by Christine Hammond on December 19, 2019
After Joe got in trouble at home for sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night, his parents sent him into counseling to be “fixed”. It wasn’t too long during the sessions that it became apparent that Joe’s father was a narcissist. Some of the frustrations that Joe was experiencing were directly… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 7, 2018
“Yet another frustrating conversation with my son,” Halley remarked to her therapist. “He is so arrogant, demanding, and controlling. He refuses to see that the wrong in his actions and insists that everyone else is to blame for his situation. I’m so tired of fighting with him.” Halley’s 17-year-old son developed severely escalating lousy behavior… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
You have read the parenting books, implemented the ideas, and tried new techniques but nothing seems to work. The siblings of the difficult child benefited from intentional parenting, but not the one it was intended to help. In fact, that child is getting worse and the parent’s exhaustion level is through the roof. The child… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
From a developmental point of view, teenagers should act differently from their child-like selves. This is the time to try on new roles, explore various passions, be adventurous and expand their critical thinking skills. They naturally move away from parental influence and begin to value peer opinions in an effort to form their own perspective…. (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
Whether the child is 2 or 17 years old, the worst parenting mistake a parent can make is not listening. This presents in a variety of formats. Not listening to their boundaries. When the child has said they don’t want to talk anymore, listen and give them a break. They might need time to process… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on April 29, 2015
Parenting is hard work. At times it can be overwhelming, lonely, exhausting, discouraging, exciting, joyful, rewarding, encouraging, and fun within just a few short minutes. The wide range of emotions you feel from excitement over watching your child finally ride a bike without training wheels to paralyzing fear as they ride that bike straight into… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on April 22, 2015
It seems like it happened all at once. One moment you were praising your kid for being so good and the next thing you know he/she is a completely different child in a foreign looking body. Not only are the clothing choices a bit different but the shoe size is rapidly increasing, the attitude is becoming… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on May 31, 2013
Just compiling this list of stupid things your kid might do over summer break was enough to drive me, as a parent, into a massive anxiety attack. After all, summer break should be about camps, swimming, going to the beach, parks, and hanging out with friends. Unfortunately the combination of unsupervised kids, the internet and… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on May 9, 2013
I’ll never forget the first time that my husband and I suggested to our kids that they go away to a summer camp for a week. As parents, we had discussed the benefits of a good summer camp program and spoke with many of our friends who recommended several camps around the country. We took… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on March 12, 2013
Having kids is a blast. There are so many places to show them, so many things to explore, so many things to do and so little time. It seems as if your calendar is always full and it probably is with birthday parties, trips to the zoo, new playgrounds, play dates with friends, soccer practices… (more…)