Formerly practicing in New Jersey, child psychologist Dr. Beth Grosshans is author of the parenting guide, “Beyond Time Out: From Chaos to Calm.” Before her retirement, Dr. Beth Grosshans sometimes consulted with families of children and teenagers who were argumentative, defiant, and angry.
Such behaviors can be a sign of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Estimates of this disorder’s prevalence among children vary considerably (1%-16%), but boys are more likely to have it than girls. For both boys and girls, having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, or other mood disorders increases their chances of also having ODD. Although children are sometimes naturally strong-willed and emotional, parents should be concerned if the following actions last longer than six months: easily triggered temper, touchiness, quickness to feel resentments, and frequent arguments with parents and other persons in authority. Other indicators range from refusal to obey requests and blaming others to vindictive and deliberately annoying behavior. Two theories have been developed to explain ODD. Developmental theory posits that as toddlers, children had difficulty transitioning to a life independent of people with whom they formed attachments. Alternatively, learning theory maintains children learn to behave oppositionally in order to get attention. This is a habitual response to their parents’ negative reinforcement of these actions.
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Dr. Beth Grosshans is a retired clinical psychologist who focused her career on child psychology. A former member of the New Jersey Psychological Association board of directors, Dr. Beth Grosshans has shared her professional expertise as the author of the book Beyond Time Out: From Chaos to Calm, wherein she provides parenting advice.
Sound parenting advice not only deals with how to raise and discipline a child, but it also involves what not to do. Nowadays, many people may hear and read the term “helicopter parenting.” But what does it really mean? Many, if not all, parents want to be closely involved in the growth and development of their children, thinking that their unwavering support is crucial. While this is true to a point, too much of anything can be harmful. Helicopter parenting was first coined in a 1969 book by Dr. Haim Ginott, Parents & Teenagers. It was derived from the way teenagers described how their parents would hover like helicopters, closely watching their every move. Generally, helicopter parenting refers to the parenting style wherein parents tend to be overfocused on their kids and their activities. Helicopter parents have a tendency to be overprotective and overcontrolling. They can be perfectionists, too. When these parents are asked why they do what they do, they will naturally say they just want the best for their children. However, despite the good intentions, this parenting style can backfire. Children with overprotective and overcontrolling parents may grow up with lower self-esteem and confidence than their peers. They may also develop anxiety, fearing that they will make a mistake along the way. They may further have lower coping and adjustment skills, and may exhibit self-entitlement. Based in Newtown, Pennsylvania, Dr. Beth Grosshans is a retired clinical child psychologist. She spent 25 years in the field as a clinician, as well as 13 years as an instructor at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education in Princeton, New Jersey. In addition to her clinical and academic work, Dr. Beth Grosshans authored the parenting book Beyond Time Out: From Chaos to Calm. Beyond Time Out focuses on the central struggles of today’s parents despite the depth of parenting information and resources available. The book maintains that the ultimate cause of friction, and ultimately chaos, involves parents and guardians ceding too much control to their children. Issues of imbalanced family power (IFP) have steadily increased over the last four decades, as parents offer unconditional love and frequently attempt to shield their children from any kind of disappointment. Parents should, of course, demonstrate love and strive to protect their children. However, this behavior can allow children to assume a powerful position in the household, to the detriment of family dynamics. Furthermore, children in IFP households do not enjoy their powerful position, but rather demonstrate a wide array of clinical behaviors, from oppositional disorder to chronic anxiety. Beyond Time Out offers parents practical insight into managing and, eventually, overcoming instances of IFP. The book contains an entire chapter dedicated to various parenting styles and how they can be effectively implemented without exacerbating IFP. The book also includes a five-step strategy to be applied to disciplinary measures as a means of both altering negative behavior and resolving IFP in the long run. Now retired from private practice in New Jersey, Dr. Beth Grosshans provided clients with psychological assessments, interventions, clinical training, and consulting services. She also taught at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education. A child development specialist, Dr. Beth Grosshans co-authored the book Beyond Time-Out: From Chaos to Calm. Written in answer to the lack of discipline causing children to become out of control, Beyond Time-Out: From Chaos to Calm argues these problems arise from the self-esteem parenting culture that has arisen in the past few decades. The book also highlights the power struggle within the family that often leads to unhealthy behaviors. The first section tackles four different types of parenting approaches that have a negative effect on child's discipline: the pleaser, the push-over, the forcer, and the outlier. Explaining these parental responses in detail provides new understanding of issues with children and how to address them. The second section concentrates on disciplining children, focusing on how parents acting confidently in their role as authority figures can restore power to the parents and allow each child to develop into a mature adult. Dr. Beth Grosshans offers clinical training and seminars in New Jersey as a private consultant to schools on child development issues. Drawing on over two decades of experience as a child psychologist who has worked with parents and children, Dr. Beth Grosshans authored a parenting guide titled Beyond Time-Out: From Chaos to Calm. The book identifies power dynamics in families and provides guidance to parents on how to create boundaries and become more effective leaders. According to the book, children often demonstrate unruly behavior due to Imbalanced Family Power (IFP), which occurs when parents become too focused on protecting their children's feelings by always giving in to their wishes. These habits reflect a shift in parenting advice over the last 40 years, during which time parents have been encouraged to emphasize a child’s “specialness” and to offer unconditional love instead of discipline. However, this advice inadvertently transfers power from the parent to the child, creating behaviors that mimic the symptoms of psychological disorders. Children may exhibit behaviors such as anxiety, insecurity, and hyperactivity. Beyond Time-Out provides parents with practical solutions for resolving parental mistakes that contribute to IFP and addresses the resulting behavioral and emotional challenges among children. The book contains chapters on parenting styles designed to identify dominant relationship patterns and a five-step disciplinary strategy. Clinical psychologist and author Dr. Beth Grosshans has over 25 years of experience in the field of child development. An Ohio State University alumna, Dr. Beth Grosshans is now focused on writing books on the subject.
Recent studies are finding that a crucial element of healthy development in childhood lies in the amount of sleep that children get each night. In June of 2015, professionals gathered in Seattle for the SLEEP 2015 conference, and discussed the consequences of poor sleeping habits in children of all ages. It has been previously established that sleep is necessary for the storage of long-term memory, but recent data has revealed that deep sleep may be the period of time a child’s brain uses to “clean: itself, flushing out unnecessary information. Additionally, sleep is needed to provide children’s growth hormones with an opportunity to take root. In addition to being a contributing factor to diabetes and obesity, a recent study suggests that getting less than eight to 10 hours of sleep per night may make teenagers more prone to poor decision-making. To promote better sleep habits in adolescents, experts suggest limiting technology use and sugar intake prior to bedtime. |
AuthorExperienced Psychologist Beth Grosshans Lectures on Child Development Archives
January 2020
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