Navigating Social Media: Helping Your Teen Maintain Healthy Digital Boundaries

on April 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM /

Parenting

In today’s digital age, social media has become an integral part of everyday life, especially for teenagers. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat offer exciting ways to connect with friends, explore interests, and even gain popularity. But with all the benefits, social media also presents unique challenges that can affect a teen’s emotional well-being, self-esteem, and sense of balance. As a parent or guardian, one of your most important roles is helping your teen navigate the digital world in a way that promotes healthy boundaries and protects their mental health. Our team of licensed Tampa psychologists and therapists are here...

Managing Parental Guilt: You’re Doing Better Than You Think

By Rice Psychology Group

on February 27, 2025 at 3:01 PM /

Parenting is a journey full of highs and lows, joy and frustration, and triumphs and challenges. However, one of the most common and often invisible burdens parents carry is parental guilt. Whether you're a first-time parent or a seasoned pro, it's easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you're never doing enough. The demands are endless, and the pressure to balance work, family, self-care, and everything in between can be overwhelming. But here's the truth: you're doing better than you think. In this blog, our team of licensed psychologists in Tampa explore parental guilt, why some carry it and...

Supporting Your Child While Taking Care of Yourself: A Parent’s Guide to Self-Care

By Rice Psychology Group

on February 13, 2025 at 4:35 PM /

Parenting is an extraordinary journey filled with love, joy, and challenges. As a parent, it's easy to get caught up in the daily hustle of caring for your child—managing schoolwork, extracurricular activities, doctor's appointments, and household responsibilities. Yet, in the whirlwind of these duties, it's essential to remember that taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your child. The happier and healthier you are both mentally and physically, the better equipped you'll be to support your child in their own growth and development. In this blog, our team of licensed psychologists in Tampa explore practical tips...

Parents and Mental Health: Taking Care of Yourself During a Crisis

By Rice Psychology Group

on September 12, 2024 at 9:31 AM /

Parenting

It’s not easy being a parent, especially in today’s world. It seems as if there is one tragedy after another. Each day is filled with worries that parents of the previous generation didn’t have to bother themselves with. One of the biggest issues parents have to worry about today is their children’s safety at school. Unfortunately, every parent’s worst nightmare once again came to light by the horrific events that recently took place at Apalachee High School in Georgia. When a crisis like this occurs, most parents immediately focus on their family and their children’s needs. And while this is exactly...

Psychologist Tampa Florida: A Parent’s Guide to Managing Summer Break Stress

By Rice Psychology Group

on June 7, 2024 at 10:57 AM /

Parenting

Just know that if you are a parent dreading this season and unsure how to make it, you’re not alone. Yes, it’s important to help your child keep a positive outlook and maintain a routine, but making sure you keep your mental health in check is just as important. Our licensed psychologist Tampa Florida team and mental health counselors at Rice Psychology Group has a few tips to help you keep cool during these hot summer months. As a parent in an ideal world, summer is a time to relax, travel, and spend time with your kids, who enjoy a much-needed...

The Sweet Side of Halloween: How To Go Through Your Child’s Candy and What To Look For

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on October 15, 2023 at 6:40 PM /

Halloween is considered one of the most fun and creative times of the year. Allowing your little ones to dress up as their favorite monster or video game character is only half of it, though. The other exciting part is going out and trick-or-treating! Parents, while going house to house and grabbing as much candy as possible is a fun and exciting time for your kids, it’s important you are aware of the candy they are receiving and how much of it they are actually eating. Before your kids head out on Halloween night, Rice Psychology Group wants to share...

Halloween Jitters: 5 Tips for Parents to Take the Fright Out of this Fun Holiday

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on October 8, 2023 at 4:32 PM /

If you’re the parent of a young child and are dreading Halloween, then you’re not alone. Many parents fear exposing their young ones to scary things like costumes, masks, movies and such. But breathe a sigh of relief because our licensed mental health counselors and psychologists in Tampa want to offer five tips to make Halloween fun and not scary! Select the Right Costume Get creative with your child’s costume. This is the perfect time to sit down with your child and brainstorm together. If your little one frightens easily, try something fun and more traditional like a: Bedsheet-style ghost Friendly vampire...

How to Have Uncomfortable Conversations with Kids on School Violence

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 24, 2023 at 11:12 AM /

A few weeks ago, another school in our country experienced yet another senseless shooting. Unfortunately violence, specifically gun violence, has become all too common and while it is terribly upsetting for adults, it can be especially difficult and overwhelming for children. It’s heartbreaking that in today’s world, kids are more worried about school shootings than homework, are practicing active shooter drills instead of fire drills and are forced to have conversations with educators and their parents about situations that most are far too young to comprehend. However, as unfair as the drills and uncomfortable conversations are, they are very necessary....

My Child Is a Bully: What Should I Do?

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on November 10, 2022 at 9:09 AM /

Is your child a bully? Could they be physically or emotionally harming another child without you knowing? There’s nothing worse than getting a call from their school or having another parent approach you and claim that your kid’s been hurting others. And, as unfathomable as it sounds that the sweet baby you love and adore could be causing someone else pain, the reality is that it happens to many parents. Rice Psychology Group wants to stress that this doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent. In many of these cases, there’s an underlying issue that causes children to bully. In honor of...

What Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is and How it Works

By Rice Psychology Group

on September 6, 2021 at 9:01 PM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. Mary gets the fifth call this week from her child’s preschool about her son hitting other kids, not listening to instructions, and generally being disruptive. She picks him up, tries to talk to him about what happened, and all he does is scream “No!” at her until she gives up. At the grocery store, her son continues to scream as he sits in the cart. Mary gets judgmental looks from other shoppers and does her best to ignore them but feels completely embarrassed. Finally, she hands her son her phone...