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Perspectives and practical guidance on learning, development, mental health, and supporting children and families.

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Parent child relationship, parent-child relationship, Parenting, Positive parenting, pcit, parent-child interaction therapy, discipline, child psychology Justin Mabee Parent child relationship, parent-child relationship, Parenting, Positive parenting, pcit, parent-child interaction therapy, discipline, child psychology Justin Mabee

MythBusters: Positive Parenting

Positive parenting programs have a large and meaningful evidence-base for helping parents manage problem behaviors. However, positive parenting is not widely understood by parents. Many parents assume that positive parenting means kids can do no wrong and that we reward them anyway. In fact, positive parenting is quite different. Positive parenting actually involves relationship building, using parental attention effectively, giving kids independence, using discipline appropriately, and providing a safe, secure, and consistent environment. Once parents understand what positive parenting really is, skepticism tends to dissipate.

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Behavior problems, parent-child relationship, Parenting, Parenting Strategies, Positive parenting, directions, following directions, discipline, limit setting, child psychology Justin Mabee Behavior problems, parent-child relationship, Parenting, Parenting Strategies, Positive parenting, directions, following directions, discipline, limit setting, child psychology Justin Mabee

Giving Good Directions to Kids: It’s Harder than it Sounds!

There are many moments throughout the day that require giving directions to kids. Parents need to make sure kids are safe, help them transition between activities, and ensure daily tasks are completed. The way we say directions or instructions matters and we want to make sure we are setting both ourselves and our kids up for success.

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neuropsych, evaluations, testing, child psychology, child behavior, child evaluations, learning difficulties, learning disorders, adhd, dyslexia, autism, special education, neuropsychological evaluations, assessment Justin Mabee neuropsych, evaluations, testing, child psychology, child behavior, child evaluations, learning difficulties, learning disorders, adhd, dyslexia, autism, special education, neuropsychological evaluations, assessment Justin Mabee

The What and Why of Neuropsychological Evaluations

If your child has had difficulties in school or you have concerns about their development, you have likely been referred for a neuropsychological evaluation. To many parents, this daunting, new recommendation has you imagining your child hooked up to machines for neurological imaging and observation. When in fact, these evaluations require no fancy machines and are often fun for kids. We want to answer common parent questions about these evaluations and clear up the confusion.

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Justin Mabee Justin Mabee

Modeling Emotion Regulation for Ourselves and our Kids

Parents don’t like to see kids experiencing distress and no one likes to feel uncomfortable, kids or adults! As a society, we tend to value problem-solving. Especially as a parent, the instinct is to jump in and help our kids solve a distressing emotion or experience. This instinct actually saves us from feeling distressed and, while it is well intended, deprives our child of an opportunity to develop emotion regulation strategies.

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screen time, screens, parenting, Parent child relationship, carly mayer, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Behavior problems, child psychology Justin Mabee screen time, screens, parenting, Parent child relationship, carly mayer, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Behavior problems, child psychology Justin Mabee

Screen Time: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

For almost every family out there, screen time has increased over the past year. Some families feel like screen time has gotten out of hand and some just want to know how to make better choices about screens moving forward. So how can you decide what is best for your family?

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Parent child relationship, parent-child relationship, parenting, Parenting Strategies, Positive parenting, positive opposites, carly mayer, Behavior management, child behavior, Child anxiety Justin Mabee Parent child relationship, parent-child relationship, parenting, Parenting Strategies, Positive parenting, positive opposites, carly mayer, Behavior management, child behavior, Child anxiety Justin Mabee

Positive Opposites: Guiding Child Behavior Effectively

When we are faced with behavioral challenges, it is easy to see the problem, but it is much harder to see the solution. Because we see a glaring problem, we might yell “stop!” or “don’t!” to get our child to change their behavior. The truth is: we want them to stop, but we really want our kids to show a more positive behavior.

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selective mutism, anxiety, child anxiety, social anxiety, anxiety disorders, Parent child relationship, parenting, carly mayer, child psychology Justin Mabee selective mutism, anxiety, child anxiety, social anxiety, anxiety disorders, Parent child relationship, parenting, carly mayer, child psychology Justin Mabee

Selective Mutism Lingo: Understanding Treatment for SM

Selective Mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder characterized by consistent failure to speak in specific social situations. Kids with SM may struggle to speak at school, with adults, or with peers. They may have difficulty sharing personal information or making choices. Unfortunately, SM is not widely understood and neither are the important concepts that guide treatment for SM. Being a good consumer of treatment options will help you to be the best advocate for your child.

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adhd, parenting, Parent child relationship, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, add, attention problems, behavior problems, Behavior management, attention, PCIT, carly mayer Justin Mabee adhd, parenting, Parent child relationship, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, add, attention problems, behavior problems, Behavior management, attention, PCIT, carly mayer Justin Mabee

MythBusters: ADHD Edition

Having ADHD does not define a person and there are skills, strategies, and other interventions to help those with ADHD thrive. The way we like to look at it is that ADHD is a disorder of regulation: dysregulation of attention, dysregulation of impulsivity, dysregulation of emotions. Our job is to give these kids the strategies to be able to better regulate so they can do what they need to do each and every day. The first step to helping them regulate is to understand the facts and myths behind ADHD.

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tantrums, emotional repair, parenting, parent child relationship, emotion regulation, self regulation, carly mayer, behavior management Justin Mabee tantrums, emotional repair, parenting, parent child relationship, emotion regulation, self regulation, carly mayer, behavior management Justin Mabee

Losing Your Cool: How to Emotionally Repair with your Child

Being a parent is hard and some moments are more challenging than others. You will have many moments you are proud of and some that make you cringe. When you feel that disdain and disappointment in your own actions, what should you do?

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Parent child relationship, Parenting, Parenting Strategies, Positive parenting, big feelings, emotion regulation, self regulation, child psychology, carly mayer Justin Mabee Parent child relationship, Parenting, Parenting Strategies, Positive parenting, big feelings, emotion regulation, self regulation, child psychology, carly mayer Justin Mabee

Navigating Big Feelings Together

Kids are going to have big feelings. Whether they want to admit it or not, they still need so much help. Growing and developing is overwhelming, frustrating, and confusing for kids and parents alike, so how can you get through those tough moments together?

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special education, iep, special ed, 504 plan, disability, school, parenting, education, education advocate, child psychology Justin Mabee special education, iep, special ed, 504 plan, disability, school, parenting, education, education advocate, child psychology Justin Mabee

School Lingo 101: Understanding Special Education

Many children require additional support in school for a variety of reasons. However, the education system can be difficult to navigate. Since parents are the primary advocate for their children, it is important to understand what is available, how to obtain services, and which services are appropriate for your child.

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resilience, parent-child relationship, facing fears, exposure therapy, regulation, resilience kids, parenting Justin Mabee resilience, parent-child relationship, facing fears, exposure therapy, regulation, resilience kids, parenting Justin Mabee

Building Resilience: How to Help Kids Face Difficulties that Count

Resilience is the ability to recover or bounce back from challenges, disappointment, or failures. Inevitably, all kids will experience adversity in their lives. Now imagine how difficult it would be to face your fears and vulnerabilities when you need to, if you’ve never been given the chance to try.

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Parenting, Praise, Parent child relationship, Parenting Strategies, Behavior problems, Behavior management, Positive parenting Justin Mabee Parenting, Praise, Parent child relationship, Parenting Strategies, Behavior problems, Behavior management, Positive parenting Justin Mabee

The Power of Praise

Praise is a powerful tool for parenting. It helps your child to learn, feel accepted, and build confidence. It seems simple to just tell your child you are proud of them, but there are actually ways to make your praise more effective.

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Justin Mabee Justin Mabee

Special Time: Why is it so Special?

Connecting with your child during special time can be the foundation of supportive, healthy family relationships. A few key details make it more effective in also helping to manage unwanted behaviors.

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