The complex dynamics of a family’s various personalities, communication styles and temperaments are hard to equate to anything else. And yet, metaphors abound. A family can be described as anything – a car, a computer, a business - anything with multiple parts that interact with and rely on one another to be successful and remain functional as a whole. My favorite metaphor for families is being a team. Almost everyone is exposed to teams. It is something everyone has an exper

Managing reactions and understanding your own feelings as a parent can significantly change your child's behavior and how you interact w

As a Clinical Social Worker working with kids and families I spend a lot of my time with other people. What happens in my office can be a mystery to some. People may think I sit and listen for most of the day, which is largely true. Some people may think I play all day, which is also very often true. I love doing that. I love what I do for a living. If I were given a choice I would pick the same profession all over again. However, aside from listening and playing a whole lot

When I became a parent I thought I had a lot of experience with "parenting." I mean I was already an aunt to five, an auntie to about seven and for close to ten years I had done what I on occasion referred to as "clinical mommying" as a Clinical Social Worker working with children. I of course had some worries, but overall I thought I would have this parenting thing down . . . soooo, um, yeah. If you are a parent reading this you can just go ahead and have yourself a good lo