The Ross Center is offering a series of free programs targeted to different age groups to provide parents with practical, proven strategies to improve their child’s behavior. Incorporating these techniques can have a positive impact on overall family harmony and give parents the confidence to effectively set limits and develop appropriate reward systems.
Ross Center child psychologists will lead this program, followed by a Q&A discussion to address parental questions and concerns. Join us for one or several of these programs – you’ll come away with new ideas that can immediately be implemented to affect change in your home.
Navigating the Challenges of Parenting a Teenager
March 21, 2019
Teens are a hotbed of challenging issues. In this program, we will address typical behaviors including:
- Screen time (social media, cell phone use, homework on computer)
- Substance use
- Homework completion
- “Attitude”
- Romantic/sexual relationships
- Increasing independence
Parents will learn:
- Effective limit-setting and parenting responses to teens making bad choices and/or not meeting expectations
- Secrets to creating a reward system that will be effective in inspiring your teen to do the “right thing”
- What you can do to support skills development (social skills, coping skills, executive functioning) with an eye towards fostering independence
Parenting Your Late Elementary/Middle School Aged Children
April 4, 2019
As children get a bit older, they start to exhibit behaviors to challenge independence. In this program, we will address typical behaviors of your burgeoning tween, including:
- School refusal (not wanting to go, feigning illness, calling home sick)
- Screen time (social media, cell phone use)
- Compliance with basic expectations (homework, chores, self-care)
- Increasing autonomy
- Bullying (in person and on-line)
Parents will learn:
- Effective strategies for responding to negative behavior including taking away privileges
- The secrets of an effective Time Out
- How to give a direction that your child will follow
- To develop reward systems that will inspire your child(ren) to do the right thing
- What you can do to support development of important skills to make it through childhood (including social skills, coping skills, executive functioning)
Helping your Child Regulate Emotions and Behaviors – Preschool and Elementary Years
May 30, 2019
As young children head off to school, they begin to show their personalities while having to follow the rules and structures of school. In this session, we will teach you strategies to help manage your young child and help them develop coping skills in the areas of:
- Following directions
- Separation problems
- Tantrums and how to channel anger
- Hitting and other aggressive behaviors
- Toileting
- Sleeping alone
Parents will learn:
- How to make Time Outs effective at discouraging problem behavior (and promoting self-regulation skills at the same time!)
- The secrets to creating reward systems that are truly motivating to your child
- How to teach your children critical skills via Explicit Social Skills Instruction ESSI (coping strategies, social skills, anger management skills, new transitions)
All parenting programs will be held in the auditorium on the first floor of our Northern Virginia Office at 1595 Spring Hill Road – near Tyson’s Corner in Vienna. Programs will begin at 6pm and end at 7:30pm, with ample time for questions and discussion.
For more information, or to register for this free program, please call 703-687-6610, Extension 0 or email: [email protected]. Refreshments will be served.
