Dr. Tammy Dobbs

09/17/2023

A coping toolbox is a great thing to have on hand to help your child calm down and express their emotions in a healthy way. If you saw my last video about strong-willed, leader-type children, I mentioned how having a coping toolbox is an excellent strategy for those big emotions normally seen in children with this type of personality, but really anyone could benefit from a coping toolbox.

Why are coping strategies important?
Coping strategies help us deal with, work through, or process our emotions.

Why would you need a coping toolbox?
The toolbox is great to have on hand when your child is having trouble calming themselves. They might be expressing themselves by crying, yelling, or having a meltdown. The toolbox can help ground your child in the present moment and can give them a sense of control. It also triggers positive, healthy thoughts.

Whats in the coping toolbox?
The toolbox doesnt have to be a box, it can be a bag or something that can hold a few items. Typically, the box will have items from the 5 senses. I recommend adding some pictures that make your child feel happy. Maybe photos from a fun family vacation or a picture of their pet. You can add something soft, something to squeeze, and something to smell.

Make it a family activity and create a toolbox together. You can have your child decorate their box and add items.
Share in the comments some items your family chose.

09/15/2023

Do you have a strong-willed, leader-type child, new to school? Those long days and new schedules can be challenging. Here are a few coping ideas to help your little one succeed!

Disclaimer: Confidentiality of my patients is of the utmost importance. The family mentioned in this post is a friend and happily agreed to share their struggle with their strong-willed child, new to kindergarten.

04/14/2023

Anxiety and the mind body connection. Here are a few tips on how to manage those pesky physical symptoms of anxiety!

02/23/2023

Physical and Psychological Benefits of Mindfulness and Movement.

Resources
How Can I Help My Child Be More Physically Active?, American Heart Association
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-children

02/16/2023

Mindful Minute - Butterfly Body Scan

02/16/2023

12/09/2022

Psychological PROS & CONS of telling your children about Santa Claus...

PROS:
1. Parents want to capture the magic of Christmas
2. They want to share their childhood Christmas experiences
3. Children will behave better in order to secure a gift
4. It tests their beliefs in being watched by "Santa Claus" an un-observable person"
5. Research found that promotion by parents of Santa was less significant but a significant predictor was the number of live exposures to Santa which increased belief that Santa is real, regardless of age(Goldstein & Woolley, 2016)

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROS:
1. Identifying boundaries can be increased between fantasy and reality
2. Behavioral change - allows child to reflect on their self-motivated behavior
3. As children develop cognitively- they come to understand the myth of Santa Claus and that he must be fictional (Goldstein & Woolley, 2016)
4. Children can learn that multiple representations may not generalize how they view Santa Claus and they can still adopt the view that Santa Claus is real (Rhemtulla & Hall, 2009, as cited in Goldstein & Woolley, 2016)
5. The disbelief in Santa maybe related more to cognitive changes and personal experiences rather from parental testimony
6. Imagination and pretend-play are regarded as milestone's in child's development (Lillard et al., 2011, as cited in Thibodeau et al., 2018)

CONS:
1. Children may resent their parents
2. Children may become skeptical on their parents judgments in other areas
3. Source of confusion - child is exposed to many different live Santa Clauses (malls, parades, parties) which can lead to further confusion that there cannot be multiple Santa's (Goldstein & Woolley, 2016)

PSYCHOLOGICAL CONS:
1. Possible delay in cognitive development - due to difficulty for children to discern fantasy and reality

Check the comment section for references

12/09/2022

The Santa Dilemma

11/18/2022

One of the questions most parents ask me is how to keep their child from leaving the table during a meal and also, how to get them to try new foods. With many family gatherings taking place soon, here are a few tips you can start now to help your little one! Do you have any tips you use with your children? Leave them in the comments below!

11/11/2022

Our office is thankful for our Veterans!
What is your family thankful for?

11/04/2022

Listen and learn how to connect with your child or teen before bedtime!