Author Archives: Gretchen Derda (Woosley), MSW, LCSW
Turn Off the Screens
Summer is here. School is out. And so it begins. The arguments over the video games, smart phones and computers are in full gear. So here is my advice: Turn off the screens. Just turn them off. No debating. As … Continue reading
Children and Pets
I am an animal lover. I always have been. I believe one of the greatest gifts parents can give to their children is the experience of having a pet at some point in their childhood. Having a pet gives a … Continue reading
Kids and the Value of Work
One of the benefits of having practiced for 30 years is that I’ve been able to see parenting trends emerge and change over several decades. Some of the changes have been good ones, like the trend against using corporal punishment. … Continue reading
No Trash Talk
One of the most disturbing things I hear from children and adolescents is that they are upset because their separated or divorced parents talk in a rude or disrespectful way about each other to the children or in their presence. This experience … Continue reading
Building Self-Esteem in Kids
One of the most frequent concerns I hear from parents is that their children struggle with low self esteem. We ‘re all worried that our kids don’t feel good enough about themselves. It seems to me that this is a … Continue reading
Talking to Children about Separation and Divorce
One of the most difficult life experiences for a child is having their parents separate or divorce. Most children want their parents to stay married. And that is true even if the marriage has been unhappy. Divorce is extremely difficult … Continue reading
Parenting Through Separation and Divorce
One of the most difficult times to parent is when one is experiencing a breakup of the parental relationship. Parenting requires such physical and emotional energy and when a parent is depleted of both, due to their own emotional turmoil, grief, … Continue reading
We’re all in this together!
I love this video! Parenthood is too difficult a job to be in competition with each other. We need one another. We’re all in this together.
Summertime Conversations
Here in Charlotte we’re now about a month into summer. Perhaps it’s time to think about how you are using the extra time and freedom from strict school, work, and sports schedules. During the school year parents are usually very focused … Continue reading
To All the Dads…
Happy Father’s Day!
Gretchen Derda (Woosley), MSW, LCSW 
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