Carrie Krawiec, LMFT at the Birmingham Maple Clinic, was recently featured in an interview on mSpy.com. In it, they discuss major issues affecting children today, such as video game addiction, cyberbullying, and social media, as well as some tips on recognizing harmful habits and behaviors as kids spend more and more time online. Here is […]
Archive | Parenting
How to emotionally prepare your child for college life – BMC on WXYZ
College is a major transition time for your kids – it’s the first time they’re leaving “the nest”, and are suddenly strapped with new responsibilities like managing finances and rigorous courses, and many college students report that they weren’t emotionally prepared for college. Lori Edelson, LMSW, ACSW, BCD, LMFT, and owner of the Birmingham Maple […]
Preparing a child for kindergarten and success throughout school – BMC on The Oakland Press
Lori Edelson, LMSW, ACSW, BCD, LMFT, and owner of the Birmingham Maple Clinic, was recently featured on The Oakland Press to discuss tips for preparing your child for kindergarden, and how doing so can prepare them with useful skills that will help them throughout their school career. She notes that good habits like exposure to […]
How to Handle Parents Who Behave Poorly at Kids’ Sporting Events – BMC on Michigan Mom Living
Daniel P. O’Neil, MA, LLP at the Birmingham Maple Clinic, was recently featured on Michigan Mom Living to explain tactics for dealing with bad behavior from kids sporting events…not from the kids, but from the parents. Daniel describes the increase in competitiveness and elite, “winning is everything” attitudes that are taking over kids’ recreational sports, […]
Keep your child learning during summer – BMC on 2wired2tired
Carrie Krawiec, licensed LMFT at the Birmingham Maple Clinic, was recently tapped by blog 2wired2tired for advice on how to keep children stimulated and learning in the summer. Read the article she wrote below! While the absence of chaotic mornings and hectic school schedules can be a relief for both parents and kids, research shows […]
Sesame Street Helps Children Understand Empathy
Actor Mark Ruffalo joined Sesame Street’s Murray to explain the concept of empathy.
Anxiety Group for Middle-School Aged Females at Birmingham Maple Clinic
Led by: Ronnie Hormel, MA, LLPC, NCC and Jessica Garrett, PhD, LLP, NCSP Dates: Saturday, September 17 and Saturday, October 15 from 11 am – 1 pm Target audience: Middle-school aged females (11-14 y/o) struggling with anxiety and social skills Rationale: Anxiety occurs in both genders, but by the teenage years, girls are much more at […]
Men Can Suffer From Postpartum Depression Too
BMC therapist Lori Edelson talked with Dr. Deanna Lites of WWJ News Radio 950 about postpartum depression in fathers. She explained that men typically will see onset at about 3 to 6 months after the birth of the baby, and that it’s more common in first time fathers. Symptoms can include anxiety, loss of interest […]
Tips for Handling Coach Criticism
BMC therapist Lori Edelson talked with WWJ-AM News Radio’s Dr. Deanna Lites about the “dos and don’ts” for parents when handling criticism their child received from a coach. Edelson offered tips on how much parental involvement is needed, and provided ways in which parents can more fully engage in a conversation with their child. Click […]
BMC Therapist Lori Edelson Talks About Summer Boredom on WWJ-AM News Radio
BMC therapist Lori Edelson talked with WWJ-AM News Radio’s Sandra McNeill about kids experiencing summer boredom and what parents can do about it. Most surprising? Edelson suggests that maybe the summer boredom blues aren’t such a bad thing, after all. Click here to listen to the full segment.
Supervision and Flexibility Are Key To Safe Online Gaming
In a single week Pokemon Go has reached more than 7.5 million users. It has sparked controversy because its use led to countless injuries and inspired criminals to set traps for unsuspecting teens. Parents should consider ramping up supervision and monitoring to make sure their teens can enjoy the game safely and responsibly. Some ideas for parents: Rules […]
Pokemon Go: From Accidents to Stranger Danger, Tips to Keeping Kids Safe
From Autumn Yates at highya.com: We’d been searching for ten minutes when the screen showed a rustle in the grass to our right. My guide became instantly excited—would it be a Charmander? A Jigglypuff? We were about to find out. Then, just as we were about to close in on the spot, the Pokémon disappeared. […]
The Experts Weigh in on Essential Parenting Skills
From Momoandme.com: Parenting skills are the corner stone of building a wonderful parent-child relationship. For parenting tips, being consistent, praising when necessary,and holding your kids accountable are great tips to have as a parent. The most important parenting skill I’ve found is to let them follow their passions, do it their way and fail […]
BMC Therapist Talks Tech Addiction on WWJ 950
Birmingham Maple Clinic therapist Dan O’Neil talked with Dr. Deanna Lites of WWJ News Radio 950 about the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between “screen time” and face to face interaction. Listen to the full segment here.
Coping with the Loss of a Child on Mother’s Day
From Rheyanne Weaver of www.empowher.com: I never knew there was such a thing as Bereaved Mother’s Day until last month, when I lost my first child before he was even born. I had searched for any online groups and pages dedicated to losing a child, clinging on to any reminder that I wasn’t alone in […]
A Promising New Approach to Treating Children With ADHD
A new ADHD study focuses on treating children with behavioral therapy before medicine, and doctors say it’s an approach that could change the way young children are treated. Click here to view the full segment.
Moderating Screen Time for Your Kids
BMC therapist Dan O’Neil appeared on WMYD TV on March 9, 2016 to discuss the impact of too much screen time on a child’s developing brain, and talked about ways parents can help their child moderate screen time exposure. To see the full segment, click here.
How to Move Past Your Parents Mistakes and Stop Blaming Them for Everything
From EverydayPowerBlog.com: You have the power to learn and grow from your parent’s mistakes…if that’s what you want to call them… there is no perfect parent and lots of conflicting opinions about parenting… but nonetheless people seem to feel the best about their childhood when their parent’s choices, behavior, personality seemed to be a good […]
All About Positive Parenting
From Rebecca Desfosse at Care.com: It’s the ultimate parenting test: Your child throws a first-class meltdown in the middle of the supermarket. Do you threaten, coerce and dole out punishments? Or, do you respond with empathy, love and kindness? If you abide more by the latter, you just might be a positive parent. According to […]
Image Captures Pain and Joy of IVF
From Genevieve Shaw Brown of abcnews.com: If there was ever a photo that perfectly depicted the pain and joy of IVF, this may well be it. The photo, shared on the Sher Institutes Facebook page, “shows the true definition of love that went into making this gorgeous new baby girl.” In it, the baby is […]
Tips for Parents of Kindergarteners
A parent expert from Birmingham Maple Clinic appeared on Fox 2 Detroit with Jessica Starr’s Parent2Parent segment to give tips on sending children to school for the first time. Since back to school may give rise to some separation anxiety and worry, Carrie Krawiec, LMFT offered some suggestions to help parents set their children up […]
Managing Back to School Anxiety
The first day of school is right around the corner and while some kids and parents are excited, many families may be dealing with anxiety and anticipation for the upcoming year. Back to School Anxiety can impact kids and adults of all age and grade levels. Birmingham Maple Clinic therapist Carrie Krawiec appeared with Erin […]
New Study Suggests Link Between Increased Unhappiness and Parenthood
From the Washington Post: Life has its ups and downs, but parenthood is supposed to be among the most joyous. At least that’s what the movies and Target ads tell us. In reality, it turns out that having a child can have a pretty strong negative impact on a person’s happiness, according to a new study published […]
Tips for Managing Back to School Anxiety
August has begun, “Back to School” commercials buzz on the TV, and the last long slow “Sunday night” before school is among us. Parents of kindergarteners are getting ready for their children to take the first steps of their educational process, much like their little ones actual “first steps” cause anxiety and excitement for parent […]
Signs You May Be Too Strict a Parent
Parenting should be based on the child’s chronological age–that is how old they are, their emotional age–that is how old they act and previous experiences with that particular child. If a parent is treating a child younger than they are, younger than they act or out of sync with thechild’s history of behavior and trustworthiness then the parent […]
New Course at BMC: The A, B, C’s of Managing Anxiety for the New School Year
If your middle school age student is experiencing anxiety about the start of a new school year, the Birmingham Maple Clinic may have a solution for you both. The Clinic is new offering a newly created course designed to help students manage their fears and anxieties about the coming start of school. The A, B, […]
Helping To Determine If Your Kids Are “Old Enough”
The internet is a buzz with Buzzfeed’s survey results of when parents think their kids should be allowed to do certain things. Buzzfeed polled more than 100,000 parents on when kids should be allowed to join facebook, get their own cellphone, stay home alone, babysit other children, wear makeup, dye hair, get ears pierced, get […]
Therapy Can Lay the Groundwork for Improved Parent-Child Relationship After Divorce
BMC therapist Julie Balow writes about the importance of both parents making custody and visitation work in the aftermath of divorce. Recently, an Oakland County family court judge ordered three minor children to a juvenile detention facility for refusing to visit with their father. The reason this case is making local and national headlines is […]
Helping Your Children Cope with Divorce
Often following a significant break up, like last week’s divorce announcement by Hollywood power couple Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, a common question is “What to tell kids during a break up?” Birmingham Maple Clinic Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Carrie Krawiec, compiled a few pointers for parents. 1) Do not assume it’s a “one […]
Managing Back to School Anxiety
While it may feel like summer has just begun the end of this glorious season is always right around the corner and soon you will see back to school clothes on mall shelves. While the transition back to school is probably stressful for you there is a chance that your child or teen worries excessively […]
Tips on Easing Summer Camp Anxiety
Birmingham Maple Clinic Director and Licensed Social Worker, Lori Edelson appeared on WXYZ 20 News and WDIV Detroit to discuss Camp Anxiety. Lori gave tips on how both children and parents can reduce stress to sail kids off to camp smoothly. Important points punctuated by Lori: 1) Manage Expectations Help kids get familiar with camp […]
Students Can Feel Overwhelmed by College Pressures
UPenn freshman Madison Holleran seemed to have it all. Bright, athletic, with many friends, Madison in fact struggled with the pressures of balancing her social, academic, and sporting commitments. From the outside, her social media profiles belied the reality, but things weren’t as perfect as they seemed. To learn more about Madison’s story, watch the video below.
Children Need Genuine Interaction Just As Adults Do
Dina Berdy, LMSW with the Birmingham Maple Clinic writes about the need for children to feel valued in their relationships. We forget that our children need to hear the same things we need as adults in our relationships! We want to feel special, honored, not taken for granted. We don’t want to wait until we […]
Coping with Missing Your Child’s Development Milestones
In this article on care.com, Birmingham Maple Clinic therapist Carrie Krawiec, LMFT addresses some common feelings parents have when they miss a milestone in their child’s development, such as a first word or a first step, and offers tips on how to cope with some of the overwhelming emotions. Click here to read the article in […]
“Perfectionism” and the Importance of Process
In this blog article, Birmingham Clinic therapist Dina Berdy discusses the problem of “perfectionism”, why it’s prevalent, and how to help your child have a more realistic outlook. The problem of perfectionism appears more pervasive among girls and women however it’s my observation that this problem is becoming more prevalent with boys and men as […]
Help Your Teen Get a Good Night’s Rest
Researchers funded by the Child Development and Behavior Branch of National Institute of Health have analyzed data on sleep patterns, emotional distress, and academic functioning of 2700 adolescents from grades 7 to 12 and found that students who stay up later than 11:15 on school nights perform worse in school and have greater emotional distress […]
Watch Dan O’Neil Discuss Teen Sexting on Local 4 News
Birmingham Maple Clinic works closely with parents, schools, physicians, government agencies and the media to help them deal effectively with the many issues facing today’s teenagers.One such issue is Teenage Sexting. Teenage Sexting is the practice of teens sending pics, videos and texts containing nudity or other sexual material to other teens. The most frequent […]
Help Your Children Achieve Their New Year’s Resolutions
Carrie Krawiec is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Birmingham Maple Clinic in Troy, MI and executive director of Michigan Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. She specializes in helping families create adaptive routines and problem solve. As 2014 winds down, Carrie hears from many people seeking assistance in setting, and sticking to, New […]
Holiday Travel Tips: A Guide for Parents
Last year AAA projected 43.4 Americans would be traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. They estimated about 90% of travelers, or 39 million, would be traveling by car 50 miles or more. If you are the parent of school age children and are going to be stuck in the car together for a great distance […]
Watch Dan O’Neil Talk About Teen Sexting on FOX2 News Detroit
Fox 2 News Headlines Birmingham Maple Clinic therapist Dan O’Neil joins Fox2 News Detroit to discuss the legal and emotional ramifications of teen sexting, and offers parents some helpful suggestions to start the conversation with their children.
Lawnmower Parenting: Clearing a Path for Kids Can Lead to a Bumpy Ride
We’re all familiar with the term Helicopter Parent–those parents that hover over their children constantly fussing and worrying. ”Lawnmower parents” are the newest and most aggressive breed of helicopter parent. The term refers to those who “clear a path” for their kid, smoothing over any rough patches before their kids even encounter them. These are […]
Teen Sexting: Information for Parents
On Friday October 17, 2014, Dan O’Neil, Birmingham Maple Clinic therapist, spoke with WJR’s Paul W. Smith on the topic of sexting. This interview addressed growing parent concern following the recent legal issues plaguing hundreds of teens in two metro-Detroit communities. Sexting, the act of sending sexually explicit messages, primarily between mobile phones, differs from […]
Sexting: What Parents Need to Know
Dozens of students at three Metro-Detroit schools are facing felony charges after circulating nude photos on their phones. Students at Rochester Adams High School and Van Hoosen Middle School in Rochester Hills and Romeo Sr. High in Romeo, MI are under investigation for “sexting” – photographing, sharing or possessing underage images on their cell phones. These […]
How to Tell When Your Child Needs a Tutor
We are living in an age dominated by technology, two working parents , cuts in educational funding, and government determined educational standards. Educators are overwhelmed, and time for one on one communication with students has diminished. Need for a tutor is evident when a child expresses frustration about one or more subjects in school, refuses […]
New at Birmingham Maple Clinic: Homework Help
The Birmingham Maple Clinic helps families and children with all aspects of mental health, and part of that is the mental growth of your children. To further that mission, we are pleased to offer weekly drop-in homework sessions to assist your child with schoolwork in a productive group setting. The sessions will take place on Monday evenings […]
Family Meals Spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S!
Last week we blogged about research published in JAMA Pediatrics that found teens eating dinner with their families reduced the effects of cyber bullying. The data indicates that when there are no family dinners, there’s an increase in the rates of problems with cyber bullying. Four or more family dinners a week, however, resulted in […]
Teen Use of e-Cigarettes Tied to Mental Health Issues
Today, the Rochester Hills, MI city council will introduce an ordinance to ban the sale and use of e-cigarettes by minors. It will also include a penalty for minors who possess e-cigarettes. Researchers found that adolescents who used the devices were more likely to smoke cigarettes and less likely to quit smoking. The study of […]
Parental Involvement May Shield Teens from Adolescent Turmoil
Research has long linked cyber bullying and problems like anxiety, depression and self-harm as well as alcohol and prescription drug abuse. In new research published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, the researchers who surveyed nearly 19,000 students between the ages of 12 and 18 from schools in the Midwest also found teens eating dinner with […]
4 Things Parents Can Do to Help Their Kids Get Better Sleep
Recent studies reported by The Today Show have linked poor sleep behaviors in teenager years to depression, obesity, automobile accidents, and reduced grades and test scores. The American Academy of Pediatrics have supported a shift to later start times, such as 8:30 am, for middle school and high school students. While some districts are making […]
Katy Perry Tickets & Good Parenting: Lessons to be Learned
North Dakota mother, Cindy Bjerke garnered oodles of online attention when she posted her daughter’s Katy Perry tickets for sale online as a consequence and called her 18-year-old daughter “a spoiled brat.” While some commended her courage and consistency to follow through with a significant consequence others condemned her for publicly shaming her daughter and […]