How Can Parents Help Teach Generation Z Teens about Living in Uncertain Times?
The prolonged health and safety stressors of COVID-19 has many parents reaching out to mental health professionals with concern over their teenagers’ increased levels of anxiety. In the United States, teenagers already experience higher rates of anxiety disorders than any previous generation in history. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the prevalence of anxiety disorders among adolescents aged 13-18 is 31.9%, with females at a higher rate (38%) than males (26.1%).
Some teen anxiety is normal due to typical teen life stressors, including friends and family dynamics, self-identity, body image, ach...
Source: World of Psychology - May 6, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Susan Zinn, LPCC, LMHC, NCC Tags: Children and Teens Parenting Child Development Coping Skills coronavirus COVID-19 Emotional Development pandemic Uncertainty Source Type: blogs
Think your baby is allergic to cow ’s milk?
When young infants develop vomiting, diarrhea, and fussiness, some of them are diagnosed as having an allergy to cow’s milk protein. When that diagnosis is made, babies on formula have to switch to a specialized formula — and the mothers of breastfeeding babies have to eliminate all dairy from their diets.
The problem is that specialized formulas are very expensive, which can be a real burden for families. And eliminating all dairy from your diet can be very difficult (it’s surprising how many foods have some dairy in them), leading some mothers to stop breastfeeding.
If every baby that was diagnosed with cow’s mil...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 5, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Claire McCarthy, MD Tags: Allergies Children's Health Parenting Source Type: blogs
20 Mother ’ s Day Gifts for Moms Battling Depression
Do you have someone in your life that you know needs some extra encouragement this year?
Mother’s day is usually a day that most women are celebrated by their kids, family and friends. Unfortunately, some women don’t always receive the love and support that they really need. Some women are going through tough trials and situations, and they’re in need of more than just a “Happy Mother’s Day.”
Take a deeper look at the faces of the women around you and in your life. You’ll begin to see that they are facing way more than you think. Some have been going through hard times for a while and have conditioned t...
Source: World of Psychology - May 3, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Jasmine L. Bennett Tags: Depression Parenting Women's Issues Coping on Mother's Day social distancing Source Type: blogs
Helping Your Child or Teen Stay Socially Connected During COVID-19
Parents’ first concern when schools announce they are closing for the remainder of the semester is likely, “How am I going to maintain my child’s learning?” However, your child’s social and emotional development is also impacted by the loss of structured school time. While the schools are working hard to provide academic work to your child, you may find your efforts best suited to help your child with another consequence of school closing… their social life and developing social skills.
School time allows your child, whether they are a young child or a teenager, a structured reliable time each day when they can...
Source: World of Psychology - April 30, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Roxanne Pratt, M.S., LMHC, LPC, NCC, MPH, CHES and Mercedes Pratt, M.A. Tags: Children and Teens Communication Parenting Students Child Development coronavirus COVID-19 homeschooling pandemic Social Anxiety social connection Social Interaction social media Social Skills Source Type: blogs
7 tips for going outside safely with your children during the COVID-19 pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, getting outside can be a great idea for both the physical and mental health of you and your family. But as with everything else these days, going outside needs to be done safely. Here are my top seven tips for what you need to think about as you put on your shoes and head outdoors.
Be careful about what you touch as you go outside or return home. For those who live in single-family homes this isn’t a big deal, but if you live in a shared building, you need to be careful about things like elevator buttons and doorknobs that others touch. Make a game of it so your kids don’t touch — prete...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 27, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Claire McCarthy, MD Tags: Adolescent health Children's Health Exercise and Fitness Mental Health Parenting Source Type: blogs
How to Feel All of Your Pandemic-Triggered Feelings
For many of us, the pandemic has triggered a tornado of emotions. And we can’t rely on our usual self-care practices to pull us through, which can make us feel even more overwhelmed and disoriented.
The pandemic can lead past traumas to resurface. Some of Amber Petrozziello’s clients have been reminded of being unable to leave their homes while struggling with debilitating depression. Another client reported feeling similar feelings today—isolated, trapped, and disconnected from others—as they felt during several stressful inpatient treatments.
All of us are also “experiencing a collective trauma and grief,” sa...
Source: World of Psychology - April 27, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. Tags: General Grief and Loss Mental Health and Wellness Self-Help Stress coronavirus COVID-19 Worry Source Type: blogs
When Structure and Supervision Become Barriers to Child Development: 3 Important Ideas for Parenting Young Children
Structure and supervision are important principles in raising healthy, curious, and connected children. But when these become too rigid, anxiousness and inflexibility begin to seep into a child’s developing mind. Structure provides a framework for expectations, and about how time and the day flow. But much like a house, the space defined by the structure is where the magic of “home,” relationship, and learning happens.
The same holds true for supervision. Monitoring and guiding are important parental responsibilities. Safety matters and a secure base is what a child holds in mind as he or she explores and widens thei...
Source: World of Psychology - April 26, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: John C. Panepinto, PsyD, LPCS, NCC Tags: Children and Teens Parenting Authoritarian Parenting authoritative parenting Autonomy Child Development Learning Source Type: blogs
Strategies to support teens and young adults with autism spectrum disorder during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has been described as “the war of our generation.” Millions of families are bravely waging war on COVID-19 by rising to the many challenges of social distancing, including upended school and work routines, financial insecurity, and inability to see loved ones, all compounded by the uncertainty of how long this will last. These challenges are likely magnified for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Features of ASD, including impaired social and communication skills, repetitive behaviors, and insistence on sameness, can make it very difficult to understand social distancing, express distress,...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 24, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Robyn Thom, MD Tags: Adolescent health Mental Health Neurological conditions Parenting Source Type: blogs
Co-Parenting During the Coronavirus Quarantine: 10 Tips from a Licensed Therapist
The arrival of coronavirus is changing many aspects of our lives, including the way we co-parent our children. As if there wasn’t already enough uncertainty, families that co-parent children are likely to have their own unique set of challenges to contend with during this time. Part of this is that social isolation looks different to different people (you and your ex, for example) and if children are moving from one household to another, you may find yourself wondering what you can do to make these transitions as smooth as possible.
The following are ten tips from a licensed therapist which aim to help you and your ex n...
Source: World of Psychology - April 23, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Nancy Ryan, LMFT Tags: Children and Teens Parenting Compromise coparenting coronavirus COVID-19 custody Divorce Shared custody Source Type: blogs
How can you support your teenager with autism spectrum disorder if they are depressed?
As every parent knows, teenage life is full of challenges, from stress over academics to social relationships and physical changes due to puberty. This stage of life can be particularly challenging for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A recent study found that teenagers and young adults with ASD are nearly three times more likely to develop depression than same-age peers without ASD.
What are typical symptoms of depression?
While occasional sadness is a normal part of life, persistent sadness can be a sign of depression. Other common signs and symptoms of depression can be grouped into thinking patterns, changes ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 23, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Chris McDougle, MD Tags: Adolescent health Behavioral Health Brain and cognitive health Mental Health Parenting Source Type: blogs
Help! My Kid ’s Home from College and the Novelty ’ s Worn Off
Just as you’ve become accustomed to an empty nest, COVID-19 forced your son or daughter to return from college. Now, both of you are working from home, plus separated from friends, community, school, and job. As you both experience heightened stress from these changes, with no clear solutions or end in sight, it’s natural to feel disappointed, confused, angry, or worried. You’re, living under the same roof, only with new stresses and growing pains.
How can you assist young adults in managing their studies and sanity until normal life resumes? How do you help your kid move forward when you yourself don’t know where...
Source: World of Psychology - April 22, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Sharon Saline, Psy.D. Tags: College Motivation and Inspiration Parenting College Students coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic social distancing stay at home order Time Management Young Adulthood Source Type: blogs
Brilliant Bats And Creative Outsiders: The Week ’s Best Psychology Links
Our weekly round-up of the best psychology coverage from elsewhere on the web
Bats are apparently able to imitate specific sounds, an ability shown by just a few other mammals and some birds. The bats’ calls were recorded, and the sound manipulated before being played back to them. Within a month, the bats had learned to copy the sounds in exchange for a food reward, reports Layal Liverpool at New Scientist. Studying vocal production in other animals can help psycholinguists understand the evolution of human speech.
A new drug candidate for the treatment of schizophrenia has shown promising results in a clinical trial. ...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - April 17, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Weekly links Source Type: blogs
Medical Supply Shortfalls, Parenting Through the Pandemic, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on reducing medical supply shortfalls, understanding who ' s in charge during a pandemic, North Korea ' s nuclear blackmail, and more. (Source: The RAND Blog)
Source: The RAND Blog - April 16, 2020 Category: Health Management Authors: RAND Corporation Source Type: blogs
COVID-19 Podcast: Mom Driven, Doctor Aligned & HeyMama Join Forces
Transcript
[00:00:00] Agatha: Hi! It’s Agatha Luczo. Welcome to “Mom Driven, Dr. Aligned”. Dr. Alan Greene and I were just on with the HeyMama Community doing a Q&A about COVID-19. Dr. Greene gave us such amazing advice and tips about how to deal with immunity health and how to take care of ourselves during this time. And some advice I haven’t heard anywhere else. I’m excited to bring all of the conversation to our family and friends.
[00:00:36] Dr. Greene: Wonderful to get to be with the HeyMama Community. I’ve gotten a bunch of questions already ...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - April 16, 2020 Category: Child Development Authors: Alan Greene MD Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog Uncategorized COVID COVID-19 Parenting Source Type: blogs
10 Ways to Help Stop Your Child ’ s Nightmares
Children — and adults — have nightmares for many reasons. Maybe your child wakes up screaming in the middle of the night. Or he often walks into your room saying, “Mommy, I’ve had a bad dream.” Or she demands more and more elaborate bedtime rituals until you finally figure out that she’s afraid to go to sleep because of monsters under the bed.
First things first, why do children get bad dreams? What are the different reasons why they may be struggling with sleeping due to bad dreams and night terrors? As parents, we don’t want our kids to suffer at any point in their lives if we can help it. But w...
Source: World of Psychology - April 14, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Psych Central Guest Author Tags: Children and Teens Publishers YourTango Dreams Nightmares Sleep Source Type: blogs
