There are multiple reasons why a child may be quieter than his (or her) peers. Due to natural variations in personality, some kids need a bit of extra time to warm up to new people and situations – a trait known as shyness. For others, social settings are a source of chronic and severe anxiety, to the point where the child ...
Like adults, kids often feel overwhelmed by the many commitments, choices, and interpersonal situations they must manage each day. Research suggests that school-aged children also experience significant anxiety resulting from global crises, such as the pandemic and climate change. Unfortunately, kids have far fewer tools for dealing with chronic stress than adults. Likewise, their still-developing brains are highly susceptible to ...
With climate change becoming an increasingly common theme in politics, news, and even entertainment, it’s no wonder more young people than ever seem concerned about the state of our environment. But that concern can become a mental health risk when it is too intense or not managed properly—and kids and teenagers can be particularly susceptible. Below, we’ll ...
One of the greatest challenges of parenting lies in trying to understand the sometimes baffling behaviour of children. When a child suddenly refuses to do something simple and routine, for example, or throws a tantrum with no apparent provocation, we’re left searching for answers. If your child’s odd behaviour isn’t being triggered by something obvious, like fatigue ...
Every child differs in his/her developmental capacity and pace. Some children learn to speak earlier than others. Some learn ...
Politics has always been a controversial topic, but rarely has our political climate been as divisive as it is right ...
As a psychologist living and working in Toronto, where 51% of residents were born outside Canada, I deal with immigration related ...
With cases of coronavirus continuing to mount around the world, it’s all but impossible to shield kids from news that make them anxious. Though COVID-19 virus generally does not cause serious illness in children, that doesn’t stop kids from worrying about the implications of dealing with a frightening new disease. Kids can be exposed to misinformation about coronavirus, ...
Anxiety is challenging to endure no matter where your child is. At school, however, it can quickly become intolerable. Many otherwise bright, ambitious children fail to achieve their full academic potential because the education system is not set up to meet their needs. If you have an introverted and worry-prone child, you therefore need to be proactive in preparing him (...
As I was driving my four-year-old son to a friend's birthday party, a truck, stopped at the traffic light in front of us, had a four-wheeler in its bed with a newly-shot deer flopped over the seat and roped down to keep its carcass from sliding off. Immediately after taking in the lifeless body of the deer, my son became ...
Along with growth spurts, acne, and a strong yearning for independence, adolescence often brings on bouts of depression. For parents, this situation is often doubly worrying: Not only are they concerned about their child’s mental health for what may be the first time, they’re frequently confronted with feelings of helplessness. Their child has, after all, reached the age ...
