Youth & Education - Dr. Frances Mills-Yerger [CITYSunTimes September 2009]

Frances Mills-Yerger, Ph.D. is a retired marriage and family therapist and is the founder, facilitator and program director of Workshops for Youth and Family based in Scottsdale, where she inspires confidence-building character through workshops.
For information, visit orho.org or call 480.882.6011.

This Fall, Explore The Great Outdoors

The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department will feature dozens of guided hikes, interpretive programs and outdoor classes throughout the City’s mountain preserves and the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project this fall.
Park Rangers at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project are offering a series of outings that will get visitors into this rare, new, river habitat that is home to dozens of bird species. The grandeur of South Mountain Park will be the background for sunset and full moon hikes among many others.
Many outdoor programs are specifically geared for kids and families including the Junior Ranger Program and Dutch oven cooking, and there are interpretive programs that allow children to learn about the Sonoran Desert and get up close to living desert animals.
To register, visit phoenix.gov/parks and select the “Classes and Programs” link.

CITYSunTimes Web Exclusives September 2009
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YOUTH & EDUCATION

How Are Your Kids…With Others?
By Frances Mills-Yerger, Ph.D.

For kids, it is that time of the year again. School has begun and navigating social interactions is one of the most complex tasks that human beings do. Not only back to facing academics, but encountering a diversity of new and old friends that can cause a certain amount of stress and fear. Our ability to strengthen our social skills is important at every age as we learn how to get along with others – whether it includes friends or family. When we have difficulty functioning socially, often life does not go smoothly. Good social skills include things such as cooperating, compromising and respecting the personal space of others.
Recognizing whether your child has social skill deficits could be valuable in guiding them to develop new patterns of interactions with peers and family. Socially anxious children are overly cautious, in part due to fears of how others will think of their actions, which leads them to avoid social situations. They may have poor impulse control and social problem-solving skills due to hyperactive and impulsive Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder. Some of these patterns result in a vicious cycle where the negative social interactions continue to foster a belief by the child, peers and teachers that they can’t get along well with others.

Recognizing whether your child has social skill deficits could be valuable in guiding them to develop new patterns of interactions with peers and family.

Parents can do a lot to help their children develop good social skills throughout their school years. Kids learn a lot from what they see with their friends, on TV and most of all from their parents. Ask yourself if you are modeling positive relationships within your own family. Another approach is to take the time to teach your children to communicate their desires assertively and without anger or whining. One way to do this is to respond to requests only if they are made in a friendly tone of voice and to ignore them if they are not, making sure to praise the specific behaviors you like. And last, help them develop friendship skills by discussing ways to be a good friend and by giving children lots of practice through play dates and other social activities.

YOUTH & EDUCATION Web Exclusives | CITYSunTimes September 2009