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Navigating the path to independence in young adults

2023-03-24T01:19:46+00:00

Navigating the path to independence in young adults By Michael Oberschneider, Psy.D. The phenomenon of young adults struggling to transition into the next stage of life has become increasingly common in recent years, and this “failure to launch" or "failure to thrive" can have profound consequences. As a psychologist, I frequently work with parents who are concerned about their adult children's inability to mature and become independent. These parents frequently ask, “What did we do wrong?” or “How did we get here?” There can be multiple factors that contribute to young adults being delayed or off track developmentally. First identifying [...]

Navigating the path to independence in young adults2023-03-24T01:19:46+00:00

What is the Best Parenting Time Schedule for Special Needs Children?

2023-01-10T01:41:41+00:00

What is the Best Parenting Time Schedule for Special Needs Children? Divorce is difficult for children, and there is no question that it is especially hard on children with special needs; children who require additional assistance, supports and accommodations for disabilities that could be medical/physical, developmental or psychological.  At school, special needs children usually have an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) – a plan and/or program that is designed and implemented to support a disabled child’s specific elementary and secondary learning needs.  However, when it comes to divorce, there isn’t a universally agreed upon parenting time plan or program that attorneys [...]

What is the Best Parenting Time Schedule for Special Needs Children?2023-01-10T01:41:41+00:00

If You Want To Live A Better 2023, Change Your Mindset

2022-12-29T01:58:37+00:00

If You Want To Live A Better 2023, Change Your Mindset There are several reasons why New Year’s Resolutions fail – the resolutions are too vague or grand, the approach lacks planning, structure and accountability, and essential things are missing (e.g., motivation, time, resources).  So, what can you do differently this year to maximize your success?  I recommend that you try focusing more on how you think about yourself in relation to a given goal over the actual desired results you’re wanting to achieve.  If you really want to change something meaningful about yourself, the best place to start is [...]

If You Want To Live A Better 2023, Change Your Mindset2022-12-29T01:58:37+00:00

The Psychology of Your Child’s Halloween Costume

2022-10-27T17:58:57+00:00

The Psychology of Your Child’s Halloween Costume Hero, monster, princess or something sexy? A costume can say a lot about a child's development Halloween is one of the most fun times of the year for children. The meaning of Halloween runs deep in our culture — it’s a time to celebrate, a time for treats, a time for being spooky or silly, a time for costumes, and it’s a time to enjoy family and friends. When we think back to some of our fondest childhood memories, most of us have at least one or two Halloween moments. And what costume [...]

The Psychology of Your Child’s Halloween Costume2022-10-27T17:58:57+00:00

Four tips to surviving summer with kids back from college

2022-06-05T01:14:32+00:00

Four tips to surviving summer with kids back from college Sharing the nest again and navigating how to function as a family when your son or daughter returns home from college can be challenging. Sure, your child will always be your child, and you may believe that you still know what’s best for them as mom and dad, but with every semester or quarter that passes they’re aging and separating from you. From freshman year to senior year of college, your kids are taking the steps they need to take to become more independent as they enter young adulthood. At [...]

Four tips to surviving summer with kids back from college2022-06-05T01:14:32+00:00

Having a mild life crisis as a couple? 

2021-06-24T03:00:16+00:00

Having a mild life crisis as a couple?   “Probably the happiest period in life most frequently is in middle age, when the eager passions of youth are cooled, and the infirmities of age not yet begun; as we see that the shadows, which are morning and evening so large, almost entirely disappear at midday.” – Eleanor Roosevelt The Canadian psychoanalyst, Elliott Jacques coined the term “Mid-Life Crisis” in 1965. He believed that mid-life is a transitional phase rife with uncertainty and emotional conflict, pertaining to one’s sense of mortality. Later research in this area has found that to varying degrees [...]

Having a mild life crisis as a couple? 2021-06-24T03:00:16+00:00

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Competitive Youth Sports

2021-05-01T15:37:53+00:00

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Competitive Youth Sports As a psychologist, I frequently work with children and teens involved in competitive team sports, and while there are certainly advantages to being a great athlete at a young age, there can also be a number of challenges. The Good. The positives of youth sports are manifold.  Research studies have shown that highly athletic children and teens do better academically, socially and emotionally and are more physically fit when compared to those who do not participate in competitive organized sports.  According to Niko Eckart, Founder and Technical Director of [...]

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Competitive Youth Sports2021-05-01T15:37:53+00:00

Give Your Kids A “Yes Day!”

2021-03-28T00:28:40+00:00

“Yes Day!” is a recent movie that involves a mom and dad that usually say “no” to their children, but agree to a 24-hour period where their children get to do whatever they want (with some reasonable ground rules).  The family goes on an adventure with all sorts of twists and turns, and the story unfolds with fun, impulsive, and at times difficult emotional moments for them all.  In the end, the children and parents grow from their whirlwind day, and they become closer and better off as a family for having had the experience.  The movie is adapted from [...]

Give Your Kids A “Yes Day!”2021-03-28T00:28:40+00:00
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