Dr Jennifer Smith - Educational, Developmental and Counselling Psychologist

Children environment genes Parents Teenagers

Are kids leopards? Or hydrangeas?

August 8, 2019

Linda plonked herself down with a weight of dejected sadness. “A leopard can’t change its spots! Do you really think a child can change his spots? To be honest, I’m not sure why I’m here. There’s no point. He’ll never change.” Her ‘leopard’, 13-year-old Sam, “had always been difficult”. Linda made the appointment because his inflexible, explosive behaviour had deteriorated progressively, together with his oppositional defiance, and “the family can no longer stand it”. “At the moment I don’t like…

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