A New Day Pediatric Psychology, PLLC

08/26/2025

Rejection Sensitivity is sometimes called Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD).

This is the intense emotional response to real or perceived failure, rejection, or criticism.

An individual might respond by isolating, becoming defensive, or trying to please others at the expense of themselves.

These are all attempts at protecting the self from further rejection.

Individuals with ADHD are more likely to battle with RSD due to emotional dysregulation.

But, I have also seen it with anxiety, depression, and highly sensitive people.

In the meanwhile, check out my short YouTube video (less than 15 minutes) >> https://youtu.be/u4kqs075F8I?si=WtaD-Ky6imjYrfml

Check out my parent online membership and courses: https://drlockhart.mykajabi.com/

08/26/2025

"I'm feeling irritated."

This is how I responded this morning when my son asked me how I was feeling. Not sure why. Just did.

We are entitled to feeling irritated, angry, sad, lonely...the range of feelings.

So are our kids.

They are entitled to feel all the feelings of their human experience. No need to punish the feelings out of them or lecture them or nag them. They can simply feel.

Let them know it's okay to feel.

This is one of the ways we build self-regulation--through emotional intelligence and self-awareness.

Here's one strategy I use in my practice:

Play a game your kids or teens love and integrate the concept of sharing feelings into the game.

You can do this with Uno, Jenga, Sorry, Twister, Connect Four..literally any game. Be creative!

I do this with Candyland (yes, you can still play Candyland with teens). When each player lands on a color, they briefly talk about a thing or a time when they felt that feeling.

Here's the Color Key I use:

Purple: Love
Yellow: Fear
Orange: Excited
Red: Angry
Green: Hate (not a person, but a thing)
Blue: Sad

For example if I land on green, I would say, "One thing I hate is roaches. Eww..gross!"

That's it. Easy peasy. For it to be truly effective, you must participate as the grown up.

Come on now..have fun!

If you like practical and useful tips and ideas like these, then you'll love my book, Love The Teen You Have.

It's available for pre-order now at https://www.amazon.com/author/dr.ann-louise_2025

08/25/2025

Remember when they were young and innocent, unable to control their bowels, and were at your total mercy?

Nope. Me neither. The time truly goes by so fast.

Each phase doesn't seem to get easier.

In fact, each phase seems to bring its own challenges. Horrible, mind numbing, driving-you-to-the-brink-of-madness challenges.

So, yelling, arguing, and confrontation are not the answer. It actually makes things much much worse, especially when interacting with a child who is already strong-willed, inflexible, opinionated, and fiercely independent.

Okay. So what is the answer? Join me in my next webinar. Just kidding!! 😂

The answer is to draw closer when you want to check out; to connect when you want to isolate; to take slow breaths when you want to blow your fuse; to spend more quality time when you want to kick them out. The answer is to change your parent mindset and start viewing your child differently.

Is it easy? Heck no!! Will you want to do it every time? Of course not! Is it the best thing to do in these situations? Absolutely!!

Find peace in your home once again. Enjoy your kids once again.
Have fun being a parent again.
Connect again.

Reach out to our team at A New Day Pediatric Psychology if you're not sure how to do this.

We have parent coaches who can help.

Visit us at www.anewdaysa.com

08/23/2025

🎙What Recording My Audiobook Taught Me About Parenting Teens

This week, I spent four days and almost 20 hours recording my audiobook for Love The Teen You Have.

https://www.amazon.com/author/dr.ann-louise_2025

At first glance, a recording studio marathon might not seem related to parenting, but it reminded me of so many lessons that apply directly to raising tweens and teens.

I approached the week intentionally: I got eight hours of sleep each night, exercised first thing in the morning, ate well while avoiding foods that could trigger my GI issues, and paced myself while getting ready.

I handled a few tasks before leaving, started my day at 10 a.m. to avoid heavy morning traffic, and took frequent breaks throughout the recording day. I even stepped away for lunch and went on a mid-afternoon walk.

I allowed myself to be coached by the producer, tracked my progress, documented the process, praised myself for the effort and progress, rested my voice each evening, and celebrated at the end.

I practiced gratitude toward the engineer and producer and made sure every interaction was positive and respectful.

Okayyyy...so how does this relate to parenting?

Stay with me here. Trust the process.

Here’s the connection to parenting: guiding teens requires the same intentionality and care.

😊Pacing and preparation: Choosing when to start, when to step back, and when to pause helps you respond rather than react.

😤Self-care: Meeting your own needs, like sleep, nutrition, exercise, and mental breaks, gives you the energy to parent with patience.

😌Being coachable: Listening, adjusting, and staying open to feedback from your teen (and professionals like a parent coach) fosters respect and connection.

🎉Recognizing progress: Celebrating small wins, both yours and theirs, builds confidence and resilience.

😁Intentional interactions: Positive and respectful communication strengthens relationships and trust.

Recording this audiobook reminded me that parenting teens isn’t about being perfect.

Doing that would mean I would beat myself up when I couldn't narrate a passage on the first try. There's no reason for me to be hard on myself. Narrating an entire book is truly a lot of work. I realize that now.

What I learned this week is that it really is about the small, intentional choices that set the tone for the day. It's also about trust. Trust in ourselves, our abilities, and in the people around us.

As a person, it's essential to trust yourself, knowing you are doing the best you can.

As a parent to a tween or teen, it's essential to recognize that they're doing the best they can, too.

​Love The Teen You Have shares practical strategies to help you communicate better, reduce conflict, and connect in meaningful ways with your teen, even when things feel challenging

✨ Pre-order Love the Teen You Have today and start understanding the teen you’re raising, not the one you wish you had.

Pre-order your copy ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/author/dr.ann-louise_2025

Love the Teen You Have: A Practical Guide to Transforming Conflict Into Connection, is being released on Oct 28, 2025 🎉

To connection over conflict ❤️

Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart

08/23/2025

Do you think fighting back, yelling back, and arguing with your child puts you in control?

Nope. It does not.

Tweens and teens are seeking independence and control.

When you lose your cool, you give up control & give it over to them.

When you become upset, flustered, and angry they are now in the driver's seat.

They've got YOU all riled up.
You have lost your mind and lost control.

Ready to do things differently?

Then, pre-order my book, Love The Teen You Have ⤵️

Follow Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart and explore their bibliography from Amazon's Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart Author Page.

08/22/2025

"Bruh, I don't have an attitude. You have an attitude." 😐

Wondering why your teen has an attitude, has a rude tone, rolls their eyes, and is generally unbalanced and dysregulated? 🙄

Maybe they are learning it from you. 😯

Just saying. 😤

I have found when I'm in a bad mood, haven't had time to myself, or am feeling blah, my teens are extra wild or do a lot of testing limits.

Check yourself.

Tweens and teens (ages 9-19) are very in tune with the adults in their home...even if you think you're hiding it well.

Would it help to find out why there's such a struggle?

I've got you covered.

🔅Ready to feel equipped to move past the power struggles, stop the eye-rolling, and restore the relationship with your tween/teen.

Then, pre-order my book, Love The Teen You Have ⤵️
https://www.amazon.com/author/dr.ann-louise_2025

It's exactly what you need.

Enjoy your weekend 😁

08/22/2025

What happens when two people who never felt safe as kids try to raise a child of their own?

Hi. I'm Dr. Ann Louise Lockhart, pediatric psychologist, author, and mom of two, and in my latest video, I'm exploring the concept of reparenting. This is about healing the wounds from your past so that you can break the cycle and raise your children with more safety, grace, and understanding.

If you grew up without the love, safety, or support you needed, this video is for you. Join me as I offer a new, more compassionate way of thinking about reparenting and how you can start rebuilding your parenting style, one imperfect step at a time.

Want to dive deeper?

My new book, Love the Teen You Have, is available for pre-order now https://www.amazon.com/author/dr.ann-louise_2025

If this video resonated with you, please share it with a fellow parent who might need to hear it. Remember, you’re not alone, and you’re doing better than you think.

Don’t forget to subscribe for more videos that help you parent without perfection.

https://youtu.be/gGe7L_Dt9ho?si=RyzxbC1Ck8dUOJHs

08/21/2025

As a mom and pediatric psychologist, I’ve learned that reparenting is one of the most powerful ways to break unhealthy cycles, heal old wounds, and raise our kids with more safety, grace, and understanding.

Parenting is more than just guiding our children. It’s also about healing ourselves in the process. 🌱

📚 Learn more in my book, Love the Teen You Have.

Pre-order today: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPTSFC1H

08/21/2025

I get a lot of questions about what type of behavior is acceptable in parenting tweens and teens.

It's okay to have high expectations.

This sets your teens up for success. They learn they can try their best and be supported by you. They will even be honest when they make mistakes.

But...perfectionistic parents set teens up for unrealistic standards. Teens learn their best isn't good enough and they hide or lie about their flaws.

What behavior is acceptable?

It depends.

Give your teen space to mess up and redeem themselves.

Give them the opportunity to know they can reach out to you for support, help, guidance, and advice.

Feeling stuck? I can help.

Pre-order my book, Love The Teen You Have.
Launching October 2025.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-the-teen-you-have-ann-louise-lockhart/1147066528?ean=9781250361004 #

🧡 Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart

08/21/2025

This image is so horrifying and hilarious all at the same time.

It truly captures the joys and horrors of parenting.

If your little one is more of a joy, that's great.

If parenting your little one feels more terrifying, then contact our office at 210-816-4149 for your initial appointment.

We can help you in this journey called parenting.

We offer play therapy for kids ages 2 to 11.

Call or text us today.

Website: www.anewdaysa.com

08/21/2025

What type of behavior is acceptable?

Your teen talks too much or not enough?
Too shy or too outgoing?
Speaks up in class or not at all?
Sleeps too much or not enough?

This push-pull dynamic in parenting is far too common. It is exhausting too. It causes so many ruptures in the parent-teen relationship.

This push-pull you're experiencing is their attempt at finding their own voice.

They can't find their own voice when all they hear is yours.

What can you start doing differently to interrupt this pattern? Tell us below 👇🏾

I can help you hear their voice and quiet yours...just a teensy tiny little bit.

Grab my book by pre-ordering your copy now.

08/20/2025

Go with the flow, they say.
Enjoy the moment.
Be present.
They'll only be little for so long.

We hear so many messages around parenting.

We try to keep them quiet when they're young.
And then try to get them to speak when they're teens.

The work toward balance is relentless and never-ending.

It's okay if you want to sleep in, rest, nap, and spend time as far away from the ones who made you a parent.

It's okay to spend time by yourself if you want the quiet, need to be by yourself, or just want time to think.

So...yes. Go with the flow. Whatever that means for you today. Go with it.

💜

If you are doing this parenting thing on your own (or feel like you are), click here >> https://drlockhart.mykajabi.com/

💜 Join my growing online parent community
💜 Get full access to all my current courses
💜 Meet monthly for online group parent coaching

Tons of value for peace of mind, support, laughter, and validation.

Don't we all need just a little bit of that?

Join us today >> https://drlockhart.mykajabi.com/

My name is Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart and I am a Pediatric Psychologist and Parent Coach. I am the President and Owner of A New Day Pediatric Psychology, PLLC in San Antonio, Texas. I am also Board Certified in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.