How to talk with kids about netiquette and cyberbullying prevention As a School Counselor and educator on the subject of Bullying Prevention, one of the most commonly asked questions I receive is, “What is the “right” age for youngsters to begin texting and using social media?” As with most aspects of child-rearing, there isn’t aContinue reading “Ten Kid-Friendly Rules for Texting With Respect and Dignity”
Tag Archives: self worth
My Brain Made Me Do It! Neuroscience for Kids Who Need It
How the basics of brain science can help kids change troubled behaviors Several weeks ago, I was sitting in the hallway of my school building talking with a student who was feeling distraught after her involvement in a heated conflict with several classmates. The young girl had lashed out verbally at a group of studentsContinue reading “My Brain Made Me Do It! Neuroscience for Kids Who Need It”
The 7 Rules for Texting in Relationships
6. Don’t let a committee interpret your partner’s text. Source: Syda Productions/Shutterstock While waiting for a table at a busy restaurant the other day, I witnessed a man angrily banging away on his phone. This well-dressed man in a charming suit had a grimace on his face and would pause to look at his phoneContinue reading “The 7 Rules for Texting in Relationships”
Teaching About Social Meanness In Middle School
Developmental insecurity in early adolescence can cause cruelty at school. Several books ago I wrote one, Why Good Kids Act Cruel, to help parents help their early adolescents in middle school deal with mistreatment from social cruelty in any of the five forms it commonly takes: teasing, exclusion, bullying, rumoring, and ganging up. Why isContinue reading “Teaching About Social Meanness In Middle School”
5 Better Ways to Deal With Disappointment
…and why being hard on yourself isn’t part of the solution. When people marry, they are usually determined to make it through thick and thin, impervious to divorce and discontent, even though two out of five couples will separate and only 30 percent will enjoy a happy marriage. Nearly 80 percent of people have an optimism bias when itContinue reading “5 Better Ways to Deal With Disappointment”
4 Ways to Survive Unexpected Situations
Expert advice for maintaining your confidence and finding a positive outcome. Life throws unexpected things at us all the time. Some we like—such as finding a $20 bill on the sidewalk—but many of them we don’t, such as missing a flight due to an extra long line at airport security. Sometimes unexpected events can be muchContinue reading “4 Ways to Survive Unexpected Situations”
The Power of “No”
How rejection can be a positive form of support. When we talk about our most valuable friends, we usually begin by listing those who are kind and caring, there when we need them, and supportive of our choices. While these qualities are certainly important, there is one other type of support from trusted friends, colleagues,Continue reading “The Power of “No””
How to Support a Partner Dealing With Depression
As a mental health counselor and someone who has battled depression for most of her life, I’m no stranger to the toll it can take on relationships. While it differs from person to person, at its core, the illness causes people to feel lonely, inadequate, and misunderstood—even isolated. Sometimes it’s because we don’t want toContinue reading “How to Support a Partner Dealing With Depression”
A Sure-Fire Way to Silence Your Inner Critic
You can learn to dis-identify from the inner critic voice in your head. Most of us have been conditioned from childhood to be our own harshest critics. That inner judge can shadow us, scrutinizing our every move and making us quite miserable. For years, I’ve been working on turning the inner critic into an innerContinue reading “A Sure-Fire Way to Silence Your Inner Critic”
Never Good Enough
If you’re so displeased with yourself, both mentally and physically, it’s not so mysterious that you’re falling into two common cognitive traps: perfectionism and self-downing. Feeling better about who you are as a person means talking to yourself respectfully and rationally. You wouldn’t speak so harshly to your worst enemy. Calling yourself names doesn’t help,Continue reading “Never Good Enough”
Amplify Wellness with Meg Duke 