The ability to pursue goals effectively is critical for sustaining positive change -- it's important to get it right. This blog highlights strategies that researchers have found to be helpful in leading positive personal and societal change, including goal type, monitoring progress, and motivating others to take action.
12/28/2016 04:41 EST
An important first step is identifying the ways culture and media influence our understanding of sexuality and ideas about gender. As parents and educators of youth, improving our own media-literacy skills can enable the conversations needed to convert troubling topics popular in the media into opportunities for promoting gender equality.
11/01/2016 12:45 EDT
Children who are naturally curious about sexual matters may be inclined to look online. The Internet provides a degree of anonymity, accessibility and affordability that make it particularly powerful as a medium for viewing sexual content. What they are likely to be confronted with is a barrage of information in which informed, educational messages are outnumbered by adult sexual entertainment and pornography.
10/13/2016 04:07 EDT
With the official end of summer and start of school, come changes to routines, new schedules, and certain adjustments. This sudden change of pace for families can sometimes leave parents feeling like they are performing a difficult juggling act!
09/08/2016 04:00 EDT
Lessening bullying requires a societal effort. No single institution can prevent the circumstances that lead to a young person fearing hateful comments online. Humanity has proven we have the capacity to improve the well being of others -- we should plan to make giant strides in minimizing bullying, too.
03/01/2016 11:22 EST
Parenting, like life, is about balance. Between independence and rules, work and play. With the authoritative dolphin style of parenting, greater self-confidence, critical thinking, good behaviour and academic performance are all achieved by encouraging collaborative communication that is both firm and flexible.
02/10/2016 03:30 EST
There is mounting science of how the wealthy are disadvantaged in one area that may mean more to them than anything else -- the fundamentals of their children's health. A disproportionate number of emotional, behavioural, and mental health problems are occurring in children of the upper class and upper middle class.
12/09/2015 11:16 EST
From climbing trees to slouching over desks -- the transition from summer sovereignty to school routines hasn't been all that easy in my household. So, the big question I have is -- how can we strike a balance between school routines and spending time outdoors?
09/22/2015 05:34 EDT
What happens when the tools that are supposed to connect us end up segregating us and making us feel excluded? The overuse of social media and the subsequent underuse of real-world skills has resulted in difficulty for many to socialize meaningfully -- leading to feelings of loneliness, social anxiety and depression.
09/15/2015 05:22 EDT
Who killed summer vacation? That's the million dollar question -- literally. Long gone are the days of casually taking a few weeks off with the family to go on a road trip, or jetting off to a remote destination where the real world ceases to exist. This is a problem.
07/05/2015 07:09 EDT
Since teenage brains are literally neurobiologically different from adults, coupled with their fluctuating hormones, the way they process information also differs greatly from how we may process the very same things. This creates a situation where, when told not to wear something deemed inappropriate for that particular environment, while an adult may understand that it is simply a fashion issue within that specific circumstance, a teenager may perceive it on a chemical level as a personal threat to their entire identity and independence. As a result, they can become fiercely protective and hypersensitive to any potential threats made to their autonomy and are more likely to push the limits in response.
06/01/2015 05:50 EDT
In celebration of Mother's Day this year, I wanted to touch upon the subject of the beautiful, innate, and natural phenomena that is the intuition between mother and child, its importance, and how to gain that back if you've lost sight of it.
05/10/2015 07:45 EDT
Today, despite being the closest we have ever been to equality in North American history, women are now fighting an entirely different battle against an often silent killer, whose effects are becoming increasingly prevalent in our gender: stress.
04/10/2015 09:05 EDT
Although school-based bullying in children and youth has achieved much attention over the years, adults bully all the time and in surprising places. Universities, hospitals, schools, corporations, and even the police force are all settings where the real, common, and shockingly increasing problem of workplace bullying is occurring.
02/25/2015 05:50 EST
Todays' well-meaning parents who are over-scheduling and over-instructing because of fear of competition are seriously under-preparing children. The days of awards and promotions for those who know the right answer are quickly disappearing.
10/14/2014 08:45 EDT
Ninety Four percent of employers agree that collaboration is an imperative skill for 21st century job success for new graduates
08/20/2014 12:20 EDT
Millions admire him, yet Justin Bieber's lifestyle is not a set of circumstances an average child or teenager can relate to. He is living in a world where the lines of morality and law are distorted by the fact that his negative actions carry minimal consequences.
07/28/2014 01:25 EDT
While the players and fans from Brazil mourned their brutal loss, my son shared the same feelings of defeat. From his folded arms, sulky stare and giant pout -- he was clearly angry about the unfortunate outcome. My son's passionate reaction to the Brazil upset made me reflect on how difficult learning to lose gracefully can be for kids -- and even parents, too.
07/12/2014 12:12 EDT
As an adolescent psychiatrist, I've treated countless patients who have achieved their cherished external goals, such as acceptance into a dance academy, sports team, or college of "their choice"-- but whose lives are utterly devoid of internal joy. Your role as a parent has a major impact on your child's understanding of the word gratitude.
07/08/2014 05:56 EDT
Family holidays can provide great learning opportunities for children, all without a book or classroom insight! Exposure to diverse cultures, picturesque scenery, fun activities and people can teach kid's valuable life lessons and broaden their horizons...sometimes without them even knowing it.
07/02/2014 08:44 EDT
