Connect4Kids Psychological Services

06/14/2022

01/14/2022

Wonderful article helping parents and guardians support their teen in developing independence, growth mindset, and intrinsic motivation.

Your teen is failing high school, and doesn’t seem to care. How can you encourage engagement and success without pushing your child in the opposite direction? Avoid a power-struggle and foster an inner drive to succeed by using these three Cs.

08/30/2021

Schools are coming back into session and planning has begun to support our children back into the classroom. Here are some helpful tips for parents for a smooth transition. Have a wonderful 2021-2022 school year! https://childmind.org/article/back-to-school-dos-and-donts/

Summer is actually a pretty disruptive time in a child’s life—so transitioning kids back to school takes skill, compassion, and a keen parental eye.

06/04/2021

Planning for this school year has been a significant undertaking for parents, teachers, students, and their supporters. With so many unknowns and resulting emotions, the efforts seemed more daunting than ever. As a community, there have been many wonderful acts of kindness and care. We are grateful to be part of the fabric of support. We hope that there is an opportunity for rest and renewal over the next few months, celebrating the efforts and heart that went into making this last year, the best it could be.

05/29/2021

As we are approaching the end of the school year, more than one of our friends appreciates fun movement breaks today!

05/11/2021

05/08/2021

We have officially moved in to our new office! Super Scooby, the Cheshire Cat, and the growing gnome village are settling in nicely. We are looking forward to our continued work in supporting the mental health and evaluation needs of our clients.

03/26/2021

In the dawn of change, how do we support our children and each other with adapting to the “new normal”? This is a great way to think about the steps to support shifting our thinking and behavior by Dr. Stuart Ablon.

1. Prepare
2. Allow extra time
3. Break things down
4. Make new routines
5. Provide a sense of control

A purposeful process to support the decrease of anxious feelings and frustrations and improve a sense of security and control.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/changeable/202103/worldwide-shift-in-cognitive-set-looms?fbclid=IwAR1k4aMEhNgi37LuZSVxp11wcAsBVvYD74ZAsJEycDOSHefhsuiVkYYWm5Y

Shifting gears is a skill, one that’s going to be in high demand shortly.

02/19/2021

Tantrums happen and are means for learning boundaries and regulation. Understanding why they happen, helps parents and providers to support the child to adapt and cope.

Whether a tantrum or a meltdown, what is important is we respond with connection to tame the limbic system. The behavior may not be acceptable to you, but there is nothing wrong with your child feeling the way they do. Make space for their emotions; validate how they’re feeling THEN set the limit. “You’re so mad at me right now; but you may not have the cookie. I’m going to stay right here until those feelings go down” or "I can see you’re so sad; you don’t want to go to bed. But honey it is bedtime." Then say no more. Just hold space, allow for the eruption to happen — tears are the body‘s way of recalibrating the nervous system and getting your little one back to ground zero.

Image shared via Instagram from:

01/16/2021

Focusing on things that are more in our range of control.

12/31/2020

Happy New Year! With all of the challenges experienced in 2020, dedicated planning for self-care is a good idea for kids and adults. Cheers to your next steps and wellness!

12/18/2020

Happy Holidays! Our offices will be closed December 19 and then returning on December 28, 2020. Cheers to some well-deserved rest and family time to our clients and colleagues!

12/02/2020

Busy day today. Our friends are being very responsible. No change for our friend the Cheshire cat, he’s doing his normal thing. Be well! 

11/30/2020

“Be gentle with yourself, have patience, and focus on your well-being first!”

While the holidays are said to be “the most wonderful time of the year,” they can also be the most stressful time of the year. Remember, there is no “perfect” way to parent. Be gentle with yourself, have patience, and focus on your well-being first!

11/17/2020

Something we hope for our children is that they develop resilience, which is the ability to bounce back from stress, adversity, failure, challenges, or even trauma. And just like many other things, resilience is a skill!

Fundamentally, Collaborative Problem Solving® helps kids develop resilience so that when they are uncomfortable or things don’t go the way they expected, they can handle those emotions without responding with challenging behavior.