CREATING METHODS OF HAPPINESS, PEACE & SUCCESS

Prevent the Summer Math Slide



Summer is half way through and as your child gets ready to go back to school in September, it might be a good idea to help them sharpen their math skills.

During summer, kids often forget math computational skills that they learned the previous year. So, it’s a good time to help them regain their memory.

Here are a few tips on how to weave some fun into a math review:

Problem Solving:

Have your child solve everyday math problems, such as:

  • If each candy bar costs $1.29 then how much do 3 candy bars cost?
  • How old will I be when you turn 18?
  • How old will you be in the year 2050?
  • If I were to give you $50 to spend and you had to buy two gifts, one for $15 and the other for $22, then how much money would you have left over?

Money:

  • Count the money in the piggy bank
  • Write out fake checks
  • Make towers of quarters and dimes and guess how much money there is in each tower
  • Let them pay and check the change wherever you go

Math Facts:

  • Ask them the times tables on a random car ride and offer a treat (maybe ice cream) if they get them mostly right
  • Use pizzas, pies, cookies and cakes to review fractions
  • Get a math facts placemat for the dinner table

Digital Practice:

  • Mathisfun.com
  • Fun4thebrain.com
  • Maths Bingo app
  • Virtual Manipulatives app

Kinesthetic Learners:

  • Use clay or Legos
  • Use sand and water to demonstrate volume
  • Use grapes, oranges or any other fruit or vegetable to count, divide or multiply

And of course, there’s the old lemonade stand, which will help your child boost mathematical, measuring and money management skills.

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All is takes is a few minutes everyday to practice math facts to ensure an easy transition into the next school year. Start today.

 

 

Everybody Needs Somebody Sometimes…



Do you try to do everything yourself?  You’ve got this, right!

You can handle it-

Your Job- clients, bosses, co-workers deadlines, salesEverybody needs
Your Finances- banks, payments, budgets, funds
Your Family- husband, wife, kids, parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, pets
Your House- cooking, cleaning, laundry, repairing, decorating
Your Health- physically, mentally, spiritually

And the list continues. As a matter of fact, take a moment to break down the categories above and write down what each of them entails.
Yep, you’re doing a lot of work! Every day. Over and over again.

And why?

Perhaps, you like things done your way. Maybe, you think asking for help is a sign of weakness. Asking for help may even put you in a vulnerable spot. Heck, you might even get rejected or misinformed.

Regardless, somewhere along the line you came to believe that independence is the key to happiness and success.  And it may be- to a certain extent. You can be smart, successful, independent, and do anything you need to do or want to do.

But sooner or later, something will knock you down and you will need help getting back up. It might be something big and not so good, like a health crisis or a job loss or a divorce. It might be something big and very good, like a new business you are launching or relocating or joining forces with someone else. Maybe even winning the lottery.

And at times like this, you might need a housekeeper, a nanny, a financial advisor, a marriage counselor or a doctor. Some just need their family or their friends. But everybody needs somebody sometimes.

5 Lifestyle Habits that Will Improve Symptoms of Both Depression and Anxiety



HealthyLife1.  Exercise– Endorphins, which are feel good hormones, are released during exercise.  Exercise can include many activities and does not have to be limited to going to a gym or running or walking. Try going for a bike ride or swimming, dancing and even gardening. The point is to get your body moving.

2.  Sleep– Getting enough quality sleep is essential. Sleep has a significant effect on your mood as well as your cognition. People are grumpy and don’t think straight when they are tired. Implement a good sleep hygiene habit and get some ZZZ’s.

3.  Sunshine– Let the sun shine in! Get out into the sun everyday for 20 minutes. Research indicates that 20 minutes of sunlight into your eyes improves the levels of feel good neurotransmitters.

4.  Smile– Stress shows up in our face. Smiling can help reduce stress and change your mood. Smiling also releases endorphins, boosts your immune system, makes you look younger and is contagious. So, what are you waiting for 🙂

5.  Eat more whole foods– Nutritional imbalances can make you prone to depression and anxiety. Some of the most common levels that may be off and can contribute to mental health issues are: essential fats, homocysteine, serotonin, blood sugar, calcium, vitamin, D, B12, magnesium and food intolerances. So tap into food’s healing properties and stay away from processed foods.

Teens “Hooking Up”



Romantic KissHooking up is a trend amongst teens that means “some sort of sexual activity with no strings attached.”  It is like “friends with benefits.” It can include anything from kissing and petting all the way to intercourse. It bypasses all the courting rituals and end eliminates the boyfriend and girlfriend relationship.

Research conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the likelihood of sex increases with each school grade level, from 32 percent in 9th grade to 62 percent in 12th grade.

So why are teens doing this? Basically, because they like someone, they think it’s ok and everyone else is doing it too. So it comes down to sexual excitement and peer acceptance.  This is fueled by all the media sources portraying sexual provocative images that socialize teens to think of sexual activity as normative. In addition, dating apps such as Tinder make it easy for teens to match up with other teens for sexual relations.

So what do you do as a parent?

First, get informed and develop an on-going, open communication with your teen. Explain to them that sexual activity can have physical and emotional consequences. Most teens don’t think about the emotional consequences. Have an open discussion without getting angry or punitive.

Then, don’t assume your teen is not having sex. Ask. Sex can mean different things to a teen. “Oral sex” may not be considered sex by many teens. Make sure they understand what you mean when you talk about sex. Listen to what they have to say.

Teens “hook up” to feel wanted and fit in as part of what has become socially acceptable by their peer group. It is important to know who your teen’s peer group is and what they are doing and where they are doing it. The most common time and place for teen sex is after school in someone’s house.

Even though it is uncomfortable for many parents to have this conversation with their teen, it actually helps strengthen your relationship.  Ideally the conversation should begin before your child becomes sexually active in any way. Regardless, having insight in your teen’s social life and keeping the communication lines open by listening to them and asking questions is the best way to protect them, both physically and emotionally.

Kids Wanting More



images-1 Are your kids suffering from a sense of entitlement?

Do they get angry when they don’t get what they want and when they want it?

Here are a few quick tips to help them come back down to earth.

  • Allow your children to see the real world. Serve on a mission trip to an underprivileged part of the country or the world. Go feed the homeless or volunteer at a shelter or soup kitchen. Drive around impoverished areas of your community (or a nearby city). Discuss what you see.
  • Don’t give them every new thing that comes along. Deny them some things they really want (but don’t really need) teaches them to delay gratification and appreciate things more when (if) they do get them.
  • Encourage them to work to earn their own spending money. The fast food industry is a great place to start. When they’re making $7-10/hour, they soon learn how many hours or work it takes to get a pedicure. They’ll appreciate every Starbucks frappuccino that much more!
  • Teach them how to save for things they want. If they want the latest iPhone, require them to put up half the money for the upgrade and pay you monthly for the subscription fee. It doesn’t really matter whether you can afford it. The real goal is to teach your children the value of a dollar and prepare them financially for the real world.
  • Refuse to get caught up in comparing your family to others. Who cares if the Joneses get their kids every new electronic gadget when it comes on the market? Who cares if the Schwartz’ buy their kids brand new cars? Make decisions that are best for your family, for your children now and for their future.
  • Give your child chores on a regular basis. In order for the family to be successful everyone has to cooperate. No exceptions. Once your child understands that we are all equal  and we help each other instead of serve each other , he will feel he deserves his place in his family.

How to be a parent on social media



imagesBeing on social media is a big part of your child’s life, and it may be a big part of yours too. These days, there’s always a cell phone or computer close at hand, and some kind online socializing is almost always happening, whether on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Tumblr, or Pinterest—it’s starting to seem like a new platform pops up every day.

Since social media is how today’s teens express themselves and stay connected, it’s important for you as a parent to supervise their online activities, just as parents should keep up with their kids’ grades, friends and other parts of life.

But how can you supervise your child online without seeming intrusive or, worse, getting blocked?         Here are some tips:

1. Ask your children to accept your friend request, then have a conversation with them about your need to monitor their safety. Be honest about the fact that you’ll randomly check in on them but assure them that you’ll stop short of being a “stalker,” which is what many young people in therapy complain about their parents doing.

2. Establish ground rules. That means telling them what you expect from them and what they can expect from you. You can promise not to post or comment on anything on their profile, if they don’t want you to. Know, too, that teens often hate it when parents post pictures of them, or tag them in updates. It’s also best to avoid using nicknames or making inside jokes online.

3. Try not to criticize your children or their friends for what they post. If something truly concerns you, have a calm conversation with your child (in person, not online!) about your concern without being overcritical about what you saw.

4. Examine your own social-media usage. Does it reflect your values and those of your family? Delete anything questionable, and don’t engage in posts or discussions that you wouldn’t want to see your child involved in. Remember that your children (and their friends) will see all that you do on social networks, so don’t allow your role-model behavior to drop just because you feel like you’re behind a screen

How can parents use behavioral therapy with children?



images (2)Question: How can parents use behavioral therapy with children?

Answer: Behavior therapy involves developing a system of dealing with the child’s behavior to curtail problem behaviors and to increase self-control and compliance. Two techniques are involved: The first aims to increase positive behaviors by identifying the triggers and creating strategies to reduce negative patterns. The second deals with the way adults react to how the child acts and entails creating a set of consequences.

Examples include: ignoring outbursts that seem to beg for attention; listening

and responding to your child’s needs; rewarding positive behavior changes (even if the behavior isn’t perfect); using the right discipline for “wrong” behavior; using the right language when talking about behavior (for example, saying “appropriate” and “inappropriate” instead of “good” and “bad”); and praising the child’s obvious efforts to improve. Most importantly, catch your child being “successful” and praise him for it.

Q&A: What is the best treatment for ADHD?



myths_about_adhdQuestion:  What is the best treatment for ADHD?
Answer: The best treatment for ADHD is a multimodal one which addresses every aspect of the struggle. This may include pursuing multiple actions such as pharmacological treatment, educational interventions, behavioral programs, and psychological therapy. The wellness of the whole self must be addressed: mind, body, and spirit. The best place to start is to make sure the basics are covered: enough sleep, plenty of exercise, good nutrition, a sense of gratitude, and a good support system. Independently, no one of these is likely to lead to significant change but employed collectively, they’ll bring significant improvement.

Q&A: Is there any correlation between IQ and ADHD?



This is the second post from the Q&A session with Therapist Martha Alvarez.

Question: Is there any correlation between IQ and ADHD?

Answer: No. Many people with average, above-average, or below-average intelligence have ADHD. Your child may be smart and manage to ace tests but can still have significant difficulties when it comes to planning and organizational skills, which can affect grades later—especially in high school. Managing ADHD is more about being able to use intelligence in an effective manner.

Q & A :Do people outgrow ADHD?



ADHD symbol design isolated on white backgroundThis post is the first in a series of Q&A’s with Martha about ADHD.

Question:    Do people outgrow ADHD? 

Answer: Not really. However, as children’s brains mature, their symptoms and impairments may change.  They find ways to do life differently so that the challenges caused by ADHD are more manageable and socially acceptable.  A hyper or impulsive child will exhibit their energy much differently than a hyper or impulsive adult will. Whereas a child with ADHD may fidget, act hyper, or interrupt and intrude on others, adults channel their inner restlessness differently, possibly via thrill-seeking behaviors such as driving recklessly, drinking alcohol, or overspending. If left untreated, ADHD can disrupt life, whether the person who has it is a child or an adult.