Your child comes home from school after receiving a lower grade on a project than she expected. She feels that she did a great job and is angry and confused because she does not feel that she was graded fairly by her teacher. There are three ways she can respond to this situation of perceived injustice. She can choose to be passive, aggressive, or assertive. A child who is passive might refrain from communicating with her teacher altogether for fear of the way she might react or respond.

Your child is sitting down to take an exam. His teacher or professor walks by, drops the test on his desk, and he immediately start to panic. His palms are sweaty, and he cannot seem to remember any of the content he studied. His heart is beating quickly, and he’s starting to feel light-headed. He cannot seem to figure out why this always happens when he sit town to take a test. Does this sound like a familiar scenario for your child? If the answer is yes, the cause might be test anxiety.

The holidays are upon us, and for many it is a joyous time filled with many wonderful things. You enjoy special time making memories with friends and family. You might spend time baking, cooking, and eating delicious and indulgent holiday favorites. You and your family might also spend time searching for and buying the perfect gifts for each other to show how much you care. You might also hop from party to party to celebrate the season amongst close family and friends.

“You just don’t understand me at all!”
“You never listen to anything I say!”
“Everyone is smarter than me!”
Chances are that if you have been caught in an argument with your teen that starts with one of these polarizing statements, you have found it quite tricky to get out of.