The Psychological Price of Affluence

on July 14, 2014 at 6:17 PM /

By Megan Sutsko, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist A recent trend in social media has users following their statuses or captions with funny self-deprecating hashtags. Examples are, “My PureBarre class was cancelled #whitegirlproblems” or “iphone contacts deleted! #firstworldproblems.” The assumption is that when upper class Americans complain, their worries are really minimal compared to those with “real” problems. What could financially privileged families and individuals really have to complain about anyway? Well, as far as mental health is concerned, there is actually scientifically supported research that has found that the wealthiest families in our nation have some of the most at-risk children and...

How to Teach Your Child Independence

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on July 2, 2014 at 8:10 AM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist When I went to college, I kind of knew how to do laundry, check the oil in my car, and use my trusty hotpot to make soup. I wasn’t quite so skilled at balancing my checkbook or managing my time effectively and, I was at a complete loss when it came to figuring out a tip in a restaurant. Over the years, I have met with several parents who are getting ready to send their children to college and wonder whether they have adequately prepared them for living independently. As part of an evaluation, we sometimes look...

Helping Children in Split Households Cope with Separation

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on July 2, 2014 at 3:41 AM /

Dr. Wendy Rice was interviewed on The Miguel Show with Holly & Mandy about children in situations with split households and how to help them cope with separation. ...

Father’s Day Observations

By Rice Psychology Group

on June 18, 2014 at 1:39 PM /

By Mary Ann Pickard Is Father’s Day a time to just buy another greeting card or a time to think about what Dad means to you? I have observed Fathers for close to 60 years. From my own father, to those of my cousins, classmates, students, friends, and especially the one who helped me raise my own kids. I am pretty sure I have personally seen the full range of the worst (those who deny, abuse or abandon) to the absolute best fathers (those who love, respect and protect).The one thing they all have in common is the power to impact their...

Summer Sanity

By Rice Psychology Group

on June 3, 2014 at 2:31 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist Ahhhh…the last day of school! What a magical thing that is. I have memories of streamers flowing out of school bus windows, and throwing overflowing notebooks into the trashcan. When you are little, summer seems like an endless open opportunity for fun, play, and relaxation. I distinctly remember the day in middle school when I figured out that summer was only eight weeks long. I was shocked. It had always seemed to take up at least 50% of my year. Now, as a parent, I have the joy of watching my children experience the building excitement of the...

Problematic Behavior in Children Linked to Soda Consumption?

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on June 3, 2014 at 9:00 AM /

In a very timely study released in the Journal of Pediatrics this month, researchers from Columbia University, the University of Vermont and Harvard studied behavior in approximately 3,000 young children and found that problematic behavior was linked to soda consumption. They used a very well accepted child behavior rating scale, one that I have personally used in my practice for over ten years, to obtain parents perspectives on their children’s behavior over the past two months. They found that 40% of kids had at least one soda per day and 4% drank as many as four or more. They found that aggression, withdrawn behavior and attention problems were highly associated with soda drinking and the behaviors were incrementally worse...

Happy Mother’s Day – Holiday of the Heart

By Rice Psychology Group

on May 7, 2014 at 4:25 AM /

Mother's Day is special to all of us but do we know where it came from and why we celebrate our own mothers each year? The celebration of mothers has a history that is centuries old. In ancient Greece there was a celebration to honor Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. In England during the early 1600's there was a celebration of Mary, the mother of Christ, that was later expanded to include all mothers on Mothering Sunday and was later changed to honor the Mother Church. When settlers came to the United States, these traditions were no longer celebrated because...

Social Media Safety for Children

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on May 5, 2014 at 4:14 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist As parents, the wellbeing and safety of your children is your first and foremost concern. You keep up with what they are doing, what their grades are, who their friends are, and where they go. But have you considered what they are doing and who they are interacting with on social media? Social media is the new hangout for children. It is where a majority of their socializing takes place: they set up profiles to present themselves, describe their interests, seek approval from others, post photos, and share thoughts and feelings. For children, however, free rein in...

Treating ADHD With More Than Just Meds

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 22, 2014 at 5:33 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist Today the incidence of ADHD has risen to 7-10% of children world-wide and about 2-5% of adults. The use of ADHD medication is on the rise, with usage more than tripling worldwide since the early 1990's. This leads many parents to search for supplemental or alternative treatments for their kids. Based on research as well as personal and professional experience, Cognitive Training as an alternative and adjunct approach used in conjunction with other, more traditional types of treatment, can be effective when a child needs more than just medications or the family refuses them. Many children struggle...

Parent Report Card Preparation Tips

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 9, 2014 at 1:37 PM /

Find out how you can support your child and not freak out when it's time to read their report cards. If you are a parent, four times a year, pretty much without fail, the envelope arrives in the mail for you. As a child in New York, my parent’s got theirs in a thin, white envelope with green edges and a black dot-matrix print. You would fold the end and pull at the tab for the big reveal. Butterflies would ravage my stomach as my mother pulled that tab. For some families, report card time is as ominous as another winter or summer storm. ...