Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there! Nobody loves us like our mothers, right? The quote “A face only a mother could love” is a testament to the staying power of motherly love. A mother’s love and nurturing are often taken for granted. Remembering the significance of mothers in our society is a big reason that mother’s day was first established by Anna Marie Jarvis. She was a West Virginian by the way. Continue
Family
Parents of children with Asperger’s Syndrome have a particularly challenging role to play. To begin, the diagnosis is difficult to make. Asperger’s Syndrome can be understood generally as a severe and chronic impairment in social interaction and the development of rigid behavior patterns, restricted interests, and activities. While this “label” has become more common knowledge in the last 10 years, the disorder is not new. There is an increased awareness of the syndrome, which hopefully leads to more effective treatment and support for those who need it. A label or diagnosis is only useful if it helps secure the support and treatments to improve one’s quality of life. Continue
A Mid-Ohio Valley Parent Magazine reader suggested that I add to last month’s column on protecting children from sexual abuse by discussing some concerns more specific to teenagers. This is a good point. As children age, the parents become less of a constant presence and the children require less supervision. This growing independence for teens is natural, but also presents some risks. While we can’t always be present to guide our children safely through life, we can teach them, negotiate with them and provide open lines of communication. Continue
Occasionally in my practice there is a couple I am working with that are “stuck” and if they continue to stay together they will definitely hurt their chances of perpetual marital bliss. Yet, divorce is not something I encourage though for some it becomes a decision they must make. Sometimes it is helpful for the couple to agree to “trial separation.” In this post you will learn a way to go about a structured or trial separation. Continue
Did you know there are 161 registered sex offenders in Wood County? The ratio of residents to sex offenders in Parkersburg is 264 to 1. Because this month’s issue is about healthy and safe kids, I think this is a great time to learn about how to discuss sexual abuse with your children and how to protect children against sexual abuse. Continue
