As much as we might try, no family is without its share of problems. But for teens who are particularly vulnerable to mistreatment as minors, or who may feel resentful and rebellious as they form their own identities in adolescence, it’s normal to wonder, “Do my parents hate me?” The…
Kids often feel pressure from their parents to succeed. For the most part, this comes from a place of love and wanting the best for their children. However, sometimes parents can put too much pressure on their children, to the point where it starts hurting them. When parents expect too…
Learning disorders usually present in children at a young age. However, that doesn’t always mean that a diagnosis will be made promptly. Often, parents wonder if their child’s delays or behaviors are normal (because what’s normal, anyhow?) or think they’ll “grow out of it.” Fortunately, there are other key figures…
Teen counseling is a form of therapy that helps adolescents deal with tough emotions and situations, mental health conditions, trauma, or concerns related to future, present, or past experiences. Teen counseling is designed to address and treat the specific needs of clients who are going through adolescence, an important developmental…
From elementary school through high school, many children experience bullying from their classmates every year. Bullying is harmful to all parties and can cause lingering emotional trauma that affects children well into adulthood. In an effort to protect kids and limit bullying’s damaging effects, October has been recognized as National…
Your 12-year-old son keeps getting in trouble at school — for picking on his classmates, lying to his teacher, and even stealing other kids’ things. You think he’s just “acting out.” Until you find out he’s been sneaking out at night for the last 6 months. It becomes apparent that…
Many children are shy by nature. They might hug their parents’ legs and bury their faces when introduced to someone new or run off at a record pace to avoid the interaction altogether. This is not uncommon — but some children fail to speak in select (or all) social situations. If…
Growing up, my brother and I were both very active (and yes, our parents were very busy). I played soccer, basketball, and tennis, and even danced for a while. Meanwhile, my brother also played soccer, basketball, and tennis, as well as baseball and track. Needless to say, we were practicing,…
Q: Is it possible to recover or fix relationships with my young children? I hear often that the first 5 years are critical to a child’s development. I fear that I have messed those years up with my children. I have struggled with anxiety and have often found myself snapping…
When a child is scared, it’s natural for a parent to feel helpless. Childhood fears and specific phobias aren’t always rational, so you can’t just reason them away by saying, for example, “Only seven Americans die from spider bites every year,” or “Sweetie, there are zero monsters under your bed.”…
In the midst of tragedy — or an event that causes great suffering and distress — parents have the difficult job of talking to their children about it. While the topic should often be avoided with kids under 7 years of age who are too young to understand tragedy, it…
It’s easy to want your children to thrive; it’s harder to know exactly how to help them achieve their full potential. Parents, grandparents, and other caregivers aren’t always given the resources to identify and find treatment for mental health issues in kids. The Covid-19 pandemic shone a much-needed spotlight on…
