Wednesday Q&A: Gimme All The Resources!
I think I received my favorite Wednesday Q&A question of all time… actually, it was about 20 questions jumbled into one long paragraph. If I tried to summarize the question as succinctly as possible, it would be, “Give me all the resources!!”
Keeping with the holiday spirit, here’s a list of my favorite tools, websites, apps, and resources that you can use to support your kiddo each and everyday. I checked it twice! ;)
Favorite Reflection Tool for Teens: Burn After Writing is a great way to get your adolescent thinking about their feelings, reflecting on actions, and thinking about the future. Some of the questions may seem a bit out there (definitely scan through the questions first to decide if it’s appropriate for your child), but it contains exactly the kinds of deep questions worth asking. Even better? Ask them to share their favorite questions and most surprising answers. In turn, share what your answers would be.
Favorite App for Mental Health: I LOVE the CBT Thought Diary app! While it does contain some big words, it truly helps keep track of emotional patterns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an effective counseling theory used in therapy to raise awareness to the how and why of our emotions, and how to respond to these emotions in a healthy way. This app does a great job of guiding your child through recognizing their emotions (with emojis!) and how they may rush to conclusions due to a negative feeling.
Favorite Phone for First Timers: One of my dear clients introduced me to the world of Pinwheel phones. You have complete control over when they can use the phone, apps they can download, who they can text, and what contacts get added! It’s a great way to ease into the privilege of having a phone and teach responsible (and safe) usage. If you don’t want to leap into the world of Pinwheel, you can always download the Bark App. This is a great way to monitor your child’s phone usage and social media apps.
Favorite Parenting System: I know, this seems obscure, but work with me. Remember when your kids were toilet training and you gave them stickers for using the potty or staying dry? In that same vein, reward your adolescent. Look, it’s hard to have all those hormones and make the right choices. Having an encouraging rewards system your child understands can go a long way, which is why I fully support a point system. Childhealthcare.org has a great example of a rewards system that could aid in your kiddo understanding and meeting expectations.
These are just a few of the tools in my kit that I hope may be useful to you. Need other resources? You know where to find me.