The Power of Giving Kids Choices

This post was originally written for a local paper in 2019. Does this sound familiar? You’re running late, and your child has spent the last 30 minutes “putting on their shoes,” which are still across the room. Your patience has run out, and you yell at your child to get going already. Now, you areContinue reading “The Power of Giving Kids Choices”

Interview with Jaynay Johnson, LMFT, Teen Therapist, and Author

Jaynay Johnson, LMFT, is a therapist who specializes in teen mental health and practices in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She does amazing work with teens struggling with self-harm, suicidal ideation, depression, and anxiety. She is also the author of three books: Dear Teen Self, a book to help adolescent girls through the difficulties of beingContinue reading “Interview with Jaynay Johnson, LMFT, Teen Therapist, and Author”

Cyber Bullying

A version of this article was published in Hood Magazine in 2019. The rise of social media has allowed teenagers to keep in touch with friends and family more easily than in previous generations. In addition, youth can engage with communities that they did not have access to before, helping them feel less alone. However,Continue reading “Cyber Bullying”

Why Do Kids Like Creepy Things?

We might not realize this when we are young, but a lot of kids’ shows and films have some dark and creepy themes. I remember being obsessed with the animated Anastasia movie, which contains an intense musical number about killing the main character and a pretty horrifying attempted murder scene. I’ve heard adults commenting onContinue reading “Why Do Kids Like Creepy Things?”

The Three Conversations

Image text:“Every time you communicate with someone, three conversations happen:1. What you said2. What you meant3. What they heardFigure out how 2 and 3 diverge to fix a lot of miscommunication.” I say this a lot, and I wanted to talk a bit today about what this means for parents. A lot of “disobedience” byContinue reading “The Three Conversations”