ZEYNEP OKUR GUNER, PhD

“Adolescence is the training ground for adulthood” states Dr Madeline Levine. Throughout adolescence, our teenagers have three main endeavors: -To develop an adult body -To develop an adult brain -To develop an adult sense of self and identity. Whilst our teenagers will be busy of doing all of these at the same time, our job as parents is to support them. However, developing an adult sense of self and identity involves a process called separation and individuation . Teenagers

The life of an ordinary teen or tween can be surprisingly hectic and stressful. They go to school everyday and are expected to learn a wide range of subjects-some they enjoy, some they don’t. Regardless, they must focus and perform. Psychologist Dr Lisa D’Amour offers a helpful analogy: high school is like an open buffet. In real life, we walk around, choose what we like, and leave what we don’t. In school, however, teens are presented with a buffet of subjects, but they are

In my previous newsletter, I discussed about perfectionism, how it develops and what are the consequences on our children. This week, I want to discuss practical ways we help our kids dealing with perfectionism. Before discussing what helps, it is important to start with what does not help. Any parent who lives with a little perfectionist knows that saying things like ‘Don’t be so hard on yourself!”; “Ease up a little !” does not work. These comments often make them feel mis