List by Tag: Children

What To Tell Our Kids About The Sandy Hook Shootings

By James Smithers | Published: December 19, 2012 |

In the aftermath of the horrific events that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School last week I felt it important to address how we as parents can help our kids process what happened to the 20 beautiful children and 6 teachers that lost their lives in this unimaginable tragedy. Our first instinct, as parents, [...]

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Spending Time With Dad Improves Self-Esteem In Teens

By Polaris Counseling | Published: December 5, 2012 |

A recent study from Pennsylvania State University found that teens who spent more time alone with their fathers had higher self-esteem and the more time they spent with their dads in a group setting, the better their social skills. The study, published in the Journal of Child Development, found that kids spend less and less [...]

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Can you sign up or go to sessions on your own without being 18 years old?

By Polaris Counseling | Published: October 30, 2012 |

Good question. In a nutshell, if you are under the age of 12 you must have parental consent to receive counseling services. If you are between the ages of 12-17 years old you can receive up to 5 counseling sessions before parental consent is legally required. The minor’s parents shall not be informed without the [...]

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Our President And His Son Are Climbing Kilimanjaro!

By Polaris Counseling | Published: May 17, 2012 |

To celebrate his son’s golden birthday (he is turning 12 on the 12th July, 2012!) our president, James Smithers, and his son are climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Amani Children’s Home in Tanzania, Africa. They have climbed in New Zealand and South America and are avid backcountry campers. Kilmanjaro stands at 19, [...]

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Schoolyard Bullying: No Longer the Stereotype

By Polaris Counseling | Published: May 7, 2012 |

A recent study commissioned by CNN and conducted at The Wheatley School in Long Island, New York, set out to understand more about the bullying epidemic that is consuming our schools nationwide. The study included more than 700 students who were given a survey with 28 questions on aggressive behavior four separate times throughout the [...]

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Spanking: Can It Make Our Kids More Aggressive?

By Polaris Counseling | Published: March 8, 2012 |

A recent study published in the journal, Aggressive Behavior found a link between spanking and aggressive behavior in children. The study, that analyzed data from children between the ages of 9 months and 5 years of age, showed a significant increase in aggressive behavior in boys if they had both a genetic predisposition for aggression [...]

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10 Safety Tips for Halloween

By Polaris Counseling | Published: October 31, 2011 |

Halloween is here again! The kids are excited to go to school to show off their latest scary (or cute!) costume and parents brace themselves for the annual onslaught of sugar charged manic little monsters, vampires, ladybugs and princesses roaming the neighborhood! There is no denying that Halloween is one of the most fun and anticipated days of the year for our kids [...]

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Children as Young as 4 can be Diagnosed with ADHD

By Polaris Counseling | Published: October 18, 2011 |

The American Academy of Pediatrics has changed the diagnosable age range of children struggling with ADHD from 6-12  to 4-18 years old. The changes reflect ongoing research that suggests symptoms of ADHD are evident at a much earlier age than previously thought and continue into the adolescent years. Although it is fairly common for teens to be diagnosed [...]

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