Articles by Khadijah Booth Watkins and Gene Beresin

March 31, 2022

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Self-Esteem: How do we build our kids up? – Shrinking It Down

Low self-esteem gets all of us down at one point or another. For kids, the goal is to help build them back up. Lots of things can lower our kids’ self-esteem like body image, cyberbullying, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and surprisingly, guilt (along with lots of other things!). This week, Gene and Khadijah break down […]

March 24, 2022

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Low Self-Esteem: Where Does It Come From and What Can Adults Do to Help?

You can also listen to more about self-esteem below, or ‘Shrinking It Down’ wherever you get your podcasts. Let’s consider two adolescent scenarios. First, Sasha: Sasha was born a worrier. She’s always been a shy, sensitive kid with a lot of anxiety. Luckily, she’s had supportive family members, friends, and teachers, who have gently pushed […]

March 17, 2022

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Ukraine: What Do We Tell Our Kids? – Shrinking It Down

The crisis in Ukraine feels to many like the straw that broke the camel’s back. Between the COVID pandemic, systemic racism, the climate crisis, and now the war in Ukraine, the world may feel increasingly unsafe. Very young children, though, actually respond more to their adults’ distress than to the tragic events themselves. That said, […]

March 3, 2022

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Body Image and Young People featuring Dr. Holly Peek, MD, MPH – Shrinking It Down

Turning on TV, opening a magazine, or going on our phones these days, kids are overwhelmed with images showing us what we should look like. Even on “reality” TV, none of the people look like your average person. With all of these images circulating in our everyday lives, it is easy for any of us […]

March 1, 2022

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Manejo de la ira: cómo ayudarlo a usted y a sus hijos a mantener el control

Todos se enojan de vez en cuando, tanto los padres como los niños. La ira es una emoción normal que forma parte de la respuesta de “lucha o huida” . Esto significa que es una emoción que nos informa que algo en nuestras vidas es amenazante, frustrante, perturbador o injusto. Muchas situaciones nos hacen sentir enojados, como conflictos en […]

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

P + R: Una vez que haya descubierto que su hijo adolescente está usando Marihuana y lo haya confrontado, ¿cuál es el siguiente paso que se recomienda?

No es inusual descubrir de una forma u otra que su adolescente está consumiendo alguna sustancia. Las sustancias más comunes son el alcohol y la marihuana. Si bien esta pregunta es sobre la marihuana, tengamos en cuenta que el uso de cualquier sustancia es preocupante en un niño. La mayoría de los padres tendrán muchas preocupaciones. ¿Con qué […]

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

El impacto del divorcio: todos los niños solo tienen una niñez

Navegar por el divorcio es un problema y una responsabilidad de los adultos. Sin embargo, con demasiada frecuencia los niños se ven atrapados en el fuego cruzado del conflicto matrimonial de sus padres. Durante un divorcio, es comprensible que los adultos se vuelvan ensimismados. De hecho, pueden concentrarse tanto en su propia tristeza, y preocupaciones que sin darse […]

February 17, 2022

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Alcohol and Adolescents, featuring John F. Kelly, PhD, ABPP – Shrinking It Down

Did you know that 3 out of 4 addiction cases in the U.S. are alcohol addictions, and kids who start drinking before age 15 are significantly more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder than those who wait? Alcohol causes more deaths each year than all other drugs combined, including around 5,000 deaths to children […]

January 20, 2022

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Is Your Child Struggling With School Refusal? – Shrinking It Down

Does your child get stomachaches at the thought of going to school? Does your younger child throw temper tantrums? Does your teenager spend all day in the school counselor’s office, or even refuse to leave the house? When kids struggle to go to school, it can be a challenging situation. And nearly two years into […]

December 31, 2021

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Take a Cup of Kindness (musical interlude) – Shrinking It Down

As we lead into a New Year, we wish you and your loved ones physical and mental wellness. It has been a challenging two years, with more challenges to come. But together, we can manage this. So for tonight, unwind a bit if you can, draw strength from memories past, and look forward to a […]