It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Dr. Deb Parker. Deb passed away on May 2nd, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was an integral member of the team here at the Willow Centre, before
Parent Infant Program Announced
The Willow Centre is pleased to announce the introduction of a new program beginning January 2015 for parents with infants from birth to 18 months of age. Details on the Parent Infant Program are here. Please contact us to register.
Hoarding Food
Q
Our nine-year-old daughter has developed a habit of storing food in her backpack. We’ve also found several bagels in her dresser. We’ve explained why it’s wrong to waste food and said that she should return uneaten items to the fridge, to no avail. She is otherwise a very kind, thoughtful child who helps choose her lunch each morning.
Assault Aftermath
Q
My preteen daughter was the victim of a sexual assault. No sex took place, but the man touched her. I am happy to say that the man who did this was arrested and will be tried. But how do I go about talking to her about this? Social workers and psychiatrists are not available in the isolated community where we live.
Lying
Q
Although we stress the importance of honesty, our 12-year-old daughter is continually lying — even about the most trivial of transgressions, like taking her brother’s video game on a sleepover without asking first. When she’s caught in a lie, her first line of defence is to cover it up with another lie.
Overly Attached to Sibling
Q
Our 11-year-old daughter will not go anywhere, other than school or the sitter’s, without us or her 13-year-old sister. She tells me she’s not comfortable attending a birthday party or even visiting a friend’s house by herself. However, if I take her to these events, she has a wonderful time.
Junior High Anxiety
Q
This is my 11-year-old daughter’s first year in junior high. Although nothing is really different, she has begun complaining that she doesn’t want to go. When I ask her what’s wrong, she says only that she doesn’t like what they are doing in gym. Moreover, this past weekend she didn’t want to visit her dad. (We’re divorced and have had shared custody for the past four years.) Her father and teacher are also at a loss to explain what’s going on.