Posts by Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker
Helping Your Preschooler Cope with Loss
Preschoolers’ understanding of death is in a tricky developmental stage. With infants and toddlers, physical affection and consistency are key; while this is also true with preschoolers, the verbal aspect…
Read MoreHelping Your Infant or Toddler Cope with Loss
No matter how young someone is, they will grieve the loss of someone close. Even your infant or toddler will experience a sense of loss when a person who has…
Read MoreDecoding the Language of Text
IMO, it seems like every week there is a new “newest” and must-have phone, tablet or technological gizmo on the market. Speed and convenience have grown in importance, and the…
Read MoreTalking with Kids of All Ages about Tragedy
As a parent, how do you explain an event as tragic as the Connecticut school shooting to a child, when you can hardly make sense of it yourself? All of…
Read MoreTalking with Your Teen
Banging your head against a brick wall may feel like a welcome relief after trying to get a response to the question, “How was your day?” from your teenager. While…
Read MoreCommon Communication Pitfalls
We’ve all experienced that moment: Open mouth. Insert foot. “Why did I SAY that?!”. Most of the time, we recognize when we’ve said something hurtful, harsh, or untrue. We are…
Read MoreThe Language of Play
Among young children, play is not only a form of entertainment, but a source of expression for feelings and thoughts, a mode of learning, and an important aspect of healthy…
Read MoreResponding to Insensitive Adoption Questions
The adoption experience may lead you to feel like you and your family members are part of an exclusive “club” – one which many people find mysterious and fascinating, and…
Read MoreFeeling Part of Extended Family
Everyone on my mom’s side of the family has the same nose – the “Foster” nose. I always noticed this as a child, how similar they looked. Mostly, I think…
Read MoreTalking About Birth Parents and Identity
Talking with your child about his or her birth parents can be a delicate topic. You may know a lot about your child’s history, or nothing at all. You may…
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