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About Dawn Hartnett
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 Ms. Hartnett
received her Master in Social Work from Boston
University. She specializes in child development and family
dynamics
and uses a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approach to solving problems
with families and children. Her counseling experience
includes
children, adolescents, families and parenting. She is a
bright,
outgoing person who can be both fun and supportive. |
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Behavior Management
- Substance Abuse Treatment
- Autism / PDD
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- Routines help your child to gradually learn to do
some things
almost automatically. When daily activities such as bathing,
dressing
or getting packed for school are more automatic, your child can do them
more easily, without as much messing up, getting distracted or
sidetracked.
- Routines help establish
expectations. Parents
still have to maintain routines and watch for follow through, but they
are not giving directions at every step. Consider the
difference: "Now
put on your left sock, now your right sock, now your pants." Vs. "What
is your routine? Ok, good, what do you do first?
Right! Go ahead
now." The responsibility for following the routine falls more
on the
child and the parent is freed from the role of the 'bad guy.'
The
child also can feel more in control of herself, which is an enormous
boost to her self-esteem and sense of competence.
- Routines
help children who have trouble remembering instructions, or who have
difficulty with multistep instructions. When you leave the
room and
you are not available to repeat the instructions, a routine (when
finally learned) can help a child remember the sequence.
Repeating
instructions or standing over your child becomes frustrating for both
you and him. Eventually, routines can help reduce nagging and
reminders. Begin by writing down the steps of the routine,
for
example, or having some way for you child to remember which steps to
follow and in what order.
- Routines can reduce anxiety and
stress for your child. Routines ca help to keep kids out of
trouble.
For example, bedtime might be a difficult time for your child, because
it is hared to wind down, or let go of wanting to be with
parents. In
addition, your child might get ready for bed in a different order each
night. Arguing or nagging might create stress and anxiety as
well.
Following the same routine can be relaxing, because both you and your
child know the order of the steps.
- Routines can also help to
avoid some (not all) power struggles. Some children,
especially those
with attention problems, receive many commands, reminders and
nagging.
They begin to tune out, and may be less likely to do what we
want.
They may even become negative, defiant, or oppositional with their
parents. This creates a cycle, because parents become more
likely to
nag, remind, and feel critical and frustrated with their children.
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Ms. Hartnett
received her Master in Social Work from Boston
University. She specializes in child development and family
dynamics
and uses a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approach to solving problems
with families and children. Her counseling experience
includes
children, adolescents, families and parenting. She is a
bright,
outgoing person who can be both fun and supportive.