Tag Archives: parents

Teaching Your Children How to Be Comfortable With Uncertainty

Posted by Janis R. Cohen, LCSW in Life and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A child’s life, essentially, doesn’t belong to him.  He comes into this world with a push and then must rely on his caretakers to provide him with his basic needs.  And, as he grows up, everything is predetermined for him; adults decide what time he goes to bed, with whom he plays, what he eats, when he sleeps and very little is left for him to take control of, except what he chooses to comply with or resist.  For a child, living in uncertainty, at times, is a given, despite how much parents attempt to create safety.  There is always a new experience, new person, new thing, and new way that must be faced by kids, every day. Continue reading →

Why Talking to Your Children About the Small Things Makes it Easier to Talk About the Big Things

Posted by Janis R. Cohen, LCSW in Life and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If you are like most parents, you do your best to be involved in your children’s lives by asking about their day, who they played with at recess, with whom they ate lunch and what their homework is for the night.  You attend their school events, taxi them around to various play dates and parties and do what you can to keep an eye on their emotional and psychological well-being.  Sometimes life gets in the way and you miss an opportunity to dig deeper.  And, as kids age into adolescence, the window for involvement quickly shrinks, and before you know it, the only response you get from your tween or teen is a shrug or an “uh-huh.” Continue reading →

Seeing is Believing: What Your Behavior is Really Telling Your Kids About You

Posted by Janis R. Cohen, LCSW in Life and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Children pay attention to EVERYTHING.  They use all of their senses to find clarity, safety, certainty, and love when they are around their parents. Children watch you, even when you don’t realize it.

They notice how your tone of voice differs from the words you say, they see how you come home from work and watch who you become, when you get home.  Even though your children live in the “now”, they file away the nonverbal messages you give, and if there is a pattern, they try to figure out how they fit into the equation of why you are acting the way you are acting and sometimes,they wonder why they don’t seem to fit into your behavior at all. Continue reading →

Hearing is Believing: How Words Can Make or Break Your Kids

Posted by Janis R. Cohen, LCSW in Life and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Words standing alone, are useless.  When put into a context, matched with  a tone of voice and the underlying intention of the speaker, they can lift you up to the peak of happiness or they can bring you crashing down into the depths of despair.  Words are powerful tools; and when you  use them with your children, you can make or break their spirit; because children listen to what you say. Continue reading →

Teaching Your Child the Power of Optimism

Posted by Janis R. Cohen, LCSW in Life and tagged with , , , , , ,

        Is your child’s cup half empty or half full?

“We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.”- Anais Nin

How does your child view life; positively or negatively?  What does your child expect from the world on a daily basis; pleasure or pain?  How does your child perceive his ability to recover from setbacks, life challenges, and emotional struggles; with ease or difficulty?  Does he let upsetting moments “roll off his back like a duck”;chalking them up to moments in time; seeing them as springboards for change? Or does he internalize the negativity associated with the experience and find fault within himself?  Continue reading →

Gene Simmons, the Eulogy and the Coffin

Posted by Janis R. Cohen, LCSW in Life and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life.  A man who lives fully is prepared to die at anytime.”
Mark Twain.

Gene Simmons’s show, Family Jewels, is a reality show; and a very interesting one at that.  In last night’s episode, he and his  future wife, at the time it was taped, Shannon, attended a program called “The Marriage Boot Camp.”  This program was designed to break through the barriers that prevents couples from finding true happiness and fosters emotional intimacy.

The major issue for Gene and Shannon was his infidelity, which had been heavily hidden throughout their 28 year relationship.  Only recently was his cheating behavior discovered, as photos of him, being with other women, were leaked to the internet. Continue reading →