Your young adult may be on a path to finding their purpose in life, or they may feel completely lost and unsure of what to do. You’ve laid the groundwork. As young as elementary school you’ve likely asked your child, what do you want to be when you grow up? You may have had conversations […]

My husband and I have been empty nesters for almost a year now. While it certainly took us a while to get used to the deafening silence, and the aches in our hearts, we adjusted rather quickly to the many benefits: lower grocery bills, and less laundry, cooking, cleaning, and nagging. We’ve eased into a […]

It is quite possible that your student could use some encouraging words as they face the semester ending with the busyness of project deadlines, final exams, and moving out. Don’t worry, your student is not alone and we have all been there. Whether they have failed a class, didn’t do well on a test, or just missed home, it can be difficult to have extra motivation as the semester ends. Here are some motivational and inspiring quotes to share with your student when they are feeling the extra stress.

The end of the semester is near and your college student may be feeling stressed. You wish you could help. Or perhaps it’s nearing the end of the semester and your college student is just a bit too relaxed about the urgency of the work that still needs to be done. You wish you could light a little fire under them.
In either of these cases, as a college parent, you may wonder what you can do to help your student cope with all that the end of a semester involves. The truth is that you are limited in what you can do to help — but that doesn’t mean that you can’t help in several important ways.

As a therapist, I talk about sleep – a lot. One of the things I ask my clients about at our first appointment, and a topic we return to during most future appointments, is sleeping patterns. Are they having trouble falling asleep, or staying asleep? How many hours do they average per night? Sleep is crucial […]

Teens leaving high school for college, career, the military, or any other endeavor must take their self-management with them—not their parents’! In many cases, they face changes in rules or situations where the rules are not so clear. The ability to overcome obstacles, reach their goals, and make wise, non-impulsive decisions are crucial to not only their personal growth but their opportunities for a successful life. Even though you may no longer be living in the same household as your young adult, there are still ways you can support their self-management from afar.

Most college students crave independence. It’s what the teenage years are all about, and as students head off to college, they have an opportunity to spread their wings and exercise that independence. It’s an important stage of development (although it’s sometimes a difficult time for parents.) So, what’s the problem? For many students, the problem […]

In mid-March, thousands of college students leave their schools to take a break from their studies. During a traditional Spring Break experience, students travel to warmer locations such as Florida and Texas to blow off steam and relax. Parents often worry about their students joining thousands of others in resort locations with little supervision. There are risks associated with attending Spring Break, but there are also ways to minimize the risks and anxiety.

When we pack our kids off to college, it’s easy to imagine them pursuing the academic side of school life. But thinking of teens in full party mode, pounding shots and chugging beers, can be the source of much parental anxiety. Alcohol abuse and binge drinking (consuming four – five drinks on an occasion) peaks during the college years, according to Dr. Frances E. Jensen, chair of the neurology department at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and co-author of “The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults”.

Talking about drinking need not be taboo. “Detoxify” the topic. You can assume that your child has experience with high-risk drinking situations. Even if your child doesn’t drink, they most likely know people who do and/or they have been offered alcohol. Here are ideas on “starting points” for conversations, but it is OK to be more direct and ask about opportunities they might have had to drink or situations where drinking occurred.