As a mother of two kids, Dr. Roots understands first-hand how hard the transition can be from child to teenager.
From Playgrounds to Platforms: Helping Kids Navigate Modern Friendships
As Inflection-aged kids move from proximity-based friendships to interest-based connections facilitated by social media, parents should emphasize the importance of communication, compatibility, and boundaries.
Beyond the Vote: Helping Kids Make Sense of Election Emotions
Parents should guide kids through the post-election charged atmosphere by nurturing empathy and resilience. Encouraging open conversations about values and emotions helps kids build a strong sense of civic identity, preparing them to engage with the world thoughtfully and compassionately.
When You’re the Wrong Parent to Parent
Parents cannot meet all their kid's emotional and physical needs alone. Encouraging kids to build relationships with trusted adults outside the family ensures they have additional resources to help them navigate the inflection years' dramatic changes.
Embracing Defiance: Understanding Your Child's Developmental Process
A child's defiance during the inflection years is a normal and necessary part of development: Parents can remain connected with their kids by initiating awkward conversations, being vulnerable, and admitting to their fallibility.
Setting Limits on Social Media: A Guide for Parents
Parents and caregivers should blend empathy, honesty, mutually agreed-upon boundaries, and incentives to protect their kids from the harmful effects of social media and excessive time on screen.
Introducing the “Inflection Years,” a new series for fellow parents of tweens
The inflection years – when a child begins to seek validation from their peers rather than their parents—an increasing, social media-driven phenomenon.
Additional helpful reads
Articles for caregivers and young adults from Bend.
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