Dopamine is the source of drive, motivation, desire, and wanting. When dopamine is compromised, we lose our drive and motivation. Yes, if hungry, we will still eat. We just won’t put much effort into eating well. Open the bag of chips, order a pizza, and we are still sitting on the sofa.
There are more toys, more gadgets, more clothes, more electronics, and more to do than most of us could even have imagined 20 years ago.
As kids get older and mature with a dysregulated set of behaviors and emotions, home life can get miserable. Equally important, the child’s life is on a trajectory of misery and struggle, and no one wants that for their child. Thus, we must think about what genuinely changes an out-of-control child and that brain that is causing such misery at home…
As a psychologist now focused primarily on changing brains in measurable ways using Neurofeedback, I get calls weekly from parents or adults asking about the impact of Neurofeedback on distractibility, attentional problems, focusing issues, and over-activity.
Leaders nurture a positive vision and keep their focus there. Children need parents who have a vision of just how good the family can be.
Go the other way. Seek growth over comfort. Do: Don’t talk about doing. Practice good ideas rather than forgetting them. Write down all the good stuff, so you can cherish all that you have the good fortune to experience. Allow life to share some of its abnormally sweet rewards with you.
For you, how many times have you sought out good information and then ignored it? You listened to an inspiring Ted talk and then forgot about it by bedtime.
Let’s consider giving and gratitude. The very act of giving, when offered without hope for reward or return, brings fascinating benefit. Even when feeling some ‘lack’ in our lives, these moments of giving yield a reward of immense gratitude, instantly and automatically. It just flows into us with overwhelming feelings of warmth and appreciation.
We are creatures of familiarity. We tend to seek out the same experiences, over and over, regardless of whether those experiences are fulfilling. We can be quite dissatisfied, frustrated, anxious, or depressed, and yet we tend to repeatedly turn to the same solutions.
We want our children to be strong, resilient, and eager to tackle the challenges ahead. So, let us discuss how to get there.
Life is often challenging. Few argue with that conclusion. And what is needed in those challenging moments is not a wimpy attitude and more whining. Despite this, many of us are raising our children to be wimps. They tend to lean away from challenges, from struggles, and effort. This rarely works out well.
Temper tantrums are a topic of perennial relevance, except more now than ever. Why? Because Covid has pushed the limits of many homes, with children and teens learning to ‘rule the roost’ through demand and tantrums.
Dr Cale’s Special Report
Here’s why: Most parenting advice fails to touch the surface of what really works. My newsletters are chock full of practical, proven guidance that everyone can put to use! It’s real… and it works!
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Dr Cale’s Special Report
But you just aren’t sure how you can help your child lose the unwanted weight and feel good about themselves. You just aren’t sure how you can encourage them to get healthy and develop good eating habits.
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Dr Cale’s Special Report
** Please double check for accuracy. Your privacy is SAFE. We will NEVER sell/rent/give away your information.
Dr Cale’s Special Report
And then there are the ballistic, severe out-of-control tantrums! Such extreme tantrums evolve for various reasons. Frequently, I see these extreme tantrums with certain strong-willed or more oppositional children.
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Dr Cale’s Special Report
** Please double check for accuracy. Your privacy is SAFE. We will NEVER sell/rent/give away your information.
Dr Cale’s Special Report
They think they should be intervening earlier to resolve issues for their children. But most parents don’t intervene until the conflict escalates, then they yell and threaten.
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Dr Cale’s Special Report
Getting a handle on the core parenting tactics that turn the picky eater into a healthy eater is priority one.
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Dr Cale’s Special Report
** Please double check for accuracy. Your privacy is SAFE. We will NEVER sell/rent/give away your information.
Dr Cale’s Special Report
There are a variety of reasons that could cause such an escalation in anger. The purpose of this article is to dispel a critical myth, and to make certain that parents become aware of the patterns of their own behavior, which can increase and escalate anger.
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