The term “helicopter parent” was first used in Dr. Haim Ginott’s 1969 book Parents & Teenagers by teens who said their parents would hover over them like a helicopter. It became popular enough to become a dictionary entry in 2011. Helicopter parenting most often applies to parents who help high school or college-aged students with […]

As a child, making friends is as easy as running up to the closest kid on the playground and asking them if they want to play. As kids get older, there are plenty of opportunities to make new friends in school activities and sports. Often, the same kids they played with on the playground are […]

Wouldn’t it be nice if when we turned 18 and crossed that threshold from childhood to adulthood, someone handed us a handbook that included everything we needed to know? Unfortunately, there is no handbook for adulthood, but there are some life skills that every young adult should know. Transitioning from Childhood to Adulthood Becoming an […]

A milestone of adulthood is heading out to your first job interview. It can be exciting as you take a step towards financial independence, but it can also be a little nerve wracking if you feel unprepared. It is normal to feel nervous for your first job interview, but with some guidance, you can feel […]

Wilderness therapy can be a life-changing experience for young adults. After spending weeks in nature reconnecting with themselves, a positive peer group, and their families, your young adult may feel ready and excited to come back home. Or they may not. A wilderness therapy program is a safe space for many young adults, and for […]

Integration into the community is a vital component of transition planning for individuals leaving residential treatment. Transition programs help young adults get involved in the community by developing a resume of work experiences, meeting role models in the community, and exploring new hobbies. Recreation activities help young adults develop a positive self-concept through meaningful experiences […]

Many parents believe that their child’s behavior issues will be just a phase they grow out of when they are older. They see risk-taking and hopelessness as a rite of passage for adolescents, but begin to worry when their young adult is continuing to struggle with the same issues. Researchers suggest that most young adults […]

While most psychologists agree that human development is a process that unfolds in stages, they have attempted to define these stages by pointing out typical milestones that mark this transition. Using milestones to determine one’s level of “progress” is helpful when comparing people to each other, but it also sets young adults up for social […]

Many young adults who are struggling with failure to launch syndrome find that moving to a new city pushes them out of their comfort zone, but that this move was necessary for them to gain independence. Choosing a transitional living program outside of their hometown gives them distance from stressors and unhealthy friendships and allows […]

Transitional programs help young adults take accountability for their actions and take on more responsibilities in their lives, through work, school, and community living. With less supervision than traditional residential programs, transitional programs allow for more room for personal growth and help young adults meet their basic needs in healthy ways. The transition to adulthood […]