Author: Sara Teichman, PsyD

September 4th, 2018

                                                      Dear Dr T.,  I enjoyed your recent  column about concrete ways [diet, sleep, exercise] of helping our children be successful in school. Are there also some attitudes and expectations that parents can develop that would further support their children&r …
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Author: Sara Teichman, PsyD

August 19th, 2018

                                                                     School Success
 
Dear Dr. T,
 
With the advent of this new school year, I am more determined than ever to help my children – grades 2 thru 10- do the very best they can i …
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Author: Sara Teichman, PsyD

July 24th, 2018

Dear Dr. T.,
I am a teacher, so discipline is second nature to me. I have a good understanding of positive reinforcement and how to use consequences. I am pretty successful, if I say so myself, probably because I am consistent in my dealing with my children.
So, why am I writing you? Well, it’s about my nine year old daughter. Honestly, I just can’t understand her. She somehow makes trouble at home and in school- even …
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Author: Sara Teichman, PsyD

July 3rd, 2018

The previous article differentiated between chinuch and control.  Whereas chinuchis long- lasting and emanating from within the child, control is short–lived and external- i.e. we can force our child to behave  but only while he is in our presence. But, as parents, we want more than just learned, automatic, albeit good, behavior. We want our children to choose to do the right thing-in public and in private. Unfortunately, too …
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Author: Sara Teichman, PsyD

June 14th, 2018

Dear Dr. T.,
My situation is a bit unusual, but I bet lots of people are as confused as I am.
Let me explain.
I am the second wife of a much older man whose children are all grown and married. Together, we have two boys – ages eight and ten.
I think the boys are really good kids. They have some spunk and spirit, they love mischief, but don’t give us any real grief- at home or in school.
My husband does not a …
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Author: Sara Teichman, PsyD

May 28th, 2018

                                                                        Dear Dr T., My fourteen year old wears me down. She loves to complain and I just can’t get through to her. So we are both unhappy and frustrated: she because ‘I don’t understand he …
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Author: Sara Teichman, PsyD

May 9th, 2018

Dear Dr T., My children don't like to work hard! If something requires effort, forget it: they prefer not to learn or master the skill. They have tasted success when I pushed them to practice things such as riding a bike or jumping rope. But they often give up so easily and have a low frustration tolerance level, and this makes every lesson very difficult. This carries over to schoolwork as well. They would rather do poorly on a test th …
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Author: Sara Teichman, PsyD

April 18th, 2018

                                           Dear Dr. T., My daughter is bright and gets all A’s. That’s right – A’s, not A minuses. She will literally stay up all night to make sure she gets that A. She memorizes everything – even stuff that is basically trivial [history of Indian tribes in New York anyone?]- …
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Author: Sara Teichman, PsyD

March 7th, 2018

Dear Dr. T.,  My husband and I are concerned about a change we see in our oldest who is seventeen. Though he’s always been a great kid and a wonderful example for his sibs, of late he has developed a challenging attitude. We can’t call it chutzpah because he is generally quite respectful; however, in word and tone, facial expression and body language, he conveys that he most certainly does not agree with our ideas, thoughts, plan …
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Author: Sara Teichman, PsyD

February 7th, 2018

Dear Dr T, Last Purim, I felt really bad for my fourteen year old daughter and I would like to help her this year. Somehow, she got very caught up with the misloach manos. She was frantic about making the right thing for her friends- an original theme, fancy stuff- you get the picture. Then, she was disappointed and out of joint all day because she felt that she didn’t get as many baskets as her friends or siblings. It didn’t seem to …
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