26 mins read

Social Development and Bullying

Conflicts with Close Friends So, lets talk about those close personal friendships – kids will experience more conflicts with close friends than acquaintances. When our friend says something or does something to hurt our feelings it means a lot more than if a stranger did the same thing. Im sure we can relate to that. But, your childs ability to resolve conflicts will mature as they grow older and these challenges are part of that maturation.

4 mins read

How Shame Affects You and Your Kids

The concept of shame can often be misunderstood and confused with guilt. The cliff note definition is we feel guilty for what we do and we feel shame for what we are. There are basically two types of shame; healthy shame and toxic shame. Healthy shame lets us know when our actions have gone too far (such as alerting us that we are not the center of the universe). It is the foundation of our conscience. Toxic shame is feeling we are defective and unworthy (for example, You can never do anything right! Why cant you be more like your brother?!) This type of shame has been given to you by another. Meaning, we generally shame others as we ourselves have been shamed – this is called “generational shaming” and it needs to stop.