Category: Parenting - The Counselling Place

Closing Generation Gaps

12/1/2017

Some of the most common issues faced by elderly folks at home, with regards to their kids and grandkids are loneliness, lack of sense of purpose, relevance or importance, being disregarded, etc. While the elderly are trying to still contribute and assert their role in the family, others are not necessarily accepting that. There may also be generation gaps where each are operating under different perspectives, information, beliefs, and values. For some, the family had also change the main language of communication so there might also be language barriers.

Post Natal Depression

5/1/2017

All mums experience an intense emotional and physical transformation during pregnancy and the first year of a baby’s life, but for a significant proportion of us, this can lead on to full blown depression and anxiety and for a very small number, postnatal psychosis. The Baby Blues are a common expression for what happens to approximately 80% of all mums around the third to tenth day after birth. Because it is so common and temporary, we do not associate the Baby Blues as being a mental illness, but rather a natural state that is sure to pass once we settle into our new role as mothers. Symptoms include exhaustion, tearfulness, mood fluctuations, anxiety and irritability. Baby blues is thought to occur as a result of hormonal changes during pregnancy, the labour, breast feeding and lack of sleep.

Preschool Ready?

2/1/2017

Many parents would like to get a headstart for their kids by enrolling in pre-school. However, apart from their ambiguity about having their kids leave their side, they also have some questions. Here are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

To have or not to have children? Deal Breaker for couple?

22/12/2016

couple conflict, parenting, having children

Tricia* just realized that her husband, Kent*, doesn't want children, and she does. Emotionally it's hard for her to accept. Doubt start creeping into her mind: should spell the end of the marriage? While they did not have clear plan about having children, but Kent had made some indication that gave her the impression that he wanted children too. Why have he changed his mind?
*Not their real name

Talking to Children About Sex

12/12/2016

Parenting: Talking to children about sex, sex education

One of the most important but probably the most awkward conversation as parents we need to have with our children is on the topic of sex. In discussing the topic of sex, parents need to realize that it is not one conversation. Real sex education is a lifelong pursuit, talking to your kids about sex is a lifelong conversation. How can we tackle this discussion successfully?

Helping a Friend or Family Member with Eating Disorder

5/12/2016

Eating disorder: anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, over-eating, obesity

Seeing our friend or family member going through their struggle with eating disorder is not easy. Many of us feel helpless and lost in terms of how we can be of support and help to them. Find out some do's, don'ts, and preventive tips for eating disorder.

Effective Co-Parenting after Divorce Part 2

1/12/2016

Parenting: Effective Co-Parenting after Divorce

Having looked at the goals of coparenting, let's look at how we can communicate so as to facilitate this process.

Effective Co-Parenting after Divorce Part 1

21/11/2016

Parenting: effective co-parenting after divorce

For those who had divorced, parenting will have its challenges. However, may be even more difficult is co-parenting your child with other involved adults in the child’s life (be it your ex, new partner, grandparents, etc). Relationship stress often occurs when one or both people can’t agree on who is responsible for fulfilling what needs the child may have. Conflicting co-parents are often unable to nurture the child successfully. Effective co-parenting is required to help your child develop to be holistically-healthy, balanced, socially productive, and reasonably content (happy).

To nurture well, the co-parents need to evolve from their conflicts to having clear goals, plans, priorities, “job description” (roles), and rules based on consensus. Although individual co-parents will have unique goals, most parents will strive for some general, basic long-term co-parenting outcomes.

More Than Parents! Part 2

10/11/2016

Parenting: Transition couple intimacy sex

We continue to look at challenges new parents face to stay focus as a couple.

More than Parents! Part 1

31/10/2016

Parenting: Transition couple intimacy

The arrival of a child or children marked a new stage in a couple’s journey. Embarking in Parenthood is definitely a huge transition – priorities shift, roles are redefined, and the balance between freedom and responsibility undergoes a massive overhaul. All these are necessary to ensure that the child(ren) received the best care possible. Some couples described this stage as shifting sands where each day present new challenges and they have to decide and redefine.

For some couples, after this initial stage of transition, romance starts working its way back into their lives and they start gravitating towards each other again. However, for others, they slowly wander off onto 2 separate paths of estrangement. This is why many couples identify “having children” as the point when their relationship starts to fall apart when they show up for couple therapy.

Why are some couples able to find their way back to each other while others can’t? Obviously a lot of that have to do with the pre-child(ren) relationship of the couple but let’s look at some of the challenges parenthood brings and what couples need to do to overcome that:

Understanding Psychological Assessment

20/10/2016

Parenting & Learning: Understanding Psychological Assessment

When parents meet with the school for consultation regarding their child’s progress, some parents may have received recommendation to send their child for psychological assessment. This may cause some anxiety and questions such as “Is there something wrong with my child?” Let's look at some of the basics so as to help parents make informed decisions about psychological assessment.

Understanding Our Children’s Misbehaviors

10/10/2016

Parenting: Understanding children's misbehaviours

As parents, we are often frustrated by our children’s misbehaviors and our inabilities to deal with them. This is especially true when parenting young children who have yet to acquire language skills. Many parents are surprised to learn that there are purposes behind misbehaviors. Understanding these purposes would make us more effective parents. Here are the 4 common goals of children’s misbehaviors and some pointers on how to deal with them: