Monday, January 7, 2019

How Disappointment is Beneficial to Kids


Retired New Jersey-based child psychologist Beth Grosshans has more than two decades of experience. She has leveraged her extensive experience in the field to guide parents with Beyond Time Out, a parenting book that enlightens ineffective parenting approaches and provides guidance on reestablishing control. In this book, Beth Grosshans addresses issues resulting from parents exalting specialness in their kids and avoiding childhood disappointment.

Feeling disappointed is unpleasant for people of all ages since it involves feelings of loss and discouragement. Naturally, you don’t want your child to experience negative emotions such as this, but as a result, you may do everything in your power to keep your child from experiencing this particular emotion. However, disappointment plays a major role in how children develop emotionally, socially, and intellectually. 

Without disappointment, children cannot develop the tools they need to handle life’s ups and downs as adults, nor can they develop the creative thinking, emotional resilience, and collaboration skills they could otherwise rely on during the rest of their childhood and adulthood.

Instead of going out of your way to prevent disappointment in your kids, focus on teaching them how to cope with disappointment in a healthy way. To do this, you must first have a good attitude towards disappointment. Show children that disappointment is a normal part of life and that they can learn from feeling disappointed. 

It’s also important that you do not overpraise your children when they feel disappointed or save them from setbacks. Doing so is detrimental to children since these behaviors teach them to depend on praise for validation or to avoid trying new things.

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

3 Benefits Montessori School Children Enjoy


Princeton, New Jersey, clinical child psychologist Dr. Beth Grosshans has 25 years of experience working with a variety of adolescent patients and their families. Over the course of 13 years as a course instructor at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education, Dr. Beth Grosshans provided child development education to teachers pursuing work in Montessori schools. She enjoyed a strong relationship with Montessori educators for the duration of her career.

Children enjoy a number of benefits when learning in a Montessori classroom compared to students at a traditional school. A child-centered approach to learning, for example, is a cornerstone of Montessori education. Each student is afforded the opportunity to learn at his or her own pace and is encouraged to pursue topics that generate a natural curiosity. Aspects of child-centered learning can be seen in every element of a Montessori classroom, including child-sized furniture and a classroom design that puts every educational aid within the child’s reach.

Despite this highly individualized approach to learning, Montessori students also enjoy numerous opportunities for cooperative play. Every station in a Montessori classroom has been designed to facilitate a love of learning in children, while cooperative interactions provide insight into important topics, such as community building and respect for others.

Lastly, Montessori educators are regarded as facilitators of the learning experience, or guides, rather than lecturers or all-knowing authoritative figures. This approach to the teacher-student relationship, like most elements of a Montessori classroom, has been implemented so that children can form their own learning styles and continue to pursue knowledge, rather than push back against excessive instruction.

Monday, January 8, 2018

Three Must-Read Biographical Books Available in the Met Opera Shop


Beth Grosshans is a retired New Jersey-based clinical psychologist who regularly delivers presentations on child development and co-authored the book Beyond Time-Out: From Chaos to Calm. Beyond her professional pursuits, Beth Grosshans is a New York Metropolitan Opera advisory board member. 

In addition to presenting operatic performances on the stage and through TV and radio, the Met allows interested viewers and supporters the opportunity to purchase souvenirs from its Met Opera Shop. Among its books, the shop has 19 biographies, including the three below.

1. Maria by Callas - Available for $195, this 260-page hardcover biography details the life of legendary opera singer Maria Callas. It was comprised by filmmaker Tom Volf, who traveled the world to interview her closest friends, including her longtime best friend Nadia Stancioff and her favorite conductor Georges PrĂȘtre.

2. Ballerina Body - Written by celebrated ballerina Misty Copeland, this health and fitness book details secrets on how to achieve glowing health and a lean, strong body through regiments followed by Copeland as well as excerpts from her personal journal. It's listed at $30 and $27 for members.

3. Call Me Debbie - This 288-page paperback biography has the subtitle of "True Confessions of a Down-to-Earth Diva." In it, renowned soprano Deborah Voigt details her journey to stardom in a completely unguarded and revealing memoir that touches on her battles with addictions and other self-destructive tendencies. It's available for $15.99.

Monday, December 18, 2017

Opportunities for Children at Princeton Montessori School


As a clinical psychologist practicing in New Jersey, Dr. Beth Grosshans has spent many years helping children reach their potential. Dr. Beth Grosshans also serves as an instructor at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education, which trains teachers for the Princeton Montessori School. 

Using the Montessori philosophy of instilling social confidence and a love of learning, the school provides several enrichment programs for developing life and academic skills. 

One such activity is Tune in Time. A trained yoga and mindfulness teacher guides primary and middle school students through de-stressing exercises that benefit them inside and outside class. 

Eco Binding uses ecological concepts to promote awareness of natural systems. The school’s own animals and plants (including chickens and a meditation garden) create an atmosphere that facilitates appreciation for the inter-relatedness of life. 

After-school clubs also encourage various student interests. Featured 2017-2018 groups include Tae Kwon Do, basketball, rock music, chess, ukulele, and French culture. Most clubs meet weekly at 3, 4, or 6:30 pm.

Friday, November 17, 2017

Identifying the Pushover Parent


While practicing as a clinical psychologist in New Jersey, Beth Grosshans, PhD, guided a practice that met the complex needs of families, including those dealing with out-of-control children. In her book Beyond Time-Out: From Chaos to Calm, Beth Grosshans, PhD, details corrective strategies that help parents halt the transfer of power to their children and develop effective leadership skills. 

One type of parent Dr. Grosshans defines is the “pushover parent,” who takes personally their children’s protests, such as, "You're unfair!” or “You're so mean.” These and more subtle forms of resistance can result in parents ultimately giving up and telling themselves, “There’s nothing more that I can do," as they give in to their children’s demands.

Lacking an internalized power structure, parents scrabble for authority through stock phrases such as, "Santa won't give you any toys this year.” Alternatively, they may provide children with a long list of the bad things that may befall them if they don’t heed their directives, such as “Wash your hands, germs will make you sick.” Dr. Grosshans’ book provides concrete ways in which parents can use the language and behavior that is effective in rebalancing the parent-child relationship.

Monday, November 6, 2017

An Overview of the Metropolitan Opera's 2017-2018 Season


A retired clinical child psychologist, Dr. Beth Grosshans worked with children and families for more than 25 years. Since retiring from her New Jersey-based practice, Dr. Beth Grosshans has focused on writing, speaking, and supporting community and arts organizations. She currently serves as an advisory board member of the Metropolitan Opera. 

The Metropolitan Opera's 2017-2018 season kicked off on October 2 with the season premiere of Puccini's La Boheme, which features a cast led by Angel Blue, Anita Hartig, and Sonya Yoncheva. La Boheme will run at the Met through March 10, 2018.

Other highlights of the 2017-2018 season include productions of Puccini's Madame Butterfly, Mozart's The Magic Flute, and Verdi's Requiem. On April 29, 2018, the Met will also host the National Council Grand Finals Concert featuring some of opera's rising stars. 

In addition to offering regular showings of 25 operas this season, the Met will host gala premieres of Mozart's Cosi fan tutte and Massenet's Cendrillon in 2018. The gala events will feature cocktails and dinner prior to the shows and will give attendees the opportunity to support the Metropolitan Opera's programming. More information about the Met's 2017-2018 season is posted online at www.metopera.org/season.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

The New York Metropolitan Opera's Contemporary Art Gallery


Dr. Beth Grosshans, a retired New Jersey-based clinical child psychologist, has spent 25 years working with families and children. After retiring, she wrote the 2008 parenting book, Beyond Time Out: From Chaos to Calm, which connected troubling childhood behavior to parents giving over too much of their power. Outside of her child psychology and writing careers, Beth Grosshans serves as an advisory board member for the New York Metropolitan Opera. 

Best known for its stage productions, the Met Opera also features a contemporary art gallery in its south lobby. Named after advisory board director Marie Schwartz and her late husband, the Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met continues to showcase the Met Opera’s love of the visual arts. Exhibitions often feature work from renowned artists like Marc Chagall and David Hockney, while also fostering new collaborative opportunities for other artists. 

Gallery Met admission is free for both Met ticket holders and the general public. To learn more about the New York Metropolitan Opera and the Arnold and Maria Schwartz Gallery Met, visit the organization online at metopera.org.