A String on the Finger
Andrea Ramsay Speers
One of the things that never fails to set parents off is when kids are chronically forgetful. And it can be a long haul to get kids to accept the responsibility of [...]
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“So, How Was School?”
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Does that question make your kids clam up? Instead of asking a blanket question like this, try asking about a specific class, for example, or what they did during recess. [...]
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How Much Privacy Should We Give Our Kids – Is Snooping Ever Ok?
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Snooping on our kids – teens in particular – is a bit of a gray area for many parents. Some feel as the owners of the home and the heads of the household, they have a right [...]
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Back in Black
Andrea Ramsay Speers
When I was in high school, the cafeteria was unofficially sectioned off into groups, with members of a certain group sitting in the same area or at the same table every day. [...]
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Meeting New Friends
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Switching schools or classes in the middle of the school year can be hard for younger kids, especially when they don’t know anyone in the new place yet. Work with the [...]
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Most Of Us Hear, Not All Of Us Listen
Andrea Ramsay Speers
I use a lot of skills in my work as a psychotherapist in Oakville. Some of these skills are ones that I teach my clients, too, and active listening is probably one of the [...]
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Alone…Together
Andrea Ramsay Speers
What your kids want more than anything is to spend more time with you. Even your teenagers. Seriously. I can’t point you to any specific studies that prove this (although I’m [...]
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Discipline Vs. Punishment
Andrea Ramsay Speers
I found a great explanation of the distinction, taken from Kathy Lynn’s book Who’s In Charge Anyway?: Discipline is not about pain or punishment, nor about revenge [...]
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Cyber-Snooping On Our Kids
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Since we entered the digital age in earnest, there has been an explosion of high-tech gadgets parents can get to keep an eye on their kids. From debit cards that allow [...]
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Foiling a Manipulation Tactic
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Kids develop a finely tuned awareness of which parent to go to in specific circumstances. Whether they’re looking for money, a ride to the mall, or permission to sleep [...]
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