Hannahs Family Center
by SUSAN GRIFFIN, LMFT AND DENNIS WONG, PHD Antoine and Veronica, 5 year-old twins, had not seen their mother in 6 months. Mom had developed an alcohol problem which resulted in a car accident with the children in the car. She was charged with child endangerment, a DUI, and enrollment in a 1 year intervention […]
by SUSAN GRIFFIN, LMFT AND DENNIS WONG, PHD All of our lives are hectic – full of demands that create the need for quick assessment of complex issues and equally swift changes in direction. Sometimes the changes are physical, sometimes mental and other times emotional. Sometimes the changes are something that we were anticipating […]
by SUSAN GRIFFIN, LMFT AND DENNIS WONG, PHD Effective parenting doesn’t just happen. Neither do good grades, good friends, good relationships, or a good life. Sure, sometimes luck and fate conspire to present us with a chance at something special. But for the most part, we create our good fortune by molding the natural […]
by SUSAN GRIFFIN, LMFT AND DENNIS WONG, PHD No matter what, we must listen to our children – actively and closely. Positive parenting requires the willingness to consistently listen to your children. And that’s not easy sometimes. First, our little ones speak a different language from us. They speak in metaphors, symbols, and animalese. […]
by SUSAN GRIFFIN, LMFT AND DENNIS WONG, PHD Encouragement is an important element of positive and effective parenting. Deliver Encouragement Frequently is so obvious, yet difficult to do in the midst of our busy daily lives. We know our children need support from us. And we want to provide both emotional and physical nurturing […]
Children can imagine incredible possibilities long before they can handle reality. Whether it is a 2-year-old contemplating a huge flight of concrete stairs with the thought of climbing them all alone, or a 12-year-old contemplating the same steps with the thought of jumping down them on a bicycle, the impulse for challenge, growth, and independence […]
For the sake of our children, it is actually better for parents to take action and talk less. Act first and talk later. Parents spend far too much time explaining and reasoning with kids, rather than taking action. Try “get off the top of the refrigerator NOW” instead of “how many times have I told […]
by SUSAN GRIFFIN, LMFT AND DENNIS WONG, PHD Parental separation or divorce can be devastating to a child’s sense of security about him or herself and the world. Fears abound. “Is it my fault?” “Is there something I can do to make them stay together?” “If they can quit loving each other, will they quit […]