Dr. Corinne Masur
No matter how well you plan, when it’s finally time to actually send your children to school in the fall (for the 1st time or the 10th time) it always comes as a shock! Vacation is over; the hubbub and the rushing around of the school year are upon you! And WHO is ready to start THAT all over again?
This week in our parent group, we heard a repeated refrain: the fall rush takes a toll on both parents and children. Continue reading
Dr. Corinne Masur
In a recent New York Times article, a question was asked: What is this recent violent news cycle doing to us? I will take the question one step further and ask, what is the violent news cycle doing to us as parents?
That article suggests that we’re all affected by exposure to violence in news that we receive from constant social media blasts, and the author cites a study that found that extroverts, “those described with outgoing personalities,” were found to be more vulnerable to the violent imagery than others. Moreover, the article states that the greater the exposure, the greater the effect.
So what can we parents do to protect ourselves, to protect our parenting abilities, and to protect our children from the powerful effects of overexposure to violence in the news? Continue reading
Dr. Corinne Masur
Following the terrible events in Orlando, parents all over the country are thinking about whether to talk with their children about what happened and, if so, what to say.
Moreover, families must think about whether to allow their kids to listen to radio news or watch TV coverage, and whether to talk about what happened in front of children. This event is particularly difficult as it involves not only horrible tragedy but so many other issues: terrorism, hate, homophobia, mental health, gun control– all issues which are difficult to know how to explain to children.
The following are ideas and suggestions. Your family may choose to follow some, to modify others, and to ignore the rest. Each family is different and each child is different, so do what feels right in your particular situation. Continue reading
Dr. Corinne Masur
Do you feel guilty when you yell at your children?
The other day, a dad in our parenting group spoke about feeling guilty for having yelled at his 6-year-old son. His 3-year-old needed him, and while he was dealing with his younger child, his 6-year-old asked him to do something for him. The dad said he was busy, and then the older child asked again. The dad yelled at him to go to his room and then immediately felt that he had done the wrong thing. He remembered his own father yelling all the time, and worried that he was becoming like his father.
So – did this dad do something wrong? Is it wrong to yell at your child? Continue reading
The second in a series of Mindful Parenting posts by Bidi McSorley, MD, beloved Philadelphia pediatrician:
You know those moments – the ones where your child loses it, has a tantrum, and you react and lose “it” too. Afterwards, you seriously question why you wanted to be a parent. These are the times when it’s very difficult to stay present in the moment with your child. It is so hard to react not with anger, but with equanimity. These are the moments when it is difficult to catch yourself, take a breath, and stay calm.
A short explanation of neuroscience will help us understand what happens in these moments. Continue reading
Grandmothers and mothers with more than one child have always known that babies come into the world with their own personalities. But first time parents often suffer, wondering if it’s their fault that their baby cries easily, or seems too sensitive, or is slow to walk, or…
See the recent New York Times article below for more on the importance of temperament in understanding your baby:
http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2016/03/14/some-babies-are-just-easier-than-others/?referer=
Bidi McSorley, M.D. is a wonderful pediatrician and teacher of mindfulness for parents in the Philadelphia area. Dr. McSorley has been a pediatrician for 30 years, a meditator for over 10 years, and an instructor for the Penn Program for Mindfulness. She has kindly agreed to be our guest blogger this month!
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Mindfulness is the awareness that arises from paying attention in the present moment, on purpose and without judgments. It is being with whatever is (good or bad, desired or not wanted), and not pushing the experience away or holding onto it. It is having equanimity.
So, how does this apply to being a parent? Continue reading
Circle of Security, a training program for mental health professionals and parent educators, produced this brief, informative video on the theory of attachment and its benefits for parenting. If you’re interested in how to apply attachment research to your work with children at home or in the office, check it out!
During this holiday week, we hope you enjoy lots of family storytelling and lively discussions with your little ones. Research shows that telling family stories has tremendous emotional and educational benefits for children, so if you need a little inspiration, check out these links for family storytelling activities: Continue reading
Dr. Corinne Masur
This week Philadelphia got the double whammy. On Sunday, an e-mail alert went around to staff of local colleges and universities. A message had been posted on social media threatening an act of violence on an undisclosed college campus in the Philadelphia area on Monday morning. Tuesday, a gunman was reported to be on the campus of Philadelphia Community College and the campus was put into lockdown. Masterman, a public magnet school for junior high and high school students across the street and Friends Select School, a Quaker k-12 school in the neighborhood also went into lockdown.
My son attends Friends Select. As I was leaving for work that morning, I received a recorded message on my cell phone saying that due to the presence of a gunman at the Community College, Friends Select faculty, staff, and students were locked in the school until further notice.
I was shocked. I was frightened. But more than anything, I was angry. Continue reading
Thoughtful Parenting 