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Caregivers Articles

Discipline for Infants

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008

When I speak to groups of parents, I sometimes get questions about the best way to discipline infants. I begin my answer by saying that discipline is teaching. (In fact, the words "discipline" and "disciple" ...

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Fostering Relationships Between Disabled Children and Their Grandparents

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008

There’s a sense of magic that occurs when a grandmother snuggles next to her grandchild and reads a book or a grandfather tells his grandchildren the stories of his own youth. While the relationship ...

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Moving Mid-Year with Teens

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008

The conventional wisdom about moving mid-year, or moving at all, when kids are in high school is "don't." But it isn't that simple. Job opportunities don't always happen conveniently in the summer. Elderly parents who ...

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Moving with Kids

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008

It’s been decided. Yours will be among the 1 in 5 American families to move this year. It’s easy to get caught up in the ton of details. It’s inviting to skip right over whatever ...

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The Dos and Don’ts of Intervention

Monday, January 21st, 2008

In his best selling book, I’ll Quit Tomorrow, the late Dr. Vernon Johnson wrote that the hallmark of alcoholism and drug dependence is denial. Accordingly, most substance abusers believe that their problems are caused by ...

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Helping a Family Member Get Help

Monday, January 14th, 2008

Despite the prevalence and our increased understanding and acceptance of mental illness in society today, many family members still harbor fears and uncertainty surrounding how to help someone close to them who has a mental ...

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The Truth about Developmental Milestones

Wednesday, December 19th, 2007

Unfortunate or not, there is something inherently competitive about being a parent. One of the ways this comes to light is when parents compare how old their children were when they finished a whole bottle, ...

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Special Occasions and Special Needs Kids

Wednesday, December 5th, 2007

Here come the holidays. For many parents with special needs kids, here comes more stress. No matter how many times you have tried to explain the special needs of your special child, the extended family, ...

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Future Planning for Your Intellectually Disabled Adult Child

Wednesday, December 5th, 2007

If you are in your mid to late 50s or older and have an intellectually disabled adult child living at home, you are part of the first generation whose disabled kids may well outlive them. ...

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When A Sibling Is Disabled

Tuesday, December 4th, 2007

The college-age daughter of a friend of mine once told me how, when she was growing up, she was jealous of the extra attention that her twin brother got from their parents. She was angry ...

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Aggressive Children

Tuesday, November 27th, 2007

There are times when even the most docile children appear to have the aggressive tendencies of a professional wrestler. While a certain amount of pushing and shoving is to be expected from all children, especially ...

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Teaching Your Child To Fall Asleep

Tuesday, November 27th, 2007

Although it appears so deceptively simple that we take it for granted, learning to go to sleep is often as much of a challenge to children as learning to walk. Bedtime is a cue for ...

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Your Relationship with Your Therapist

Tuesday, November 27th, 2007

One of the most helpful elements in your recovery from a mental health issue is the quality of the relationship with the therapy professional and how consistent and trustworthy the connection remains between client and ...

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Encouraging the Special Interests of Kids with Special Needs

Wednesday, November 14th, 2007

It’s hard to know with any child when to say no, when to say yes, how much to push or set limits, or when to let him or her try to take flight, knowing he ...

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Finding a Reliable, Caring Babysitter

Tuesday, October 30th, 2007

A few years ago my office manager showed up late for work because her seventeen-month-old son's baby-sitter had cancelled at the last minute. (She usually brought her infant daughter to work with her.) It was ...

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