Building Strong Families

Children Caught in the Middle

When a family is going through a divorce, it is recommended to keep children out of the middle – that doesn’t always happen and can create a difficult situation for the family.  There are research-based recommendations for improved communication and decision-making that can deal with the conflict in a constructive manner.

Anxiety Levels of Children

We have learned that the anxieties of children are rising as they watch us view the news  and our horror at the Boston Marathon bombing, the school shootings, and the mobilizations and invasions for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars in recent years. Children’s fears can rise to unhealthy levels. Might children wonder about their own safety at school?

Information for parents and teachers to use in preventing or responding to those fears.   (PDF format)

Children Imitate Adults’ Reactions to Scary Events — Unsettling Times can be Opportunity to Teach Kids Emotional Self-Control (2 pages, 63 KB)
Age Differences in Children’s Understanding of the War on TV  (1 page, 82 KB )
How Children of Different Ages Show Anxiety and Stress (2 pages, 79 KB) 
8 Things You Can Do to Reduce Children’s Fears About War (1 page, 80 KB) 
Other Concerns (1 page, 85KB) 
Responding to Scary Events (3 pages, 83KB)

 More information is available at Purple Wagon – a site for people interested in parents and children and their explorations and discussions of war, terrorism and peacemaking.

Family Resiliency – Building on Family Strengths

Find out if your family deals with the crisis like a rubber band or a toothpick.  Research tells us there are key elements that are critical to building strong families.  This session will give you ideas of how to start to build on your strengths to make even stronger family relationships.