Every parent wants to see their child succeed, yet the challenges of parenthood can be daunting. Parenting is one of the most difficult tasks that one can face. Parents are often frustrated by their children’s behavior as well as the lack of support and resources to help them deal with their children.
If you are one of these parents, you are not alone. Therapy can help parents understand and manage the needs and behaviors of their children. Dr. Sysler will shed light on the difference between “normal” behaviors versus those behaviors parents should be concerned about. Therapy not only helps parents feel less isolated and alone in dealing with their children’s problem behavior, it also focuses on teaching parents techniques that they can use to improve their children’s behavior and as a result the parent-child relationship improves.
Working with children as well as adults has revealed to me the importance of parenting style on a child’s behavior and the overall impact on the family. Research shows that an “authoritative” parenting style has the most positive impact on childhood development. Children who receive consistent discipline and supervision, along with warmth and concern, show greater resilience and academic performance.
Unfortunately, many parents have difficulty setting consistent and appropriate limits with their children. Some parents are overly lax and feel “bad” when they say “no” to their child’s wants, while others can be punitive and overly harsh when their child misbehaves. Conflicting parenting styles can also cause problems for children by sending confusing messages about “good” versus “bad” behavior. Finally, some parents simply don’t know how to use rewards and consequences effectively. I developed the Parent Effectiveness Training Program at Horsham Clinic almost 20 years ago and have been providing parenting workshops in the community and for schools since then.
Parents are always a part of treatment when children or adolescents are involved. Whether they have an occasional session with me, join the sessions with their child, or we speak during the course of treatment, parents need to understand their child’s needs in order to follow up at home with treatment recommendations.