DECIDING TO BECOME A PARENT
Parenting a child is a lifelong commitment. This can be one of life’s most exciting as well as complicated decisions. It often brings many initial questions and concerns:  Will I be able to conceive or should we adopt? Will we know what to do when the baby arrives? Will I or my partner need to give up or change career plans?  How will a child impact my life and my relationships with my partner, family, and friends?

These questions can create confusion and stress. Openly exploring your feelings and concerns with an experienced therapist can help you to sort things out and move ahead.

INFANT AND TODDLER PARENTING
The developmental stages for babies and toddlers move so quickly that just as you become comfortable with one stage, you are faced with the next hurdle...toilet training, sleeping patterns, learning to share, tantrums, separation issues, starting preschool etc.  As a new parent you may be experiencing feelings of ineptness, frustration, and isolation. These feelings can diminish your pleasure in parenting.  Emotional support from a therapist can restore balance, energy and joy.

EARLY SCHOOL YEARS
The search for the right school for your youngster can be an anxiety laden experience for many...the effort and worry about the right match, wondering if your child will be admitted, and the increased separation can be painful. Others in authority now make important daily decisions for your child that you are used to making. Letting go is hard. Objective feedback from a professional can give you the freedom to make decisions with greater confidence.

PARENTING YOUR TEENAGER
Navigating adolescence is challenging for both parent and teenager. You have little control over the new world your child is encountering. Their hormones are flooding, their bodies are changing. They are increasingly affected by their peers and outside influences.  They are immersed in a high tech, fast moving world with internet, instant messaging, ipods and cell phones; in a culture that bombards them with images of sex and the availability of alcohol and drugs. They are becoming more independent while still needing your guidance. You wonder how to help them manage choices regarding school, friends, family, social activities, sex and the use of substances. They may have learning issues or concerns about body image and eating. They may have anxiety about their sexual orientation or adoption history. You and your teen could be having a hard time maintaining open, honest, respectful communication.

A neutral setting with an experienced family therapist can help you negotiate important decisions and boundaries with your adolescent while maintaining a strong positive connection. We can provide that setting for you in meetings alone with a counselor, with your teen, or in a group with other parents.

Help and support for all of these parenting stages are available through Metropolitan Psychotherapy and Family Counseling Practice (MPFC). Contact us at 212-228-2929.