An Overview of Executive Functioning and How Your Child Can Strengthen Theirs

on January 19, 2017 at 2:52 PM /

The human brain is an amazing machine when it works well! My older son’s brain allows him to play high school baseball, stay on top of two AP classes, juggle daily homework, tests and projects from his other five classes, and even manage his few chores at home. My younger son, on the other hand, struggles with his regular-level classes in terms of both the actual learning and keeping track of his homework, remembering to hand it in (if he completes it), figuring out what he needs to study and making sure he has what he needs with him at...

A Month of Mentorship: Doing What You Can for Youth in January and Beyond

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on January 4, 2017 at 9:00 PM /

I decided to make a change in my New Year’s resolution for 2017. Most of my friends and family make similar resolutions, liking hitting the gym or saving more money, but I wanted to take it a step further by making a change that can help someone else. I was reading online the other day that January is “National Mentoring Month”. Although I like to think that my life is going pretty smoothly, I know that there are other people out there, many of them kids, who don’t have as good a life as I do. So I thought, “Maybe...

Being Prepped: A Few Tips for Students and Teachers to Get Through Their Second/Spring Semesters

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on December 28, 2016 at 9:08 PM /

I managed to get through my first fall term at college and feel so relieved. It was very different from what I was used to in high school and know that with the spring term, I’ll be dealing with new subjects and meeting a whole new set of people. It’s a bit overwhelming since, before college, I was used to having the same lessons and classmates year-round. I’m worried that a whole new set of courses, professors, classmates and expectations may overwhelm me – and I’m still reeling a bit from my initial adjustment to college. My mother is a...

Resolving to Change: How to Ensure a Successful New Year’s Resolution

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on December 21, 2016 at 10:00 PM /

I’ve been making New Year’s resolutions for almost 10 years now and have never managed to follow through in making any of them a reality. I try to keep them realistic, like losing a few pounds each month or saving a couple of hundred dollars here and there to purchase a new car. A few weeks into every new year, though, I end up giving up because I just can’t seem to find the willpower, time or strength to see my resolutions to the end. Is there anything I can do or keep in mind that can make my resolutions...

Ending the Year on a High Note: Taking a Holiday Vacation with the Family

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on December 7, 2016 at 7:57 PM /

2016 has been an interesting year to say the least. Not only have several newsworthy things happened since January, life for my entire family has been a rollercoaster ride. In March, my husband had to take a pay cut since his company was downsized. In the summer, our youngest son broke his arm during a football game at a family reunion and needed two surgeries. And last month our daughter was rejected from her top choice university to which she had applied early decision. I’ve done my best to hold the family together to get us through it all, but...

Holiday Mayhem: Dealing with Stress During Your Holiday Planning Efforts

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on November 29, 2016 at 7:48 PM /

I’m definitely not looking forward to the end of December. Each year, my siblings and I take turns hosting our holiday dinners and get-togethers. This year, it’s my turn and I absolutely know that I’ll be pulling my hair out long before family even begins to arrive. First, I have to plan out the dinner, estimate how much to cook since I have such a large family, then I have to complete my gift shopping and finally comes the planning for family members who will be staying with us for a few days. It’s gotten so overwhelming that my husband...

Thanksgiving Trepidation: Dealing With Those Troublesome Family Members

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on November 16, 2016 at 7:35 PM /

Usually around Thanksgiving, we visit my in-laws since they live closer, but this year, my wife wants to visit my parents, who live two states away. This is a bit nerve-racking since I’m not on the best terms with them. My mother is still somewhat upset that I married so young and my father is very vocal about me not becoming an engineer like my uncles and he. They bring this up each time we visit. In the past, tensions flared and we’ve ended up going our separate ways after family get-togethers. We once went almost five months without talking...

Small Acts: How Kindness Can Help Brighten Anyone’s Day

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on November 9, 2016 at 10:00 PM /

To say I had a bad day is an understatement. First, I forgot to set my alarm, which made me late for class, then I got a flat and I couldn’t find the jack! Now I need to pay for towing and a replacement. To top it all off, the electricity in my apartment complex went out, making it impossible to do homework. Lucky for me, my friend Steve offered to let me stay at his place so I could use his Internet and complete my assignments. Then he treated me to dinner since he was aware of how rough...

Screening Our Kids: Going About Limiting Too Much Exposure to Media

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on November 2, 2016 at 9:13 PM /

My two kids, Derek and Samantha, are 7 and 14 years old, respectively. I’ve noticed recently that Derek is spending more time in front of the TV watching his favorite shows while Samantha often gets lost in her phone on Facebook or Twitter. To me, it’s not much of a problem, but I’ve read recently that overexposure to media isn’t great for young ages. I’ve spoken to my husband about it and he agrees that we should come up with a plan on limiting their intake of TV and phone use, and instead encourage them to spend more time doing...

Bullying: A Look at Both Sides of the Issue

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on October 26, 2016 at 6:55 PM /

Over the past few months, I’ve noticed my daughter Ashley acting differently. At first she would come home from school and would completely avoid talking about her day. Then it progressed to her rushing up to her room and not coming out until suppertime. When I ask her about her behavior, she immediately changes the subject and brushes off anything having to do with school. Just last week, however, I noticed she had some bruises on her arm and asked her about it. She got defensive and said nothing was wrong. I immediately spoke to her teacher about it and...