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Author Archives: Dr. Sayers
Gratitude Doesn’t Stop in a Pandemic
Just as many of you do, I reflect on the blessings in my life every Thanksgiving, This year, it feels important to name them in a more official way and so, here goes: Continue reading
Resilience During the Pandemic
I was feeling mightily sorry for myself the other day. My job is incredibly hard right now, harder than it has been at any other time since I became a licensed psychologist 28 years ago. A couple of other notably difficult times come to mind: the weeks after the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on American soil and the weeks following the 2016 presidential election. Neither of those times comes anywhere close to the challenge I face in my work with clients these days. Continue reading
Posted in Elementary/Lower School, High/Upper School, Middle/Junior High School, Young Adult
Tagged anger, coronavirus, COVID-19, goals, gratitude, pandemic, politics, resilience
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No Summer Camp? Now What?
Never have I been happier that my kids are young adults. As summer approaches, and it looks more and more likely that summer camps will be closed or operating with a significant reduction in both campers and hours, I am … Continue reading
LET ME OUT OF HERE!
I have a problem. For the first time, I am starting this post with no clear ending in sight. No clever title (yet), no poignant vignette. I’m only about 82.7% sure about the point I’m trying to make. I’m writing this post to help me gain clarity about a problem that is brewing in my household. Continue reading
Posted in High/Upper School, Middle/Junior High School, Young Adult
Tagged collaborative, coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic, problem-solving
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The Going’s about to Get Tougher
We are starting week 8 of the COVID-19 stay-at-home order in Pennsylvania where I live. For many reasons, the past 7 weeks have been challenging for parents. Kids who are bored, trapped inside, missing their friends and their activities, and expected to attend virtual school are not going to be pleasant much of the time. Brace yourself, Moms and Dads, because I think your job is getting ready to become even harder than it has been. Here’s why: since the stay-at-home orders were put into place, parents could defer to a “higher authority” when placing coronavirus-related limits on their children. For example, when a teenaged girl asks if she and a few friends can pleaaaaaaase go to the park to shoot some hoops, dads have been able to “blame” the governor when they have to say no. When a little boy says to his mom, “I know for a fact that Joey and Juan are having playdates,” she can tell him that the parents of those children are violating the governor’s orders. Continue reading
Talking to Kids about COVID-19 (and other tough topics)
Be truthful.
Be measured.
Be empathic.
Be empowering. Continue reading
Practicing What I Encourage
Let’s remember to practice gratitude, kindness, and self-compassion and recognize that we are all in this together. We will be more unhappy if we focus exclusively on the negative. Let’s do our best to fight that temptation. This is a good time to start a daily practice: make note every day of at least one thing that brings you joy or peace or fills you with gratitude. Share your appreciation with others. Post it on Facebook and Instagram. Tweet it. The virus doesn’t have to be the only thing spreading around right now! Continue reading
Posted in Children of all ages
Tagged blessings, COVID19 pandemic coronavirus dialectic, gratitude
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The Power of “And”
No one alive today can remember living through something like the COVID19 pandemic. We are all navigating new terrain. It is steep and rocky, and there are venomous snakes. Let’s be gentle with one another. Let’s help each other over the boulders and crevices. Let’s not be critical when someone needs to take a rest. Let’s validate each other’s complaints, even though we’re also hot and tired and hungry and afraid. Even when we are tired of hearing them. Let’s keep in mind the fact that we are much more likely to get to the other side of this if we work together and hold each other up from time to time. And let’s remember that this is really, really hard AND we can do it. Continue reading
Bah, Humbug!
‘Tis the season to be jolly. Yes, well, and stressed, tired, overfed, overindulged, greedy, spoiled, and cranky. No, I’m not a Scrooge, but I spend a lot of my time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s working with families who really … Continue reading
What Kids Want Us to Know 