Root Psychology Blog
Tools for Parenting the Modern Teen
A Brain Under Construction
Teenagers can really seem crazy at times. They aren’t. They can appear to wig-out, not make sense or lose-it over the simplest of things. But they aren’t crazy. They are going through some serious brain reconstruction, reconfiguring and refurbishing. It used to be...
It’s Not Cute Anymore – Part 2
This article is an extension of Part 1, so if you have not read the first part, please do (Part 1). The purpose of these articles is to describe important aspects of the time your children spend with their devices. Three more areas to consider: Sleep: Kids need about...
The Healthy Mind Platter
“The Healthy Mind Platter” developed by Daniel Siegel and David Rock, was first introduced to me when I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Siegel speak at a Psychologist Conference in 2013. I have since referred to it in many of my parent and student presentations, in...
Novelty-Seeking and Risk-Taking
“The only thing worse than taking risks in adolescence is NOT taking risks” -- Daniel Siegel, MD The above quote is one of my favourites from Daniel Siegel, a very influential adolescent psychiatrist. I repeat the quote often and I truly believe in it. Teens...
The Dad in the Dressing Room
I had an awesome experience last weekend. I witnessed a dad do an absolutely stellar job with his teenage daughter. I know there are so many great dads out there, but this particular exchange had to be documented 🙂 I was in the Banana Republic Outlet Store. I was in...
The Beauty of an Apology
Nobody really loves to apologize. Except perhaps, Canadians – ha! But holy-moly, a perfectly worded apology goes a long way in the relationship with your teen (or any relationship, really!). Of course, it has to be authentic and there is a pretty precise way to do it...
What Do I Say ???
The following bullets are some ideas of what to specifically say if you are stuck with how to emotionally attend and connect with your teen. Some of these you will really like and use. Some of these you will hate and throw away. It’s all about adding the right tools...
Just Be Nice
Just be nice. Nope – this phrase doesn’t work for me anymore. I used to think to be nice, polite, kind, were the most important character traits to have. And they are important to have as part of our entire personality repertoires. But when we teach our kids to be...
The Uber Feeler
Ok, I’ve sort of made this word up: ‘Uber Feeler’. Also known as the Sponge; the Super Feeler; the Empath; the Nurturer. I learned the phrase ‘Super Feeler’ in a training I underwent with two fabulous psychologists, Joanna & Adele out of Toronto...
Out with Perfectionism!
As I was writing this article, I wanted to make sure my grammar was perfect. Then I thought, wouldn’t it be awesome, if there were mistakes throughout? And I was ok with this? The perfectionist in me didn’t like this idea, but, if you see any mistakes, you'll know I...
What Teens Want More of From Their Parents
It bears stating the obvious: kid’s relationships with their parents' matter. It is the child/parent relationship where kids first learn emotional competency, healthy conflict, communication, core values, and beliefs. BUT, if a child is not feeling connected...