Parenting Archives | Rice Psychology

Bringing Back Family Night: A Few Out-of-the-Box Ideas to Spend More Time with Those You Love

on May 30, 2019 at 1:26 pm /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. Last week, my wife and I spent our entire Saturday at my mother-in-law’s home for her birthday. We loved every minute of it, and I even got to see some of the family’s old photos! There were a ton of pictures of birthdays, Christmases, and Thanksgivings, but even more of just regular nights of them together as a family. My mother-in-law said they really enjoyed having “family nights” as often as possible doing fun and quirky activities. She says she misses them and hopes that Jackie and I do the...

Parental Caution: What a History of Mental Illness in Your Family and Marijuana Could Mean for Your Kids

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on May 23, 2019 at 10:29 am /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. When I was a teen, smoking marijuana was a common pastime for my friends and I. It was fun, mostly harmless, and we all grew out of it fairly quickly. Our kids are still young and happily not old enough to be dabbling with illicit substances yet (seriously, they are five and eight!). I told my wife that I wouldn’t mind if our children dabbled in a little weed when they were a bit older as long as they kept their usage to a minimum, but she immediately opposed this...

Doing it Now: Your Child, Procrastination, and How to Manage it

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on May 6, 2019 at 4:16 pm /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. Over the past year, my husband and I have noticed that our kids are procrastinating more and more. They usually do their homework late in the evening, wait until the weekend to clean their rooms (even though they’re supposed to do it every Wednesday), and sometimes miss the bus because they’re taking too long picking out school clothes for the day. Neither of us know how to get our kids out of the procrastinating mindset. It seems like they’d much rather play video games or mess with their phones all...

Child Tech Talk: When Limiting and Teaching Screen Time Meet

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on March 22, 2019 at 12:42 pm /

Parenting

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. I’ve been a gamer for as long as I can remember. Even after I got a full-time job, I still found time to get in front of the screen and play my favorite video games for at least an hour a day. Now, as Sandra and I await our first child, I’m wondering if I’ll have to completely eliminate gaming from my life. I wouldn’t want to open the gates for my child to a pastime that becomes an unhealthy obsession. I want to set a positive example, but...

Would You Cheat for Your Kids? How Far is Too Far When it Comes to Helping Them Get Ahead?

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on March 14, 2019 at 12:51 pm /

Parenting

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. My oldest son is in high school and has a big project due for history class. I’ve always loved history and really want to help him with it. The thing is, the last time he needed help with something this large in school, I practically did it all for him. And it wasn’t because he asked me to. I hate to admit that I did it because I felt his work wasn’t good enough to begin with. Rather than talk to him about it and offer pointers on improving...

Ongoing Study Finds That Over 2 Hours of Screen Time a Day Can Negatively Affect a Child’s Brain

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on March 7, 2019 at 3:25 pm /

Parenting

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. Andrea and I will be welcoming our daughter in just a few weeks! We couldn’t be more excited! Of course, this also means we’re beginning to discuss how we’re going to raise her. While we agree on almost everything, we disagree on technology. Andrea says she wants our daughter to have a tablet along with access to apps that will provide her with endless learning and entertainment opportunities. I’m very apprehensive. Too much technology already seems to negatively affect adults, so wouldn’t it be even worse for kids? Over the...

White Lies: Your Child’s Deceit May Not Be as Bad as You Think

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on February 28, 2019 at 12:57 pm /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. “You cannot lie to me, Sarah. Do you understand?” My husband Stephen’s tone was soft but serious. Sarah’s little toddler head nodded. A few hours later, after we had put her to bed, I asked Stephen what that was all about. He said he caught Sarah lying to him about dipping her finger into the Nutella jar. I giggled, of course, and told him he shouldn’t be upset about that. He then went on to tell me that if he doesn’t teach Sarah that lying is bad, she’ll be...

Your Child, Their Talent, and Helping Them Develop It

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on January 16, 2019 at 11:44 am /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. As soon as I found out Brianna and I were having a boy, I was over the moon! Of course, I would be happy with any healthy baby, but having a boy really excited me. I immediately started daydreaming about holding him, watching him grow, and sharing all that I know with him. But what if he isn’t interested in any of those things that I love? What if he takes up drawing, bowling, or something equally foreign to me? How will I feel about that? For ages, parents from around...

Lawnmower Parents: What They Are and Why You Shouldn’t Be One

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on December 14, 2018 at 11:36 am /

Parenting

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. A few nights ago, I mentioned to my pregnant wife that I would do everything in my power to ensure that our baby never struggled with anything in life. She immediately agreed. But then we began speaking about becoming too overprotective of our soon-to-be daughter. A growing part of me says we wouldn’t be doing her any favors if we kept her completely away from any sort of inconvenience or struggle that she encounters in life. My oldest sister and her husband constantly hover over their kids to the...

A Few Dos and Don’ts to Consider if Your Child is Feeling Lonely

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on November 28, 2018 at 5:59 pm /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. When I was a kid, I wasn’t very popular in elementary school, middle school or high school. I had a few friends, but I remember feeling jealous of the more popular kids because I was rarely invited to parties. And because I felt so awkward and out of place, I always avoided school events like pep rallies, football games and dances. Things changed in college and now I’m married with a teen son. I’m noticing, however, that he’s very much like I was back then. What can I do to...