I work closely with parents of kids as young as 4, and I often have parents ask me if their expectations are too high. Should I expect my 5 year old to help with chores? Should my four year old know not to do that? Each child is different, and you will end up shaping your expectations around your children as they grow and develop. But below are a few unrealistic expectations for children that I've seen or heard in my practice:

Teenagers sleep A LOT. And they need to! Teens, with their ever developing bodies and brains, need at least 9-10 hours of sleep a night. They tend to function better at night than in the morning. But even with all of this, it is important for your teens to function and participate in the mornings at your house. So if your teen needs some help in waking up at a more respectable time, here are a few tips.

As a therapist, I coach a lot of parents on how to take the positive perspective on their child. Your kid called their teacher a b****? Well at least we know she can express herself! Your four year old had a melt down at the store and then told you it was because they were sad? Good for them on recognizing that emotion! Positive praise is so crucial for increasing compliance in your children. You want to be able to take that outside perspective. But to increase rule following behaviors in young children, it is important to find effective consequences along with positive rewards...   

We can't always predict when there will be a change to our schedule, our plans, or our life. But it's important to recognize that pre-schoolers may have a particularly hard time with changes both expected and unexpected. Read below for a few tips on how to set your preschooler up for success.