by Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, MS, LPC, author of The Anger Workbook for Teens

Do you counsel parents who are at their wit's end with a child who throws tantrums, destroys things, or is defiant? If so, here's some information for parents that can help.

Children are constantly soaking in what's going on around them. Studies are showing that even when parents don't think that their kids listen, they do. Parents are one of the strongest influences in a child's life. They set the bar. So be sure that parents are modeling appropriate anger management skills. Besides being the model of behavior, parents should teach children specific skills to manage anger.

Want to give a gift that someone you love is likely to keep forever and will be meaningful to them for the rest of their lives? Regardless of the relationship, a validation letter is one of the most meaningful gifts you could choose. Sending a validation letter each year creates a tradition that will serve as a chronicle of the person's life as shared with you. Writing validation letters for young children serves as another way to communicate their importance to you and how much you love them. When they are older they will enjoy reading about your experience of their taking their first step, for example.

Read the rest of the piece here.

The Power of Validation is published! While written as a parenting book focused on young children, the book teaches the steps of validation and can be used by anyone who wants to improve their relationships, by families of those with borderline personality disorder, and by anyone who wants to learn to validate him or herself.

Read the piece here.

by Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, MS, LPC, author of The Anger Workbook for Teens

Cyberbullies are like monsters in the closet. They seem to lurk in the corners and under the bed, and their victims fear they will appear at any time. Just like a child who fears the dark, the victim of a cyberbully may be scared of what hides behind the screen. In today’s world, clicks and keystrokes have the power to destroy and alter lives. Bullies use many different forms of cyberbullying to engage their victims in a game of cat and mouse.

Here are twelve types of cyberbullying that exist:

by guest blogger Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D., co-author of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook

Mattie was born on July 17th, 1990 with a genetic defect leading to Dysautonomic Mitochondrial Myopathy. He was bound to a wheelchair his entire life until he body finally came to rest at age 13. But Mattie was born into this world with a gift, a gift that lead all 7 of his books to become NY Times Bestsellers and landing him on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, Primetime, The Today Show, CNN News and many other programs many times to share wisdom with millions of lives.

When I heard what Mattie’s final words to his Mom were, it popped me into a space of clarity.

This 13 year old little boy said:

"Choose to inhale; do not breathe simply to exist."

How many of us just exist in a choiceless world? How often do we actually choose this breath?

by guest blogger Randi Gunther Ph.D., co-author of Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice

Every day, an average of 160,000 children in the United States stay home from school for fear of being bullied. Last year, bullying made national headlines when physical and emotional violence towards LGBT teenagers led to a series of painful suicides. The immediate response to this was impressive. Dan Savage created the "It Get Better Project" and inspired thousands of people, from Adam Lambert to President Obama, to send in videos about their own experiences with teenage bullying, violence and prejudice. The issue of bullying even made primetime television on popular shows, like "Glee." The public outcry against bullying was a positive movement, but in its wake we must continue seeking ways to stop violence.

Violence is a behavior we can all help prevent. While there is no single easy solution to ending violence, raising our awareness and learning how to deal with violent behavior can help prevent and reduce violent acts.

excerpt from The Joy of Parenting by Lisa W. Coyne Ph.D. and Amy R. Murrell Ph.D.

Take a moment to think about the relationships in your life that are most important to you—those in which you feel closest to someone else. What is it about those relationships that you most value? Take a few moments and jot down your thoughts about this in your parenting journal. If you’re like many parents, one of the valued characteristics you listed may have been “feeling heard.” When we’re very lucky, we find ourselves in relationships in which people “get” us—they have a solid understanding of our wants, desires, and dreams. They communicate that understanding in how they behave around us—by calling our attention to things we care about or being thoughtful without being asked and without expecting anything in return. Because these things are important to you, you won’t be surprised that these same attributes are probably what your child most values and trusts about her relationship with you. Taking time to nurture a relationship like this with your child is important. After all, you’re the “base” from which your child ventures out into the world. You ensure his safety and offer a lens through which he will view other important relationships throughout his life. You show your young child how to be in the world by the way you relate to and behave with him. And that is an enormous responsibility—as well as an exquisite gift. In order for your child to feel heard, it’s important to be “attuned” to your child. Attunement means having a rich, detailed understanding of your child. As you become more attuned to your child, you’ll be able to empathize with her thoughts and feelings, respond to her wishes, and facilitate her goals. You will also be able to better predict what your child will do next and to take in new information about your child as she grows—even when it might be inconsistent with your past experience of her. In short, attunement means openness to your child, and this capacity will help you to respond in a sensitive, caring way to her needs. Mindful awareness is an extremely helpful way to become fully present to your child and to enhance your attunement to her. Find some time—about fifteen minutes—for the exercise below, in which you’ll explore some ideas for nurturing your relationship with your child.

excerpt from Let's Be Friends by Lawrence E. Shapiro Ph.D.

Giving Compliments

For You to Know

Giving sincere compliments is a sure way to make other kids feel good, and it can also make you feel great!

What you say to others has a big impact on them. If you give someone a genuine compliment about something they have accomplished, something they do well, or something they’ve been trying hard to change, you can make them feel good for the rest of the day.

Sometimes giving a compliment can be tricky. Imagine you have a shy friend who is trying out for the school play and comes to you for encouragement. Even if you don’t think your friend is a great actor, you can still find something to compliment. You might simply compliment your friend for being brave enough to try something new.

by guest blogger Susan Eikov Green, author of Don’t Pick On Me

It is very telling that the word “sexting” is not listed in the Merriman-Webster or American Heritage dictionaries. So where can you find a definition for this word that appears on television news programs and in newspapers and magazines? Wikipedia, of course. And that is perfectly apt, because “sexting” is a word born of the Internet.

Sexting - a combination of sex and text - is “the act of sending sexually explicit photographs and messages primarily between cell phones.” And for teen-agers, who don’t think twice about whipping our their phones, taking nude pictures of themselves, and sending those pictures to friends and boyfriends or girlfriends, it is an act rife with serious emotional and legal consequences.

excerpt from The Attachment Connection by Ruth P. Newton, Ph.D.

Raising secure, emotionally competent, cooperative children who have full access to their creativity and expression is desperately needed for the health of the human race and the health of the planet. Raising secure children matters. Becoming more secure yourself also matters, not only for your own happiness but also for the child you are raising. So, no matter what your financial status is, what your culture, your ethnicity, your educational level, no matter if you are two parents, one parent, or a divorced parent, a family-member parent, a stepparent, an adopted parent, a foster parent, or have any other configuration at home, the greatest gift you can give your child is a secure attachment.

So what is attachment?