Babies As Young As Three Months Old Can Learn Abstract Rules By Observing the World Around Them by Taylor Bennett | Mar 2, 2018 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics A new study “Very young infants learn abstract rules in the visual modality” says that babies as young as three or four months can learn abstract rules simply by watching others and observing all that’s around them. While previous research found that babies could only do so from speech and…
Study Says Good Behavior and Success in High School Predict Success Later in Life by Taylor Bennett | Feb 27, 2018 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics, Research Parents often worry about their kid’s behavior and performance in school—especially when they reach the teens. This is typically the time when kids fall out of their routines, and as a result, their academic success hangs in the balance. In hopes of keeping them on the right track, parents oftentimes…
Help Your Kid Control Explosive Anger: Signs and Techniques by Taylor Bennett | Feb 27, 2018 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics Parenting Expert Julia Cook understands just how difficult parenting can be at times—especially if/when your child has a temper tantrum. She explains that a child’s increasing anger is comparable to a shaken soda: “Think of anger as bubbles inside of a two-liter bottle of pop. When the bottle is shaken,…
Breastfeeding Produces Bonding Benefits That Last for Many Years to Come by Taylor Bennett | Jan 15, 2018 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics Many mothers choose to breastfeed their babies, due to its powerful health benefits. For example, the antibodies in breast milk have proven to help babies fight off harmful viruses and bacteria, which threaten to cause ear infections, allergies, and harmful respiratory illnesses. But that’s on the receiving end—what about the…
Youth Football Can Impair Mood and Behavior Later in Life by Taylor Bennett | Jan 4, 2018 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics When my little brother turned 10 years old, he expressed a sudden interest in playing football. This was a shock to say the least, as my siblings and I grew up living and breathing soccer, basketball, even tennis—basically every sport but football. And the unchartered territory made us nervous. Even…
Kids Should Exercise at Their Own Pace: Doing So Improves Their Ability to Learn by Taylor Bennett | Dec 21, 2017 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics, Parenting Some of my favorite memories from grade school wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for P.E. class: tackling Holiday-themed obstacle courses, learning how to play my soon-to-be favorite sport (soccer), and crab-crawling across the floor in a fit of laughter alongside friends. I had a blast in gym class and looked…
Air Pollution Contributes to Bad Behavior Among Teens, Study Says by Taylor Bennett | Dec 21, 2017 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics If you live in the city—or even a slightly urban area—you can probably look to the sky and point out a cloud of smog: funneling from factories or just hanging out on the rooftops. This is the most obvious and familiar form of air pollution… but it’s not the only…
How to Manage Your Teen’s Rebellion, According to the Pros by Taylor Bennett | Dec 13, 2017 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics, Parenting It’s no secret that the teenage years are often characterized by rebellion—there is, however, an ongoing argument about how parents should properly handle this phase. Should they step in or back off? Do they need to crack down on the rules or prove their trust? What’s the most effective approach?…
The 50 Best Kid-and-Dog Duo Halloween Costumes by Nathan Davidson | Oct 26, 2017 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics It’s one thing to have a great Halloween costume, but it’s another thing entirely to have an amazing Halloween costume that is coordinated with the family dog. Here are # ideas for dressing your child and dog up together: A cookie monster and his/her cookie! The Fox and the Hound…
School Start Times Can Significantly Affect Adolescent Mental Health by Taylor Bennett | Oct 5, 2017 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics, Research Cursed were the days that I had to wake up at the crack of dawn to get ready for school, which persisted for 13 years. Ok, it wasn’t so bad when I was a kid because I was tired by 9 or 10 p.m. and went to bed without any…
New Study Reveals Moms Would Rather Have Extroverted Kids Than Intelligent Ones by Taylor Bennett | Sep 9, 2017 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics, Parenting, Research Expectant and new mothers dream about what their child will be like. Will she be smiley or cry all the time? Will he be an adventurous little guy or on the calmer side? Will they grow to be smart like their father or creative like their mother? But despite how…
Children of Divorce: 5 Effects by Taylor Bennett | Aug 14, 2017 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Family, Mental Health Topics Divorce is not simply the separation of two people—it instead involves other loved ones and members of the family… especially the children. They may be 5 years old, 15 years old, or 25 years old; regardless of their age, it can be a very hard and confusing time. This goes…