Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) can cause a child to frequently exhibit anger, irritability, and defiance against their parents and other authority figures. Children with this disorder often argue and act spitefully or vindictively, making it difficult to maintain relationships and causing issues at home, at school, and in other areas of life.ODD Causes & Risk FactorsResearchers are still working to...[ read more ]
If your child regularly misbehaves, you may have wondered whether they’re simply acting out or suffering from conduct disorder. But what is conduct disorder, exactly, and how can you tell whether your child has it?Conduct disorder is a mental health condition that can cause various behavioral and emotional problems involving a disregard for others. Individuals with conduct disorder often find...[ read more ]
Parents face challenges at every stage of their child’s development, and infancy (birth to 1 year of age) is no exception. Here are some of the obstacles commonly faced when children are at this age, as well as some helpful parenting tips:Exhaustion – Regularly feeding, burping, changing, bathing, and soothing an infant leaves little room for sleep, so it’s no...[ read more ]
Living with a disability brings with its daily challenges. Sometimes those challenges can feel overwhelming and even demoralizing.Because of this, it is common for people with disabilities to suffer from mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. This is particularly true for children and teenagers who, according to researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago, are five times...[ read more ]
Adopting a child can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life. Opening your home and heart to a child in need often leads to a bond that enriches both the parent and the child’s life.But sometimes the road to “happily ever after” is paved with potholes. Sometimes adoptive children suffer from attachment issues, which means they have an...[ read more ]
As a parent, you want to do everything you can to protect your child from harm and make sure they grow up healthy and happy. You make sure they wear a bike helmet and knee pads, but if they do take a tumble and break an arm, you immediately seek medical attention.Some “boo-boos” aren’t as noticeable as a broken bone, but these...[ read more ]
We take it for granted that babies grow into little people that eventually know how to talk. We don’t typically send them to language school and they don’t order “Rosetta Stone – Human Adult Language” courses online. Babies normally pick up language all on their own.There have been different theories on how children learn to speak, and while we don’t...[ read more ]
Childhood can be a time of great wonder and joy. But for some, childhood is fraught with ugly family or school situations that overwhelm and depress developing psyches.Adults who are having trouble in their lives can often get help by speaking with a trained therapist. But young children can find it difficult and even scary talking to anyone about their...[ read more ]
As a parent or caregiver, it can be difficult to know the right thing to say when kids question what we deem to be adult topics. Broaching topics of sexuality can be awkward for both parties, however, it is a necessary conversation to have.When it comes to talking about homosexuality and transgender individuals, children should be given age-appropriate information so...[ read more ]
Divorce isn’t easy for anyone, but children can take it particularly hard. Many children don’t understand what is happening and many more feel the divorce is somehow their fault. Here’s how you can help your child cope:Communicate OpenlyThe divorce should be explained in simple and straightforward terms. If at all possible, both parents should be part of the conversation. Your language...[ read more ]