What causes teenagers to run away from their homes?

From a psychological perspective, the main task for an adolescent to achieve is finding themselves and making sense of their own adult presence in this world, that’s why they try to dress differently and love to explore new things. Erick Erickson (1902-1994) called this stage of adolescence Identity versus role confusion; meaning at this age the person will be in constant search of their own unique identity and when they fail to do so or it clashes with parents’ values and beliefs, role confusion sets in and may even lead to an identity crisis.

Any place where children gather can be a medium for bullying. It can be at school and afterschool camps, but it can also occur during family gatherings, birthday parties, or any social events for children.  Different socio emotional capabilities and lags, personal struggles and self-esteem are major factors.

Parents, caregivers, educators and healthcare providers all work together and play crucial roles in bullying prevention. We are the adults present during these social challenges and we have to be prepared and know how to respond.

 How to ease separation anxiety?

"Infants have two principle tasks to accomplish", say Greenspan and Lieberman (1989). The first is to achieve homeostasis which is a balance between needs and assimilations like being hungry, thirsty, wet...etc. The second task is forming an attachment to the primary caregiver which is in most cases the mother and in other cases the grandmother, the father or a babysitter.

I always wonder why do women think it’s a competition for a better mom?? Is it because of the historical best mom contest? Or is it just pure female competitiveness?

Whatever it is, we as mothers have a serious impact on the world, and that’s what we should be focusing on!  For the future will depend on generations we are raising today.

When you go to any large spacy outdoor public area, just sit on a bench and observe the surrounding children. They have this amazing ability to very happily entertain themselves and each other with absolutely no tools or toys within sight, just the brilliance, and richness of the outdoor environment.  Even if this space was only concrete, observe how children come into it with wide-open eyes, with happy curiosity as if they are little scientist exploring an interesting discovery.

Spoon feeding your children till they are six or seven? Opening the TV to distract your child while feeding? Running after your child to take a bite while they are playing around in the club?

Anger and aggressive behaviors are very noticeably on the rise. Could it be all the junk food and unhealthy habits? Could it be the recent stressful events all over the world? Are our blooming generations angrier than we were as children?

The traditional scene in most Egyptian homes is the daily quarrel and nagging about completing the child’s homework however boring or tiresome it may be.  Mothers complain all the time about how they spend hours of their precious lifetime with their children to reinforce them to complete their assignments.

Early literacy is regarded as the best investment in enabling children to develop skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. If you give it a deep thought you will notice that reading smoothly and loving to read is the key to academic success which consequently leads to self confidence and a strong personality.

Second Pregnancy? Worried about your first child?

During the first pregnancy, the mother is usually preparing her body for the changes, reading about breastfeeding, wondering how she will cope with the sleep irregularities and of course learning how to change the diapers. The second time around, the mother is usually not worried about all of these already acquired experiences, but is mainly focusing on two things; How she will cope with two children of different ages and needs at the same time and how her older child will react to the new addition to the family.

The phrase “Time out” has been overused and misused by parents and educators lately. Teachers, mothers and caregivers should refrain from using this strategy up until a certified therapist adequately coaches them. And it is very important that they combine “time out” with positive procedures that may teach new skills and prevent misbehavior.

 Before marriage all potential parents are dreaming of their honorable offspring and vow on how they will be raising a strong personality or a hero.

 A lot of mothers decide not to work in order to be there for their children. Then their dream comes true and reality steps in. They are truly blessed with a wonderful girl or boy but day after day the challenges are faced quite differently and the stay at home mom is overwhelmed by feeding and cleaning and totally forgets nourishing her child’s soul and personality, while the exhausted father comes home angry and doesn't want to be disturbed by a whining child.

As a family counselor and an early childhood education provider, I have increasingly noticed a third entity creeping its way into the families we serve. It is truly a smart entity as it has a very clever way of creeping into your life.

The beneficial side is far more clear and evident than the side effects and it has a mysterious way of coming into your family and filling your life with so many joyous services that you cannot refuse.

Visualize a playroom at a nursery where there are different and variable play centers. An art center, with a variety of art materials; colors, paper, paint brushes, glue, and glitter. A reading center where there is a collection of age appropriate books, a drama center, including a lot of pretend clothes and costumes, and a building block center full of colorful blocks.

What do you think happens when a group of children enter such a room….????

"Help me I'm so confused, I don't know which school to choose for my child". This is what a lot of parents come up to me asking every year at this time of school enrollment applications. So let's organize our thinking and form a guide for every parent to use on this school hunting mission.

Today’s parents are increasingly becoming interested in educational methodologies and gradually and increasingly believing in the importance of early childhood education. It is increasingly more acknowledged that the first five to six years of life are really crucial to the child’s development. The brain cells are multiplying at a very high speed specifically during the first three years of life.

Every spring, which is usually when mothers start thinking of getting rid of their child’s diapers, I am bombarded with young mothers, all asking the famous question of “When should I start?” They ask it with a huge expression of guilt and confusion on their faces and when we talk further, they explain how some surrounding people, most commonly from the older generation are exerting loads of pressure upon those new seemingly but not actually inexperienced mothers.

A universal question goes on in every mother’s head. Is my care at home more favorable? Will I be harming my child if I send him/her to preschool? Will I be hindering my child’s development if he stays at home?

"We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun……" These are the only words I remember from this song which are somehow linked to happy memories of my childhood and mostly about playing in the sun.

Nowadays, the quick pace of life and the daily challenges parents have to go through; I really doubt that a lot of parents can provide their children with happy joyful non electronic quality play time.

When you go to any large spacious outdoor public area, just sit on a bench and observe the surrounding children. They have this amazing ability to very happily entertain themselves and each other with absolutely no tools or toys within sight, just the brilliance, and richness of the outdoor environment. Even if this space was only concrete, observe how children come into it with wide-open eyes, with happy curiosity as if they are little scientist exploring an interesting discovery.

I can never tell anyone what to celebrate and what not to celebrate. For some reason a lot of Egyptians have lately decided to celebrate Halloween every year. Anyway, what I care about immensely is the child's well-being and stability, so I decided to speak about this every year before the great Halloween preparations start.

Dear Parents,
 
Wishing you and your lovely families a blessed Eid full of joy and family happiness. Here is my opinion on several questions I receive every year at this time of Hajj;

Clinical depression is actually a widespread problem among children, but the symptoms are often disguised, and parents may find it difficult to identify it.

Many people dismiss the concept of depression in children as ridiculous, and they have trouble figuring out what a child could possibly be depressed about.

Dialogue with children:  have a serious talk with children about their ideas about something of importance.

The Ramadan countdown has started. Some parents are absorbed with preparing for the feasts, some are worried about if their children could handle the fasting and some are just happy that Ramadan is approaching but are not really planning on how to prepare the children for it.

Prepare your child

  1. Take your child to visit the school a couple of times before the scheduled date. For example when you are paying the fees or getting the uniform.
  2. Take a tour of the school, show your child his/her class, the bathroom and the playground.

Dear Parents,

Egyptians have been going through more than two years of continuous agony and a challenging degree of stress. The mere instability of the daily life and not knowing what to expect just a day ahead is emotionally stressful for any human.

Egypt is going through a very difficult, challenging and emotionally exhausting time. Our daily lives are being affected; routines are disturbed in addition to the major stress of not knowing where this is all going.

 دائما ما أتساءل لماذا تعتقد السيدات أنها مسابقة لإختيار الأم الأفضل؟؟ هل يرجع ذلك للمسابقة التاريخية لإختيار الأم المثالية؟ أم هي مجرد تنافسيه أنثويه بحته؟

  أيا كان السبب، نحن الأمهات لنا تأثير خطير على العالم، وذلك هو ما يجب التركيز عليه! لأن المستقبل سوف يعتمد على الأجيال التي يتم تربيتها اليوم.

هل لا زلتي تطعمين طفلك في فمه حتى مع بلوغه سن السادسة أوالسابعة؟ هل تقومين بتشغيل التلفاز لإلهاء طفلك حتى تنتهي من إطعامه؟ هل تجري وراء طفلك أثناء لعبه في النادي ليأخذ قضمة من طعامه؟

تعتبر تلك المواقف من السلوكيات الشائعة في الثقافة المصرية. فمن أحد المتطلبات اللازمة للحصول على لقب "الأم المصرية الجيدة"، تغذية الطفل حتى ظهور علامات امتلاء الخدود وثنايا الفخذ.

خلال الحمل الأول تنشغل الأم بإعداد جسمها للتغيرات الجديدة، فتقرأ عن الرضاعة، وتتسأل عن كيفية التعامل مع عدم انتظام أوقات النوم، وبالتأكيد عن كيفية تغيير الحفاضات .

أما في المرة الثانية، فلا تنشغل الأم بمثل هذه الأمور لأنها أصبحت خبرات مكتسبة، وتركز على أمرين أساسيين: أحدهما هو كيف ستتعامل مع طفلين بأعمار واحتياجات مختلفة في نفس الوقت. والآخر هو رد فعل الطفل الأكبر سناً تجاه الإضافة الجديدة إلى العائلة. ومن الأمور الشائعة أيضاً قلق الأم حول مدى قدرتها على حب طفل آخر بنفس القدر. أو شعرها بالذنب في ألا تحب طفلها الثاني، وكأنها تخدع طفلها الأول.

قبل الزواج يحلم جميع الآباء والأمهات، باعتبار ما سيكون، بذريتهم المشرفة الجديرة بالاحترام ويقدمون العهود حول كيفية تنشئة شخصية قوية أو إعداد بطل.

 قررت كثير من الأمهات عدم العمل حتى تكون متفرغة لأولادها. وبالفعل تتحقق أحلامهن، ويرزقن ببنت جميلة أو ولد رائع، لكن يوماً بعد يوم تواجههم تحديات مختلفة كل الإختلاف. تغرق الأم ربة المنزل في إعداد الطعام والتنظيف وتنسى تماماً تغذية روح طفلها وشخصيته، بينما يعود الأب المستنفذ إلى المنزل في حالة من الغضب، لا يرغب  في الانزعاج  بأنين الأطفال. يفترض كثير من الآباء والأمهات بطبيعة الحال أنه لأنهم جاءوا بهؤلاء الأطفال إلى العالم، يعني ذلك أنهم امتلكوهم، فعادتاً ما نقول "ابني" بظن منا اننا لدينا من الحرية ما يكفي أن نفعل ما نختاره لهم. لكن على العكس أيها الآباء والأمهات الأعزاء:   

 في هذه الآونة يتزايد عدد الآباء المهتمين بالمنهجيات التعليمية وتدريجياً يتزايد إيمانهم بأهمية التعليم في مرحلة الطفولة المبكرة. كما يزيد الإدراك بأهمية الخمس إلى الست سنوات الأولى من عمر الطفل التي تعد سنوات حاسمة من حيث نمو الطفل. تتضاعف خلايا المخ بسرعة فائقة خاصة في السنوات الثلاث الأولى من الحياة. وفي هذه المرحلة المبكرة يتجه الطفل نحو التحكم أكثر فأكثر في مهاراته البدنية وكذلك تفاعله الاجتماعي مع البيئة المحيطة. (داروش 1907)

عند بداية فصل الربيع حين يبدأ الجو في التحسن، تبدأ أيضاً معظم أمهات الأطفال الصغار في التفكير في تدريبهم على استخدام المرحاض والاستغناء عن الحفاضات، ولذلك يبدأن في طرح السؤال المعتاد "متى يجب أن نبدأ؟" وقد يبدو الشعور بالذنب والحيرة على وجوههن مما يواجهونه من ضغوط خارجية غالباً ما تكون من المحيطين من كبار السن.

تبدأ الدراسة وتعلو معها صوت الأمهات صباحا داخل البيوت لاستيقاظ أولادها وإنجاز مهامهم سريعا لتجنب التأخر على موعد المدرسة.

هذه المعركة تحدث كل عام وتتسبب في الخروج من المنزل للأولاد والآباء وهو في حالة من الضيق، لذلك تقدم دكتورة منى يسري أخصائية طب نفسي للأطفال 8 خطوات سحرية تخلصك من هذه المشكلة عن تجربة ولاقت نجاح كبير مع كل من إتباعها.

بعد انتشار خطف الأطفال، ومشاركة حوادث الخطف على صفحات التواصل الاجتماعي والسوشيال ميديا.. أصبحت هذه القضية تمثل ذعر وقلق دائم للآباء والأمهات، ويتساءلون كثيرا عن كيفية حماية أبنائهم من الخطف، خصوصا بعد تفنن الخاطفين في ابتكار طرق جديدة لجذب الأطفال لهم  لخطفهم بغرض التسول أو بيع أعضائهم البشرية.

انتشر العديد من الفيديوهات على صفحات »السويشال ميديا« عن تحرش بعض الأشخاص بالفتيات الصغيرات التي لا تتعدى أعمارهم الـ6 سنوات، مما أثار ذعر الأمهات وأصبحن يتساءلن عن كيفية حماية أطفالهن من التحرش.

الشائع في المجالات التعليمية هو قياس كل الأطفال بنفس المقياس علي نوع محدد وواحد من الذكاء وهو الذكاء الأكاديمي ، بمعني قياس القدرة علي تحصيل مواد ثابتة بطريقة موحدة. هذا الأسلوب أثبت انه ظالم لكثير من الطلاب فالمستفيد الوحيد منه هو الطالب ذو الذكاء اللغوي والذكاء المنطقي؛ وبالتالي معظم المدارس تتبع اسلوب تدريس موحد وكأن كل الطلاب يمتلكون نفس البنية العقلية وأسلوب التفكيروطريقة الاستيعاب.

 لاحظ العلماء هذا الاختلاف ومن بينهم هاورد جاردنر ( صاحب نظرية الذكاءات المتعددة ) ، فيحلل جاردنر ان هناك ٩ انواع من الذكاء وهي:

تمر مصر حاليا بأوقات عصيبة مليئة بالتحديات والمشاعر الانسانية. لقد تاثرت حياتنا اليومية بالأحداث التى نمر بها، اصيب برنامج حياتنا اليومى بالتشتت، بالإضافة الى الوقوع تحت ضغط كبير بسبب عدم علمنا الى اى مدى ستنتهى بنا الأحداث.