The first week of May is Mental Health Week so we sat down with our psychologist, Bobbi Jo Gaetz to outline ways in which families can help children develop emotional literacy in their children. By: Bobbi Jo Gaetz, B.Ed, M.Ed, R.Psych Mental health research shows that emotional intelligence, also known as “emotional literacy,” is very…
Learn the importance of positive affirmations and start incorporating them into your family’s daily routine. To help get you started, we’ve created a list of positive affirmations for kids to help boost their confidence, self-esteem, positive self-talk, and overall wellbeing. This time of year can be a challenge for so many families and individuals for…
By Bobbi Jo Gaetz, B.Ed, M.Ed, R.Psych The new buzzword in psychology and child development is “emotional regulation”. What that really means is the ability of children to be able to regulate their big emotions. When emotions are out of control, we will see behaviours such as meltdowns and tantrums or even aggression. The emotions…
Fears are a normal part of being human and necessary for our survival as a species. Fears help us determine what dangers we should avoid for our safety. In developing children, fears change over time as they are exposed to new things and situations and as they learn to master their environment. As children’s imaginations…
Rewards can be great, but we don’t want to have to use them all the time to motivate kids to do the things we ask of them. Research has shown that a group of children who were provided extrinsic motivation (that is, rewards) to work on a puzzle stopped working once the rewards were stopped….
Separation anxiety in children makes drop-off at daycare or going on a date night much “fun” for parents. I remember crying in the car after dropping my son off at school, although I was lucky since it didn’t last. Separation anxiety is a normal stage that children go though starting in infancy and usually easing…
We have heard it all before, nothing we do is considered “right” when it comes to the type of parent we are. That’s right, TYPE of parent. Remember when parents were considered either strict or lenient? When we all knew whose friend’s house we could go to after school to score the candy and…
How much screen time too much screen time? When we are talking about screen time, it includes any time an individual is in front of a screen, including gaming devices, television, computers, iPads/tablets, and phones. Pediatricians have released information regarding how much screen time is “the right amount” since it is recognized that children learn…
Tantrums are tough. In the grocery store line up. At bedtime. When it is time to leave the house. Tantrums are tough. When times are tough, it can be difficult to manage our emotions and be calm. Here are some tips to help manage tantrums and try to keep your cool at the same time….
