Parent Training
Parenting can be challenging when the parent and the child’s personalities match. It is even more difficult when the child’s temperament clashes with a parenting style. Often, it can be helpful to speak with an outside observer to process the parent/child interaction and problem-solve to increase wanted behaviors and decrease those that are not. By do so, the bond between parent and child can grow.
Children are born as blank slates needing guidance on what is appropriate and what is not. It is natural for them to test boundaries as they develop their independence. It is the parent’s job to provide a safe container for children to experiment with what works and what does not. As a child builds a parent’s trust, the parent allows the child more freedom AND responsibility. This encourages a healthy progression towards adulthood.
Evaluations
If your child has one or more of the following difficulties, you may want them to be evaluated by a mental health professional:
- Not following house rules
- Hitting/fighting
- Engaging in risky behaviors
- Failure to launch