Parenting Journals

Category: Kids

  • 5 Common Baby & Toddler Care Myths Debunked

    By Tim Shanley If you’re a new parent, there are plenty of resources to turn to, but how can you be sure you’re following the right advice? Today, there are thousands of websites, blogs, online publications and magazines dedicated to baby and toddler care. And then there are the “old-fashioned” sources such as books and […]

  • Sugar Overload: Do You Know How Much Sugar Your Kids Are REALLY Consuming?

    Sugar and spice and everything nice. Isn’t that how the saying goes? We associate sugar with all that is good. We call people and actions sweet. We reward our children with sugary snacks when they do well. Who else remembers focusing on the lollipop prize for sitting still at the barber or being good at […]

  • Diabetes On the Rise: How to Minimize Your Kids Risk

    When we discuss type 2 diabetes we often picture older adults struggling with declining health and “later-life issues”. This narrative never really transferred over to kids in the past in the manner it does now. The common understanding was that children develop type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes was reserved for adults. However, today’s […]

  • Are Organic Snacks REALLY Healthy?

    As parents, we want the best for our children – and that includes stocking the fridge and the pantry with the right meals and snacks. However, as functioning adults in the 21st century, we also know that there is barely enough time between work and life demands to create every meal from scratch. So, what […]

  • How to Help Your Kids Develop Healthy Habits

    By Lisa Pecos In a world where screen time has almost completely taken away play time, helping your child develop healthy habits is more important than ever. Healthy eating and regular physical activity can improve your child’s physical and emotional health, giving them the best chance for a happy and successful future. Getting your kids […]

  • Ways to Prevent Homesickness When Your Child Goes Away to Camp

    By Lisa Pecos Summer camp is where some of our best childhood memories are made. Days are jam-packed full of fun and adventures, yet for some children, this isn’t enough to stop them from feeling homesick. Most children will feel homesick at some point when away at camp, but for some it can turn what’s […]

  • 6 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe and Healthy This Winter

    6 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe and Healthy This Winter

    By Jamell Andrews I know it’s early in the summer season but when winter brings with it the allure of freshly fallen snow and all kinds of fun cold-weather activities that children love. Unfortunately, it can also be a time of viruses and bacteria that lead to colds and flu. Use these tips to help […]

  • Sticker Shock for Those Considering Starting or Expanding Their Family

    By Lisa Pecos If you’re considering starting a family, chances are that you’ve given some thought to the extra expense that having a child will add to your responsibilities, but exactly how much it costs may surprise you. A report just released last week is giving wannabe parents a bad case of sticker shock, reporting […]

  • 6 Fun Fall Activities for Families

    By Jamell Andrews Summer may be coming to an end, but that doesn’t have to mean making life all about school and work. The season of falling leaves and all things pumpkin-spice offers a whole slew of fun, family-friendly activities to enjoy. Here are 6 fun things to do as a family this fall.

  • Report Finds Medicine is Over-Prescribed for Young Children with ADHD

    By Jamell Andrews Though behavior therapy is the recommended first line of treatment for young children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a report has found that more children are being treated with medication instead.

  • How Much Sleep Do Your Kids and Teens Really Need?

    By Lisa Pecos Chances are that you’ve long been told that you should be aiming for 8 hours of sleep every night, but does that go for your children too? And if you struggle to get in a full 8 hours on most nights, is it realistic to expect that your child or teen can? […]

  • Protecting Your Kids from Ticks

    By Jamell Andrews With the warm weather and coming summer vacation, children will be spending more time outdoors. The warmer weather at this time of year also means that that tick season is in full swing. A tick bite can put your child at risk for different diseases, with Lyme disease being especially concerning. According […]

  • W.A.T.C.H. Releases 2016 Summer Safety Report of Most Dangerous Toys

    By Lisa Pecos World Against Toys Causing Harm, Inc. (W.A.T.C.H.) has released their 2016 Summer Safety Report and chances are that some of your child’s favorite warm-weather toys have made the list. With emergency departments expecting to treat approximately 2.7 million children injured in accidents this summer, parents and caregivers should have a look at […]

  • Recognizing Sensory Processing Issues In Children

    As a parent who has a child with special needs, you know how difficult it can be to find out why your child is finding life much harder than other children their age. Finding out why your child is not relating well to the world is the first step to helping your child cope.

  • Summer Child Care: What to Do with Older Kids this summer

    By Jamell Andrews Along with trying to combat the dreaded summer vacation boredom that’s bound to rear its ugly head on an occasion or two, parents of older children also find themselves scrambling for child care solutions when school’s out but work isn’t.

  • Dads: Your Long Commute Could Have a Negative Effect on Your Kids

    By Lisa Pecos We all know that the commute to work can be stressful and the longer the commute, the more of a pain it is. Past studies have looked into the impact that long commutes have on your health and have found that those with longer commutes are more likely to be overweight, have […]

  • How Our Lifestyle Choices Affect Our Kids

    I learned it by watching you!” is a tagline that has taken up permanent residence in our collective cultural brain. Even if we don’t remember the actual commercial in which the young son told his father he learned his drug-seeking/abusive behavior by watching him, we know the line. Moreover, we know that it isn’t just […]

  • 7 Tips for Being a Better Stepparent

    By Jamell Andrews With the rate of failed marriages increasing, more and more people are becoming step-parents. Stepping into the role of parent for a child that already has a mother and father isn’t always easy. Even with the challenges you may face, being a stepparent can be rewarding and you can form a strong […]

  • Helicopter Parenting – Are You Guilty of It?

    By Jamell Andrews It’s hard to imagine that a parent could take too much interest or responsibility for their child or give them too much attention. Isn’t that a parent’s job and right as the person responsible for bringing them into this world and loves them more than anything? It turns out that you could […]

  • Making Healthy Foods Fun for Kids

    By Jamell Andrews Most children will take a processed snack pack or treat over fruits and veggies any day, but with childhood obesity becoming an epidemic, finding ways to make healthy foods more appealing is more important than ever. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the last 30 […]

  • Unusual Causes for Asthma Attacks

    Odd Things that May Trigger Asthma Attacks Asthma is an ongoing breathing disorder characterized by difficulty breathing, coughing and sometimes wheezing. About half of all asthma attacks are produced by various allergens, which irritate and inflame the airways; the rest can be caused by factors that have nothing to do with allergies, but which still […]

  • Can Vaccines Cause Peanut and Other Food Allergies?

    Do Vaccines Cause Peanut and Other Food Allergies in Children? No child health topic is being more hotly debated in the United States right now than mandatory vaccinations — and the side effects, sometimes quite serious or deadly, that many parents believe are a direct result of vaccines given to infants and young children. Greater […]

  • Reducing Exposure to Environmental Allergens

    Control Your Child’s Allergies Naturally Part 2 of 2 In Part 1 of our allergy prevention report, we discussed the importance of feeding our children foods that are known to strengthen the immune system and cleanse the body, which will help prevent or lessen allergy symptoms. That is preventing allergies from the inside out, which […]

  • Natural Children’s Allergy Prevention

    Natural Ways to Prevent Your Child’s Allergies Part 1 of 2 Spring is upon us. Flowers — and allergies — are in full bloom. Are there natural steps that parents can take, to prevent or lessen children’s seasonal allergies? Yes, there are many.

  • Helping Your Child Prepare for Tests

    12 Tips to Help Your Child Do Well on Tests Other than making sure your child gets plenty of study time to prepare for a test, are there specific things that you and he or she can do, to insure they do their best on a test?

  • Diabetes in Young Children

    More White, American Children Getting Type 1 Diabetes Cases of type 1 diabetes are increasing among white American children, especially among 5- to 9-year-olds, according to a study published recently in the journal Diabetes. Almost 6,000 new cases of the disease were diagnosed in the United States among white teenagers and children, ages 19 and […]

  • Cigarette Vapor Damages Children’s Lungs

    Children’s Lungs Could Be Especially Vulnerable to E-Cigarette Vapor Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, have become popular in the last few years among many people trying to quit regular cigarettes; they were heralded when they were introduced as a much safer way for people to get the nicotine they want, without the thousands of chemicals that […]

  • Hearing Damage from Loud Music

    Warn Your Children About Hearing Loss from New Music Players Many young children and teenagers got MP3 players as holiday gifts last month; doctors want to urge parents to caution their children not to play their music too loud, to avoid noise-induced hearing loss.

  • ‘Rat-Bite Fever’ from Pet Rats Can Sicken or Even Kill, Says CDC Report

    As pets go, most parents would agree that rats are not among the cutest (though we know some kids might disagree). It turns out there is a good reason not to cave in and get your child a pet rat, if that’s what he or she wants. A 10-year-old boy from San Diego, CA died […]

  • Some Words of Caution Before You Buy Your Children’s Holiday Toys

    Before you buy toys for the children in your life this holiday season, the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) — and doctors — caution you to keep some important things in mind. PIRG has released its annual “Trouble in Toyland” report, which evaluates many children’s toys that are being sold during the holiday season. As […]

  • 5 Ways to Keep Your Children Healthy — Naturally!

    It’s good to know that in our day and age, medical knowledge and the ability to obtain information have increased so vastly, compared to even just a few decades ago. But even now, prevention is a fundamentally important way to maintain our health and that of our children, so that we won’t need medical interventions […]

  • Better Solutions to Discipline Children than Screaming!

    Let’s face it, what parent hasn’t lost his or her cool in the face of a defiant child or children, and started screaming. If you never have, you’re in a small minority. Nearly all parents — close to 90 percent — have yelled at their kids at some point, according to a survey of almost […]

  • Deadly Enterovirus D68 Now in 47 States

    What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Children Nine American children died in recent weeks, who were infected in the 2014 enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) outbreak that has now spread to 47 states and the District of Columbia. So far, the viral strain has been detected in samples submitted for a total of nine children who […]

  • Do ADHD Drugs Increase Risk of Cardiac Disease in Children?

    Like other diseases and conditions in our modern world, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses in children have increased markedly, globally and in the United States, in recent years. More children and teens with ADHD are taking pharmaceutical drugs to treat this condition. Millions of American children are now being treated with these stimulant drugs, which improve […]

  • ‘Little League Shoulder’ Increasingly Common in Youths Who Play Sports

    Summertime means thousands of American children are honing their pitching skills on baseball mounds throughout the land. But as always, it is important to start a new sports or fitness regime with plenty of warm-up and cool-down exercises, stretching, appropriate strength-training, and to not go overboard too quickly. Also, having long breaks from playing a […]

  • Could Regular Exercise Make Children Smarter?

    We know that adults can improve their concentration and help guard against memory loss as they age, when they get regular exercise. Similarly, a new study found that kids may gain cognitive benefits from being physically fit, as well. Researchers at the University of Illinois found that children who are in better physical shape tend […]

  • Having a Dog Can Help Ease Symptoms, Improve Behavior in Children with Autism

    Parents of autistic children know how difficult it is at times to manage all of life’s responsibilities, and to care for a child with special needs. Autism has aspects that can make parenting and teaching autistic children that much harder. Many parents are turning to dogs to help their autistic children: dogs can make an […]

  • Natural Remedies for Children’s Allergies

    If you are the parent of a child who suffers from allergies, eczema or asthma, you look for ways to bring relief and comfort to your son or daughter — but you want natural, better alternatives to antihistamines, skin-altering cortisone creams, chemical inhalers, or even nasal rinses (the latter could be too much to expect […]

  • Autism Rates Increasing Rapidly: CDC

    Autism rates in the United States rose by 30% between 2008 and 2010, and by 120% between 2000 and 2010, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in 68 8-year-old children had been diagnosed with autism by 2010, up from 1 in 88 two years earlier, says the […]

  • Overweight Teens’ Life Expectancies Not Increasing?

    It’s common knowledge that people’s life expectancies in developed countries have increased in the last 50 years, as science has uncovered new ways to prevent, treat and cure illnesses. But a study has found that people who were obese or overweight as teenagers are not living longer than similar people did five-plus decades ago. The […]

  • Natural, Safe Asthma Remedies for Children

    Doctors believe that we are in the middle of asthma and allergy epidemics, as the numbers of children and adults who suffer from these conditions continue to grow, with no concrete explanations for the increases. Asthma is now the leading chronic (or ongoing) illness in children. More than 1 in 10 American kids now have […]

  • Childhood Cancer Cases Continue to Rise in the United States

    Plus: 25 Things You Can Do to Help Prevent Cancer in Children Earlier this year, the American Cancer Society published its yearly report, “Cancer Facts & Figures.” For the first time, the report included a special section on statistics about the prevalence of childhood and adolescent cancers. The separate section may be indicative of the […]

  • Caffeine, Energy Drinks and Children

    With all the sugar and toxic chemicals in sodas, we should be pleased to know that children are drinking fewer caffeinated sodas these days. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that children, teens and young adults have decreased their caffeinated-soda consumption considerably: in 1999, 62 percent of kids to […]

  • Heart Disease Begins in Childhood

    Most people think of heart disease as something that only middle-aged or older folks have to worry about. But long-term studies from the last several decades have shown that heart disease sometimes begins in childhood. Therefore, preventing heart disease later in life begins with eating a healthy diet and developing healthy habits in childhood. Coronary […]

  • Cheerios Cereal Will no Longer Have GMO’s … but that Still Leaves the Toxic Chemicals!

    In January, 2014, General Mills foods announced that it would no longer use genetically modified organisms (GMO’S) to make its original cereal, Cheerios. While Cheerios has never contained GMO oats, the company will now use non-GMO cane sugar, instead of GM beet sugar. Growing numbers of consumers and advocacy groups are raising concerns about the […]

  • Seven Ways to Encourage and Improve Your Child’s Academic Success

    So, you think you may have the next Einstein or medicine Nobel prize recipient in your home … or perhaps you simply want to ensure that you give your child the best chance to succeed in life by helping them get a great education. Whatever your motivation, many parents are interested in finding ways to […]

  • Today’s Children Are Less Fit than Their Parents: Study

    A review of global studies measuring fitness levels among children found that today’s kids have become progressively less fit than children from the last previous decades. The studies, which examined the fitness levels of 25 million youths, found that modern kids can’t run as fast or as far as kids from as recently as a […]

  • Losing Sleep Linked to Higher Blood Pressure in Youths

    A new study has found that losing as little as one hour of sleep a night is associated with higher blood pressure in pre-teens and teenagers. Frequent or ongoing sleep loss, which can result in higher blood pressure, could put sleep-deprived youths at greater risk for cardiovascular disease in later years. Researchers from the Chinese […]

  • Overuse Injuries

    How to Prevent Overuse Injuries in Your Young Child or Teenager The benefits of participating in sports for school-age children are almost too many to count: sports help keep children healthy, trim, away from drugs; they help children develop social skills, discipline, a sense of fair play, self-esteem, and so on.

  • Post-Concussion Care Recommendations for Children’s Sports Injuries Are Often Inadequate

    In tandem with recent media attention to concussions in professional sports, the American Academy of Pediatrics presented a detailed report on concussions in youth sports at its recent national conference in Orlando. The report, titled “Returning to Learning Following a Concussion,” discusses results from various studies, and its authors call for cognitive (mind) rest following […]

  • Teach Your Children How to Avoid Colds

    Colder weather usually means an increase in the number of colds that all of us could get, including children. A lot of kids stay home from school with a cold every year, especially when the weather turns cold. Colds can be caused by hundreds of different viruses; these viruses are contracted from droplets of mucus […]

  • Spanking Young Children Is Tied to Problem Behavior Later

    Parenting styles differ, but we have become increasingly aware in the last few decades that physical punishment backfires and does more harm than good, when trying to get children to behave. A new study adds to the scientific evidence that researches have amassed, which shows that corporal punishment — in this case, spanking — has […]

  • Keeping Your Kids’ School Lunches and Game-Time Snacks Safe from Bacteria

    You are a mom who understands that we are what we eat; you want to be sure that your children eat healthy, fresh, wholesome foods. Because these foods do not have toxic, artificial preservatives or non-nutritious fillers in them, you know that many of them spoil much faster. A tummy ache, or worse, can happen […]

  • To Get Your Child and Teenagers to Listen About Health Dangers, Try Using Positive Messages

    A new study found that when it comes to getting through to young people, you may be better off focusing on the positive, rather than using scare tactics. If you’re a parent, you may at times get frustrated by how hard it is to get your children to listen to you when you warn them […]

  • Is Vitamin D Important for Reducing Ear Infection Risk in Young Children?

    Is Vitamin D Important for Reducing Ear Infection Risk in Young Children?

    A growing number of studies shows that vitamin D is an important tool for preventing ear infections in young children. Vitamin D, found naturally in some foods and in enriched foods, and made by the skin when exposed to sunlight, is used by our immune systems to fight disease — the vitamin D receptor (VDR) […]

  • Is Playing Sports Good for a Child with ADHD?

    Yes, it is. Child experts agree that playing sports is a great way for children who suffer from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to build self-esteem, get exercise, enhance social skills and make friends. Playing sports helps boost a child’s self-confidence, something with which ADHD kids often struggle. Signing up your child for a sport offers the […]

  • Parents: The Best Way to Decrease Children’s TV Viewing — Is to Decrease Your Own!

    It’s no secret to any parent that children, especially younger ones, strive to be like their parents and do the same things that parents do. So, it may come as little surprise that a study published recently in the journal Pediatrics found that the best predictor of how much time a child spends watching television […]

  • Does Drinking Sodas Cause Problem Behavior and Aggression in Young Children?

    We’ve all heard the warnings: soda pop is bad for us. Many studies have linked moderate-to-heavy soda-drinking to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal cancers and other serious illnesses. Even light soda-drinking (defined as 2 or more sodas a week) was found in one study to be linked to pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest […]

  • Getting Your Child Off to a Good Start with a Good Breakfast!

    Before we knew it, summertime was over, and it was time for our kids to go back to school. We may no longer be able to fix elaborate breakfasts before the kids rush to school; but there are certainly plenty of breakfast choices that are healthy, tasty, and easy to prepare. We all know by […]

  • Things that a Parent Can Do to Boost a Child’s Self-Confidence

    Thinking positive and believing in oneself are much more than just feel-good concepts thrown around by psychologists looking to sell us books. Most people who achieve success in life on their own merit, at whatever goals they set for themselves, will tell you that believing in oneself, and not quitting in the face of defeat […]

  • Do Eyes Need to Be Protected from the Sun?

    We all know by now that it’s important to protect our skin from excessive Sun exposure, to avoid skin cancers that can be caused by the Sun’s ultraviolet rays. But besides our skin, other organs that need protection from the Sun are our eyes.

  • Sunshine, Tanning Beds and Suntans — What Are the Healthy Options for Your Teen?

    Peer pressure being as strong as it is in the teenage years, a lot of adolescent girls and boys may want to head outdoors as the weather heats up and get a suntan. But with all that we now know about excessive sun exposure and skin cancers, some fans of tanning may opt instead to […]

  • Prescription Drug Abuse by American Teens Up One-Third in Five Years

    Prescription drug abuse by teens appears to have increased by 33 percent in a scant five years, according to a survey launched in 2012 and published in 2013 by The Partnership at Drugfree.org, in conjunction with the MetLife Foundation. The survey interviewed 3,900 teenagers in grades 9-12, who attended public, private and parochial schools. Eight […]

  • Safety Facts About Insect Repellents – and Choosing the Best Brands

    As millions of American children head off to summer camps or outdoor family get-togethers, many parents may wonder how to protect their youngsters from the varieties of insects that might be found at camping grounds and parks. These days, we all have even more reason to worry about bugs than normally, as infestations from the […]

  • What Are Good Foods to Eat for a Child Who Plays Sports?

    When it comes to food, the great thing about it is that we all have very similar nutritional needs: for the most part, what’s good for one person is good for everyone, and what’s bad for one person is bad for all. Some people, including a lot of the experts, would have us believe that […]

  • How to Talk to Young Children so They’ll Listen

    Getting a young child to give you his or her undivided attention while you talk to them is sometimes tricky, as any parent knows; but there are specific things that you can do to better your chances of being heard. Even with a very young child, a parent or caregiver should take steps to establish […]

  • Things to Think About when Signing Up Your Child to Play Sports

    The benefits of playing organized sports are well-established. They include giving children the opportunity to interact with peers and coaches to reach a common goal. This can help foster leadership skills as the child learns to get along with others and follow instructions, while working to improve their personal best. Team sports can also help […]

  • Pediatric Hypertension

    According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the development of a national database on high blood pressure in children has contributed to the recognition that there is indeed a rise in the number of children with elevated blood pressure. The complications associated with continued high blood pressure, like heart attack and stroke, make […]

  • The Hygiene Hypothesis — Is a Little Dirt Good for Your Child?

    You may have heard the term human microbiome or microbiota, which refers to the thousands of species of microscopic organisms that inhabit the bodies of both healthy and diseased humans. These beneficial or “friendly” bacteria and fungi play vital roles in keeping us healthy and helping with normal processes such as digestion of the foods […]

  • If Your Child’s Pediatrician Asks Whether You Smoke Cigarettes, He Is Not Being Nosy!

    Compared to years past, today’s pediatricians are more apt to ask parents about their smoking habits. And while some parents might take offense to that, your child’s doctor is only trying to help keep your youngster healthy. In our modern day, American society has largely accepted that cigarette smoke poses some of the very same […]

  • Are Hand Sanitizers Dangerous?

    Many of us heard the sad story recently about the Klamath Falls, OR 12-year-old girl who received second- and third-degree burns to one-fifth of her body while inside a hospital, after static charge sparks ignited the hand sanitizer she had just used to clean her hands and a bedside table. The sanitizer then burned olive […]

  • Before You Give Your Child Stimulants for ADHD, Try Some Dietary Changes

    The American Psychiatric Association estimates that between 3 and 7 percent of American children suffer from attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, though some studies show even higher rates. ADHD diagnoses have increased by an astounding 66 percent since 2000. Many children now take prescription drugs, chiefly stimulants, to combat the symptoms of ADHD — hyperactivity, impulsivity, […]

  • Important Things You Should Consider Before Bringing Home a Pet for Your Children

    Around holiday time or birthdays, a lot of well-meaning parents cave in to their children’s pleas for a pet. But sometimes, things don’t go smoothly, especially with younger children, and the pets are soon after returned to the seller or shelter, or given away. Or worse, the child or the pet wind up getting seriously […]

  • 5 Ways to Know if Your Child is too Busy

    Today’s parenting culture is one of ambition and high expectation. In an age of increasing competition in all areas of the socioeconomic spectrum, we all want our kids not just to do well but to excel. In light of this, many parents forget to leave their children time for the simple things—playing outdoors, engaging in […]

  • Homework Headaches? 6 Tips for Parents of Young Children

    Few children are predisposed to diving into homework with enthusiasm. Most have to be taught the discipline and sense of duty required to stay on task and get the often boring work done on time. Teachers can only do so much. When it comes to instilling good school habits at home, parents must play an […]

  • Helping Your Child Lose Weight

    Because we love our children unconditionally, it is very easy for parents to become blind to any physical problems their kids may have. When a child becomes overweight, parents tend to think he or she is just a little plump or that it is just a passing phase that will end at the next growth […]

  • Kids and Sports: The Parents’ Role

    The benefits of organized sports for children cannot be overestimated. Even when a child is not particularly sports-oriented or does not excel on the playing field, the experience itself is valuable. It teaches kids how to work with others and how to take instruction, it introduces them to teamwork, competition, and the importance of practice, […]

  • Childhood Fears and Anxiety: What Can Parents Do?

    A certain amount of fear and anxiety is a natural part of life and childhood. It is what drives us to take precautions and to keep ourselves and our families safe. In children, while fear and anxiety are often illogical, they are in many respects an important part of growing up. But in some children […]

  • What to do if Your Child is a Reluctant Reader

    For young children, being able to read is an important foundation for all later education. But some children do not take to it as well as others. Some have difficulty learning how to read and hence cannot have fun doing it, while others simply do not enjoy books as much as their parents would like […]

  • Why Tears Are A Good Thing!

    Crying is particular to human beings and is a socially adaptive skill. There are often lots of tears shed during the first few weeks of school because it is usually the first time your child experiences an extended separation from you. It is an important stage for your child when she begins to learn that […]

  • Why Is Autism On The Rise?

    Here in the UK about one in one hundred people have an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) which could be conditions such as Asperger syndrome (AS) or autism. The reason the term ‘spectrum’ is used is because the symptoms of these disorders are very varied. Children with an ASD generally are similar in that they find […]

  • How To Conquer The Homework Battle

    Threatening, bribing and punishing are futile methods to use when attempting to get your child to do her homework. Let us be clear, most children do not like to sit down to do their homework after being at school all day. You cannot make your child do her homework or make her enjoy it. You […]

  • Help! My Toddler Is Swearing!

    You may be stunned to hear your little angel say a swear word! Many parents experience these shocks at some point so do not fret! This often happens as children begin to explore language. It happens because they have heard someone else say it in frustration and they want to express the same emotion or […]

  • Sibling Rivalry: What’s Normal, and When to Get Involved

    Sibling relationships can be among the most complex in the world. With our siblings we share a special familiarity, plus lots of shared experiences that give rise to a unique understanding. With siblings, there are few secrets and very little mystery. Your siblings see you at your best and your worst, and they have known […]

  • My Teenager Has Acne, How Can I Help?

    Acne can inflict the young and the old but is most common during our teenage years. The acne that teenagers suffer from is called acne vulgaris and is triggered by puberty’s reproductive hormones surging through their bodies. These raging hormones make the sebaceous glands enlarge and increase the production of sebum. The pores produce a […]

  • What Parents Need to Know About Cutting

    Cutting—or, as it is known in medical circles, self-injury—has gotten a lot of attention over the last few years, and there is a growing awareness that it is a serious issue among teens, not just due to the physical harm it causes but also because it is often a symptom of deeper emotional problems. Still, […]

  • Should Kids Be Allowed to Have Caffeine?

    Many parents have strange approaches to giving their kids caffeine. On one hand, we do not think of coffee and even tea as being appropriate beverages for young children, yet on the other hand, many parents allow their children to drink soft drinks practically to their hearts’ content. And while soft drinks are lower in […]

  • Had Enough of the Backchat?

    Do you feel exasperated dealing with backchat and disrespectful behaviour from your children? It can be difficult to handle your children’s bad manners, rudeness, swearing, sarcasm or cheekiness and most parents complain about it at some point. Think about why your child might be behaving this way as there are

  • Children’s Growing Pains: What Can Parents Do?

    That kids experience growing pains is no myth. At times of growth (and kids do grow at uneven rates), to feel actual pain in the bones, muscles, and joints is quite common. Its prevalence is difficult to measure, but it is believed that as many as half of all children experience growing pains regularly. As […]

  • Parenting Tactics That Damage Your Child’s Self Esteem

    Be aware that even though you feel you are doing your very best raising your child, sometimes your parenting strategies can be damaging to your child’s self-esteem and the parent-child relationship. Your child needs to grow up with a healthy level of self-esteem to be more resilient to the lessons learnt and the knocks taken […]

  • Does My Child Have OCD?

    Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder and is characterised by repetitive and unwanted thoughts. These obsessions create actions made by the sufferer as they try to eradicate the anxious thoughts which are compulsions. OCD cases vary from mild to severe and manifest in different ways. With children suffering from OCD their obsessive thoughts can […]

  • Is My Child A Bully?

    In the UK alone approximately sixteen children a year commit suicide because of the trauma they endure due to bullying. The offending children who have tirelessly bullied their victims know exactly what they are doing but it seems that sometimes, the people in authority such as school teachers claim they did not know the bullying […]

  • Sibling Rivalry: What Can Parents Do?

    Sibling rivalry can take many forms over the years. When the second child is first born, it can take the form of acting out, regression, and fussiness on the part of the older child. And as the kids grow up, it can turn into arguing, physical fighting, and deep feelings of jealousy and resentment. Most […]

  • Are You Worried About Your Child’s Speech?

    You may be concerned that your child is having difficulty with his speech. There are common problems that are often diagnosed and this is a guide to how you can detect them, how to help your child and also how you can seek professional help.

  • Amber Alerts – What to Do in Case Your Child Goes Missing

    It is one of every parent’s worse nightmares. You take your eye off your child for a minute only to find her gone when you turn around. Or one day he does not get home from school at the normal time. Or she goes outside to play and does not come back in. Scenarios like […]

  • How to Raise a Musical Child

    When it comes to educating children, a lot of focus is placed on practical skills like reading and math, which are undoubtedly important. But we should raise our children to be well-rounded individuals, and this involves teaching them forms of creative self-expression. While different kids have different talents-some are good at drawing, some can dance […]

  • Developing Your Child’s Handwriting Skills

    By Lisa Pecos With the rise of computers and electronic gadgets as tools for all types of school-related activities, kids spend far less time writing by hand than they used to. As a result, many people fear that the ancient art of handwriting is bound to become a thing of the past. While this is […]

  • Tips for Helping Your Child with Homework

    By Lisa Pecos All parents want to see their children succeed in school, and studies have shown that kids whose parents are more involved in their educations are more likely to do well. Thus, helping your child with his or her homework should be a no-brainer, but it is not always so simple. In the […]

  • Should Kids Get Their Own Cell Phones?

    By Marc Courtiol Although it may sometimes be hard to imagine life without cellphones, most grownups can recall a time when we were not all in constant touch with one another, and when every household shared a single stationary phone. And because most of today’s parents grew up in that world, many have a somewhat […]

  • Welcoming a Second Child: How to Handle the Change

    By Lisa Pecos Having a first child is one of the most difficult things you will ever have to do. From the middle stages of pregnancy until those blessed later months of the first year when the baby gets less fussy and more predictable, you are put through a series of challenges that test every […]