When my best friend’s son was about two years old, he walked over to his great-grandmother’s caretaker and gently touched her skin. “Why is your skin so dark?” asked the young boy, who is Caucasian. “I’m from Haiti,” answered the woman, “and most people there look like me.” My friend cringed, uncertain of what was coming next from her son’s mouth. “Oh,” he said. “I like it! It’s very pretty!” Not all such...
It’s hard to believe that we’re not only starting a brand new year, but a whole new decade! As you welcome in 2020, take the opportunity to put into place some of these resolutions to help both you and your family start the New Year off right. Tune in and turn off: Sure, your kids need to be told to put the phones away at the dinner table and when they’re...
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, don’t forget to focus on the traditions that bring joy and comfort to you, your children and other family members. There are several ways in which celebrating your family’s own unique traditions are beneficial to you and your children. First, holidays typically mean the coming together of family and friends with the intention of sharing loving, happy feelings and rituals. “The holidays are...
Are you anxious about hosting the perfect holiday dinner? Do you worry that your kids will be disappointed that they didn’t get the newest iPhone? Tell the truth: Is all of the pressure to be jolly making you miserable? While the holiday season is a time for family togetherness and celebration, it can also be one of the most stressful times of the year. The notion that you’re supposed to be...
With the holiday season upon us, chances are you’re spending a lot of time shopping for toys for the children in your life. “Toys offer wonderful opportunities for children to learn and explore their surroundings,” says Dr. Sue Cohen, Director of Early Childhood and Psychological Services at North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center. “They provide a great opportunity to develop motor and cognitive skills—plus, playing with your child will create...
Are you concerned about what can happen when your teen gets behind the wheel or is a passenger of a teen driver? You have good reason. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens. A big part of the problem: Drinking and driving. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 10 high schoolers drinks and drives. They also report that high school students drive...
Do you think today’s kids are ungrateful? Entitled? Spoiled? Well, in reality, that’s a complaint that adults have had since time immemorial. Young people today are probably no more or less grateful than they were a generation ago, or the generation before that, and so on. But gratitude isn’t necessarily an inherent trait. As the classic song from South Pacific says, “You’ve got to be carefully taught.” It’s important that we foster feelings...
Kids are under pressure more than ever—and at an earlier age—to get into the right school, get good grades and take part in a whole host of extracurricular activities. While none of this is bad in and of itself, what may get lost in the mix is how important it is for kids to enjoy learning—and also to create lasting bonds! “We know from experience working with young children that reading...
By Jenna Kern-Rugile, Director of Communications, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center My daughter Maya is now 19, but the questions and puzzled looks still arise at times. When I recently took her to a new doctor, for example, he walked into the office and, in a somewhat surprised tone, asked, “Are you her mother?” Yes, I am her mother. True, she doesn’t look like me. She arrived at JFK and...
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center promises to work with children and their families from birth to age 24. Does that mean babies get therapy? Well, not in the traditional model of sitting on a couch and talking about their “issues,” of course. But the Guidance Center does, indeed, provide help for the very youngest clients at our Marks Family Right from the Start 0-3+ Center (RFTS) in Manhasset. All of...