Month: <span>March 2023</span>

Challenging children Child Counseling Family Therapy Parenting By Jeffrey LaPonsie 0 Comments

Using the PRIDE Skills during Play

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based treatment that aims to improve the relationship between a parent and their child. One of the key components of PCIT is the use of PRIDE skills, which are techniques that help parents build positive interactions with their children. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the PRIDE skills in PCIT and how they can benefit both parents and children.

PRIDE stands for praise, reflect, imitate, describe, and enjoy. Let’s break down each of these skills and explore how they can be used in PCIT:

Praise: This skill involves giving specific and positive feedback to your child for their good behavior. Praise can help build your child’s confidence, encourage positive behavior, and strengthen your relationship with them. When using praise in PCIT, it’s important to be specific about what behavior you’re praising and to use an enthusiastic tone of voice. For example, “Great job sharing your toys with me!”

Reflect: This skill involves repeating back to your child what they’ve said to you, to show that you’re listening and to help your child feel understood. Reflecting can help your child feel heard and validated, and can also help prevent misunderstandings. When using reflection in PCIT, it’s important to use the same words your child used and to maintain a calm and supportive tone of voice.

Imitate: This skill involves copying your child’s behavior to show that you’re interested in what they’re doing and to help them feel connected to you. Imitating can help your child feel validated and can also encourage positive behavior. When using imitation in PCIT, it’s important to be playful and lighthearted and to follow your child’s lead. For example, if your child is playing with blocks, you might start building your own tower.

Describe: This skill involves narrating your child’s behavior to help them learn new words and concepts, and to encourage positive behavior. Describing can help your child feel heard and understood, and can also help them develop their language skills. When using description in PCIT, it’s important to be specific about what your child is doing and to use a supportive and encouraging tone of voice. For example, “You’re stacking the blue block on top of the red block!”

Enjoy: This skill involves having fun with your child and enjoying positive experiences together. Enjoying can help build your relationship with your child and can also help them develop positive memories. When using enjoyment in PCIT, it’s important to be present in the moment and to focus on having fun with your child. For example, you might play a game together, go for a walk, or have a special snack together.

By using the PRIDE skills in PCIT, parents can strengthen their relationship with their child and encourage positive behavior. These skills can also help parents develop their own parenting skills, improve their communication with their child, and reduce their own stress and frustration. Overall, the PRIDE skills are an essential component of PCIT and can benefit both parents and children in many ways.

jeff laponsie LMSW kalamazoo therapyJeff LaPonsie is a clinical social worker at Kalamazoo Child and Family Counseling, PLLC. He provides counseling to children and families in the Kalamazoo, Portage, Mattawan, and the South West Michigan area. He is passionate about helping challenging children and frustrated parents. Jeff has over seven years of experience working with at-risk youth. His clinical expertise includes providing play therapy with children with behavioral, anxiety, attachment and trauma-related disorders.

Anxiety COVID-19 Family Counseling Family Therapy Parenting • By Jeffrey LaPonsie 0 Comments

4 Tips To Get A Good Night’s Sleep

In today’s world, getting the right amount of sleep, not to mention good quality, can be very difficult. Below are some ideas on how to get the best sleep you can. 

Avoid Food and Drinks That Keep You Awake

Coffee, pop, tea, and chocolate all have caffeine levels that can interfere with sleep. It is helpful to avoid these items a few hours prior to going to bed. 

Promote a Sleeping Environment In Your Bedroom

  • A dark, cool room with temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees can help you fall asleep.
  • Blackout curtains help remove any light streaming in from windows.
  • White noise machines are useful if sleeping in total silence is difficult.
  • Use your bed for sleep only—this will help your body attribute the space to somewhere you go when it’s bedtime. 

Establish a “Getting Ready for Bed” Routine 

When you do the same low-strain activities right before bed, your body will start to recognize that these activities signal it’s almost time to go to sleep. Common calming activities include:

  • Brushing your teeth.
  • Taking a bath.
  • Practicing mindfulness and deep breathing exercises.
  • Reading a book. 
  • Avoiding any activity that will power your brain up such as:
    • Talking about emotional issues.
    • Exercising.
    • Working.

Watch Screen Time Before Bed

It is helpful to be mindful of how much screen time you engage in two hours prior to going to sleep. The blue light that is found in phones, tablets, computers, and TVs can trick your body into thinking it’s daytime and can increase alertness in the body. This makes sleep more difficult or of less quality. 

References:

Healthy Sleep. (2007). Twelve simple tips to improve your sleep. Retrieved from http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/overcoming/tips

Yeager, A. (2017). Evening screen time can sabotage sleep. Retrieved from https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/evening-screen-time-can-sabotage-sleep

Challenging children Child Counseling Family Counseling Family Therapy Parenting • • By Jeffrey LaPonsie 0 Comments

5 Ways to Communicate With Kids Effectively

Sometimes, it can be difficult to talk to kids in effective ways that promote growth and understanding. Below are five tips to help you communicate more successfully with children.

Understand when to connect and disconnect

Every person needs time to be with others and to be alone. It is helpful to communicate with kids when adults need time to themselves. This way, adults set boundaries and kids can learn to as well through the adults’ examples.

Take ownership for your part

When repairs need to be made in a relationship, it is important for adults to be the ones to make amends. The adult can start by taking responsibility for their part of the issue. This teaches kids to take ownership for their actions or words as they see the adult doing this again and again.

Ask clarifying questions

If things are difficult to understand as the adult, ask the child questions to be able to really comprehend where they are coming from. This can be done by reflecting what they said or by summarizing what they communicated to determine if the adult understood it correctly.

Collaborate with kids

When discussing ways for kids to do better next time, include them in the dialogue. The adult can ask the child if they have any ideas on how the situation could be improved for the future. Including children in the decision making will help them be more invested in the result.

Set emotional boundaries

When talking to kids, it is important to be neutral and connected instead of overly emotional or anxious. By staying neutral, adults give kids a calming presence to help ground them. This also helps communication start off on an effective note.

Do you need help communicating better with your kids? Check out our page on challenging children: https://kzoofamilycounseling.com/index.php/jeff-laponsie-family-counseling/counseling-for-challenging-children-teens/