hours a day) put in less effort at school, have poorer reading skills, play less friendly with friends, have fewer hobbies and activities, and are more likely to be overweight. 3. There is a connection between playing violent video games and aggressive behavior. The American Psychological Association states there are 3 major effects of watching violence in the media (i.e., video games, movies, television): kids tend to be more fearful of the world around them kids tend to be more likely to behave in aggressive or hurtful ways toward others kids tend to become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others Everything that kids see or hear in the media early on in their lives affects them in some way. Parents ar...

While kids can display a wide range of behavior problems in school (e.g., disruptive talking in the classroom, fighting, name-calling on the playground, etc.), the reasons for these problems are usually quite simple. If a youngster is acting-out a lot in school, two things are usually going on: (1) he's having strong feelings and needs a hand with getting those feelings out, or (2) something in school is really not working for him. As a mother/father, you can do a number of things at home to help your youngster deal with his feelings. You can also change the situation in school so your youngster has a better time there. Here are some ways to help your youngster if he or she is having behavioral problems at school: 1. Spend time in your youngster's classroom to see what's going on. You could even ask a friend or relative to go to his school for a day. Look at the educator's teaching style and your youngster's learning style. Is a mismatch in the educator-...

"My 8-year-old son is very aggressive sometimes - both verbally and physically. This aggression is most often directed toward his older sister, but I have been on the receiving end of it as well. What is the best method to prevent this behavior from happening?" The best way to prevent aggressive behavior is to give your son a stable, secure home life with firm, loving discipline and full-time supervision. Everyone who cares for your youngster should be a good role model and agree on the rules he’s expected to observe as well as the response to use if he disobeys. Whenever your son breaks an important rule, he should be reprimanded immediately with a consequence that "ties-in" to the infraction so that he understands exactly what he’s done wrong. Kids don’t know the rules of the house until they’re taught them, so that is one of your important parenting responsibilities. For discipline to be most effective, it should take place on an ongoing basis, not ju...

At one time or another, most kids defy the wishes of their moms and dads. This is a part of growing up and testing adult guidelines and expectations. It is one way for kids to learn about and discover their own selves, express their individuality, and achieve a sense of autonomy. As they stretch their independent wings and engage in minor conflicts with their moms and dads, they discover the boundaries of their parents’ rules and of their own self-control. Sometimes, however, these conflicts are more than occasional disturbances and become a pattern for how moms and dads and kids interact. Disobedience can have a variety of causes. At times, it is due to unreasonable parental expectations, or it might be related to the youngster's temperament, school problems, family stress, or conflicts between the child’s mother and father. What can parents do? When you have a chronically disobedient youngster, examine the possible sources of his/her inner turmoil and rebellious...

My child was diagnosed with ODD three years ago; it is getting worse. She is now facing expulsion from school as she cannot control her behavior. We are looking at online high schools. Do you have any suggestions? Following is a comprehensive list of virtual schools — coursework from an accredited private school or accredited not-for-profit or publicly-funded institution, taught primarily through online methods: ·          ^ 21st Century Cyber CS Web site ·          ^ Abbotsford Virtual School website ·          ^ Academus Online Virtual School ·          ^ Academy Online High School Web site ·          ^ Achieve Online (San Diego) website ·          ^ ACHIEVEk12 Web site ·          ^ Achievement ...