Leisure Time: What You Can Do When You’ve Run Out of Ideas to Take a Break

on May 3, 2018 at 9:39 AM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. With work getting a bit stressful and my husband being at the office so much, things are getting to be too much these days. When I was talking to my mother the other day, she suggested that Jake (my husband) and I set aside some time to take it easy one day. “Go to the beach for a sunset, meet up with your friends or just do dinner and a movie. I’m sure he’s ready for a little break based on the craziness at his work, too.” I thought about...

Don’t Believe the Hype: The Question of Visual and Auditory Learning

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 26, 2018 at 12:09 PM /

Many people these days believe that each person has an ideal way of learning through what they hear, what they see or by actually doing. In fact, many studies have been done to test if this is true. Before we delve into the meat of the topic, let’s go back and talk about a man named Neil Fleming. As a school inspector in New Zealand in the early 1990s, he noticed that few teachers were managing to effectively reach each of their students. This made him wonder what these teachers were doing differently. As a result, Fleming developed the VARK Questionnaire,...

Prom Woes: Fun Times for Some, Sad Times for Others

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 25, 2018 at 4:54 PM /

Prom season is a very high anxiety time for many teens. In Florida, proms are already in full swing. In New York, where I grew up, they were in June, right at the end of the school year. Prom season for me was mixed. When I was in 10th grade, a senior from the “other” high school in my town asked me to prom. I thought he was the greatest and was thrilled to be his date. However, when he saw my dress, he clearly indicated that it was not what he had in mind – and the evening followed...

Closeness is Caring: The Benefits of Dog Ownership for Your Children

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 20, 2018 at 11:36 AM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this topic. At around age 8, I noticed my son Dylan keeping to himself and interacting less with school peers (according to his teacher) than what was normal. My husband and I figured it was just a phase he was going through, but it lasted for almost two years. For his 10th birthday, we decided to adopt a German Shepard puppy. In the weeks following, Dylan had a complete transformation. He’s now much more open about his feelings and opinions, is more sociable and much more affectionate with us and his younger brother....

Fortnite: Get to Know the Hottest New Sensation and What it Might Mean for Your Kids

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 19, 2018 at 11:05 AM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. Last week was the first time in months that my friend Kate and I went out for dinner. In between laughs, we began discussing my son Steven and his friends, who are almost always at our house. I mentioned that, over the last few weeks, I’d heard them talking about “victories”, laughing about “Tomato Town” and constantly saying, “Where are we dropping, boys?” around the house. Kate’s son is also making these funny references and told me that it’s from a new video game called Fortnite. Kate says it looks...

A Learning Moment: Teaching Kids to be Mindful Through Meditation

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on March 29, 2018 at 10:42 AM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. My husband and I had to drive out to Chris’ school last week because, according to his teachers, he’d gotten himself into a bit of trouble. When we arrived, his teacher and principal were explaining to us that he was initially being written up for speaking out of turn, leaving his desk without permission and talking during quiz time. Honestly, these seemed like things that kids just do. Then, according to the teachers, they began handing Chris detention after detention as he got increasingly frustrated. I have a feeling his...

Kid’s Health: The Power of Free Play

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on March 21, 2018 at 1:45 PM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. Last week, I found out that my best friend is expecting a baby, so a bunch of us went out to celebrate during the weekend. While chatting, I was asked how I plan to raise my own baby daughter. I kind of brushed off the question at first, but truth be told, I hope I’m able to raise her the way I was raised. I mean, you rarely see kids outside playing anymore. They spend their days at school, doing homework and in front of a screen, and they rarely...

Lights, Camera, Selfie: Can You Take it Too Far?

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on March 15, 2018 at 9:23 AM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. When Stacey turned 16 a few months ago, my husband and I decided to get her the latest cellphone as a birthday present. I was hesitant at first seeing as how she’d only had no-frills, hand-me-down phones up to that point, but we eventually chose to give her the upgrade. I noticed her taking selfies during the first couple of weeks and thought nothing of it. After all, I remember how excited I was when my parents bought me a new gadget. However, the selfies became almost incessant. She would...

How to React When Seeing Your Child’s Report Card

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on March 8, 2018 at 9:16 AM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. My oldest son Benjamin is a very smart kid, but I’ve noticed for a while now that he’s been all over the place with his school grades. During one marking period, he’ll bring in mostly A’s, and in the next it’ll have some C’s and even a D. I know that he’s a teen and that life is starting to change for him. My husband and I don’t want to be too hard on him when he brings home a bad grade, but quite frankly, I’m freaking out! If anything,...

A Different Path: Exploring New Avenues to Achieve Your Life Goals

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on February 28, 2018 at 11:17 AM /

Consider the following example as it relates to this week’s topic. The other day, I was talking with a parent (not a patient of mine) about their daughter applying to college. The daughter has a very specific career path that she wants to pursue and will be heartbroken if she isn’t accepted into one of the top programs that will set her up for direct access to the career of her dreams. The mother believes that her daughter needs to have a backup plan, as in a completely different career direction, in case she doesn’t get into one of these top...