Talking to Kids About the Tragic Events

Talking to Kids About the Boston Martathon Tragedy

Child Psychologist Offers Tips on How to Talk to Kids About Tragic Events

Making sense of the tragic events such as the Boston Marathon bombings and the West Texas Fertilizer Plant explosion can be quite a challenge for children and parents alike.  Children are going to be asking difficult questions and parents need suggestions to help discuss the issue and address their concerns.

Below are some helpful tips from Child Psychologist Dr. Phyllis Ohr, the Director of the Child and Parent Psychological Services Clinic at Hofstra and the Assistant Director of the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program.  Dr. Phyllis is also the official psychologist forPress4Kids’s News-O-Matic, the first educational news app for children 7 to 10 years old.

It’s never too late to start setting boundaries

Setting Boundaries with Kids

Setting boundaries for grown kids too

by Amy Egan

Many times I have gotten the question, “Is it ever too late to start setting boundaries with children?” Parents wonder if they have missed the boat by the time their kids are tweens or teens. The truth is that it is never too late to set boundaries.  Even if a parent has an adult child that is disrespectful, manipulative or takes advantage of them, the best time to begin setting and enforcing limits is this very moment!

We don’t do our kids any favors by putting up with that stuff when they are 2, 10 or 30. Anytime a child can mistreat a parent, the parent loses – and so does the child, in a very big way.

How To Raise Emotionally Healthy Children: Feeling Secure

Emotionally Healthy Children - Feeling Secure

Fifth in a Series of Articles on Raising Emotionally Healthy Children

 

Guest Post from The Children’s Project

According to Dr. Newmark, the fifth critical emotional need of children is the need to feel Secure.  Security means creating a positive environment where people care about one another and show it; where people express themselves and others listen; where differences are accepted and conflicts are resolved constructively; where enough structure and rules exist for children to feel safe and protected, and where children have opportunities to actively participate in their own evolution and that of the family.