The news that your child has an eating disorder is something no parent wants to hear. Unfortunately, all too often, this revelation comes as a complete surprise. Not all eating disorders are marked by sudden, dramatic weight loss, and in many cases, the patient manages to hide her (or his) condition for months or even years. This delays treatment and ...
As any parent knows, kids are prone to worrisome behaviour. Whether it’s throwing explosive tantrums, telling fibs, ignoring the boundaries of others, or being sarcastic, children of all ages display odd and often unhelpful quirks. Many parents react to these behaviours with concern: What if they indicate the presence of a character flaw? What if they’re a sign ...
The motivations of adolescents sometimes appear completely irrational to adult eyes. What your teen says she wants and what she actually does may be so distant from one another as to seem contradictory. Your teen might sincerely want to join a sports team or excel in music, for example, then refuse to practice. She might dream of getting into a ...
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 ...
As children grow older, their behaviours change dramatically. While a hysterical tantrum over something minor is completely normal at two ...
If your child is struggling behaviourally or academically, his school may recommend that he take what is known as a ...
Sometimes classroom behavior problems signal giftedness. Brad and Karen were at their wits end. Their grade school children once again ...
Parents of neurotypical children simply take it for granted that a school-aged child can get dressed on his own, feed himself at mealtimes, and complete other age-appropriate tasks. For the parents of children with learning disabilities or mental health issues, on the other hand, the normal progression from helpless infant to self-reliant adult is less clear. Sometimes these kids really ...
Frequent interruptions are a fact of life for the parents of young children. Preschool-aged kids seldom wait for their turn to speak, even when their parents are occupied with an activity or speaking to someone else. Though this behaviour can feel disruptive, it’s not intentionally rude; toddlers are only just emerging from infancy, so they still think that the ...
Kids need love and attention, but they also need healthy, calm, balanced parents in order to thrive. Though modern parenting advice tends to advocate for intense parenting styles, like attachment parenting, it’s important to draw a line between caring for children and hyper-focusing on them. When parents hyper-focus on their children, they create unrealistic expectations for themselves and inadvertently ...
Have you ever wondered why your child lacks the same “internal manager” you have? Why he (or she) struggles to stay on track with everyday tasks, like doing homework or chores? Why he sometimes has difficulty completing even purely voluntary projects? You may know that he behaves this way because his brain isn’t yet fully developed, but many parents ...
