The Family Center: enrichment programs for families and professionals
Ten Ways to Beat Procrastination and Achieve New Year's Resolutions - Good Intentions Are Not Good Enough
Ask the Expert: Anna Russo, NLP Master Trainer, Author, and Life Coach
Q: I'm a working mom, married with three children and started off the New Year with good intentions to exercise, make time for myself and spend more time with my family. The months are flying by and I haven't kept any of my New Year's resolutions. I feel like I've everyone down, especially myself. What suggestions can you give me to get back on track?
A: When it comes to getting results, just good intentions are not enough. What's missing is a system. How about a no-nonsense action plan that is written and specific?
Teaching to Share through Tea Time
ASK THE EXPERT: Gabriela Boddy, party planner and etiquette enthusiast
Q: My 7 year old daughter has been talking about having a tea party but I don't know where to start or if she is old enough for it?
A: Your daughter is at the perfect age! Make it a fun, learning experience for both her and her friends. It's also a great way to let them use their creativity and introduce etiquette into their young lives. The time together in preparing for and hosting a tea party relies on many skills, writing, socialization, decorating and baking, etc.
Teen Drinking and Driving
ASK THE EXPERT: Peter 
Tucker, M.D., Family Medicine, Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe.
Q: Every day it seems there is a terrible story about teenage drinking and driving that usually ends in a horrible tragedy. I know I can't think for my teenage son when he's about to do something stupid, but how can I stress the affects of alcohol without sounding like I am preaching?
A: You have plenty of reason for concern. Recent studies show that even if a teenager never gets behind the wheel of a car when drinking, the long-term effects of drinking at a young age can be just as bad.
Collaborative Problem Solving: Reducing or Eliminating Meltdowns or Explosions
ASK THE EXPERT: Ted Kasper, MA, LMSW
Q: I think that my 7 yr old is capable of making some of her own decisions. How can I help her solve her own problems without having a meltdown or a behavioral "explosion"?
A: Helping your child become an active part in solving her own problems is one of the more important things that you can teach your daughter. The earlier in life that our children can begin to solve their own problems, the better are the chances of success in later life.
Read more: Collaborative Problem Solving: Reducing or Eliminating Meltdowns or Explosions
Helping Your Child Manage Anxiety
ASK THE EXPERT: Susan Fell, LMSW
Q: Is anxiety normal?
A: Experiencing anxiety is a normal part of being a healthy person. Anxiety is our mind telling our body to "pay attention!" Children experience productive anxiety before they take a test, compete or when they are faced with a difficult decision. Successfully working through these moments helps children increase resiliency and stamina.
What You Don't Know Can Hurt Them! From Jail Cells to Brain Cells: Teens and Substance Use Disorders in the New Millenium
Ask The Expert: Mark Menestrina, MD, Brighton Hospital
Q: Is teen alcohol and drug use really a problem?
A: Teens are especially vulnerable to alcohol and other drugs. The pre-frontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for executive decisions and judgment, is not fully developed until a person is in their twenties. Early use of substances is predictive of subsequent Substance Use Disorders. In addition, when teens use substances, the results can be especially tragic. Barbara Madras, of the Office of Drug Control Policy, has said, it is no longer a war on drugs, rather, a defense of our young peoples' brains!
Are Your Kids at Risk? - A Local Resource
Ask The Expert: Lynda Zott, BSW, CPC-M
Q: A friend of my son is in trouble with the law over drug use and has been sent to a youth diversion program in our community. What is this program?
A: Youth Assistance Services (YAS) offered by CARE (Community Assessment Referral and Education) has served the families in Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods since 1991. The Youth Assistance Program for males and females ages 9 to 16 years and the Young Adult Diversion Program for males and females ages 17 to 20 years acts as a diversion to help prevent juvenile delinquency and is designed to address status offenses such as curfew violations, retail fraud, minor in possession of alcohol or other drugs, destruction of property, etc. It offers those who have committed first time offenses an alternative to the Wayne County Juvenile Court.
Cyber Bullying
Ask The Experts: Kathy Rager, Executive Director, CARE
Q: My 10 year old child has been picked on by a group of kids at school. Now he is beginning to receive threatening emails. I have been told to have my child handle it but he is scared and does not seem to have the skills necessary to address what is becoming a more serious issue. Help!
A: When I started teaching parenting classes 22 years ago, it was common for parents to share stories of their children getting "picked on" at school. My advice was the classic, "tell your children, sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me." Boy was I wrong. Words, and they have gotten meaner do hurt, and words often lead to physical abuse.
Help Your Teen Build A Better Body Image
Ask the Experts: Melissa Mueller, DO
Q: My teenager spends an incessant amount of time getting dressed - she complains that everything makes her look fat, but she really is a normal weight. Is this typical teen behavior?
A. While your daughter's body may be healthy, what's not healthy is her body image - the way she sees herself - and how it affects her sense of worth. Many teens start to struggle with their body image as they begin puberty.
Mayo Clinic's New CPR Technique Video
Save a life with this continuous-compression, no mouth to mouth method that delivers a constant supply of blood to the brain. You'll have ten minutes to keep someone alive while EMS arrives.
Dear Friends of The Family Center
The Family Center is excited to be entering our 9th year of service to the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods communities! We are a local, community-based organization whose goals are geared to benefit our local community. Consider donating "local" this year by supporting The Family Center. By supporting The Family Center, you, in turn, support your community.
Kroger Community Rewards Program Changes
Kroger's Community Rewards Program makes fundraising for The Family Center automatic every time you use your Kroger Plus Card.
Starting April 1, 2010, everyone who uses their Kroger Card to donate to The Family Center must go online and re-assign The Family Center (#83811) as their preferred charity. This can only be done through the Kroger Community Rewards website. You will need to enroll online to continue contributions to The Family Center, so we encourage all our members to do so as soon as possible.
In order to do this, CLICK HERE re-enroll on line. If you already have a sign-in, enter your login info; if you don't have a username and password, just follow this "Sign up today!" link.
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