About this column:
Lynn Louise Wonders, LPC, RPT-S is the Owner and Director of Therapy Services for Marietta Counseling for Children & Adults, LLC where she has 10 other highly qualified therapists who also provide services for children, adults and families. You can read more about her counseling center and the services they offer at www.mariettacounseling.comWhen I cast my net among parents for questions they wanted answered this summer, the most frequent question I received was, "What do I do to help my child be more focused at home and school?" According to the CDC, approximately 9.5 percent or 5.4 million children ages 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, as of 2007. The percentage of children with a parent-reported ADHD diagnosis increased by 22 percent between 2003 and 2007. Whether your child has been diagnosed with ADHD or just drives you crazy because it seems like you can't get and keep his attention, or she comes home from school with a …
As Cobb kids return to school this week many parents are calling my offices concerned about their children exhibiting symptoms of anxiety and other behaviors indicating this time of transition can be a tricky one. For many children this is a time of excitement and an end to a boring stretch of time away from friends and learning. For others it's the end of three months of free-for-all fun, vacations and sleeping in. Either way, it's a time of transition and parents can be an effective agent in assisting with this process. In my practice as a therapist and parent educator I see how important …
Q. My child is not learning anything at preschool. All they do there is play. What is all this "child centered" theory about? I want my child to learn when she goes to school. and, Q. How can you help my child if all he does is play when he comes to your office? A. As a play therapist for child clients, I hear this statement and this question frequently. While we play therapists are trained in depth to utilize play to assist children in their growth and healing in a therapeutic setting, I want to help parents better understand how play can be an agent for enriching parent child …
Effective and positive communication is not simply about asking questions, paying compliments or sharing good news. It's not even about verbal exchanges alone. In fact, some studies say that 73% of what we communicate is non-verbal. This statistical information comes in handy for parents whether it's with children who simply don't have the vocabulary or verbal ability to express what it is they need and feel or they simply are not in the mood to talk. Effective and positive communicating happens when we are able to learn how to read our child's non-verbal cues and behaviors, inquire in …
Q. How do I get my two-year-old to cooperate more? Her favorite word is “No!” and I hear it all the time. A. Let me help you re-frame the way you interpret this mantra of “No!” you’re hearing. This is a sign of growing independence. You see, when children reach the age of 18 to 24 months they have a sudden realization that they are a separate entity from the main caregiver to whom they formerly believed they were attached as an appendage of some sort. As they realize they are their own person, they have a rapidly emerging experience of needing to test this out and feel their power. This is …
Q. My 6-year-old daughter has a lot of worries. She worries about things that don't make a lot sense. Is there anything I can do to help her or should I take her to see a therapist?A. Everyone worries. Everyone has a level of anxiety at some point in their lives. It's normal for kids to fret. Some kids fret more than others. When the worries get to the point where basic functioning is interrupted, it may be time to seek professional support from a children's therapist. There are some things, though, that parents can do to help so that maybe therapy won't be necessary.1. Do not laugh, …
Any good business person will tell you a mission statement is essential to success. Mission statement defined: A thorough but clear statement that spells out the purpose and the guiding goals providing a guide post for the leaders of the organization. You've heard it said many times, many ways: Parenting is the most important job you'll ever do. It makes sense to view this venture as a very serious mission. You might want to consider starting the new year with a clear and present plan of action. Over the years I have provided many parenting seminars titled Parenting with Vision and Purpose…
Q. I don't get it. I keep seeing snip-its in magazines about how we should not say "good girl" or "good job" to our kids. I thought we were supposed to be helping them feel good about themselves as parents. A. I like to help parents be very clear about their vision and purpose when considering how they interact with their children. We want kids to develop an intrinsic sense of worth and value rather than be dependent on extrinsic sources to boost their self esteem. More simply said, we want children to feel good about themselves from their own conclusions rather than be addicted to having …
Greetings, parents of Northeast Cobb. I am beyond thrilled to provide this biweekly column on issues of parenting, family and children. I often provide coffee talks and mini-workshops for parents in our community and always face a slew of questions. I usually reserve a good 20 minutes for straight Q&A at those talks. I've thought about having a venue for parents to send me questions and publishing my responses. When the editor of this new community site invited me to be the resident child specialist and write a regular column, that brilliant idea had a venue, so here we are. But you need to …
