Publications - Parenting/Caregiver Advice and Support

A child with ADHD and a habit of lying doesn’t need to be punished. She needs compassion., by Meghan Leahy , The Washington Post, Feb 24 2016.

“In neurotypical children, lying appears in 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds, and if the child is not punished for it, it will usually go away on its own. But having an ADHD child who is also intense changes everything. Your ADHD child is facing some challenges that are resulting in more misbehavior and more lying, and we can help her with this. By virtue of her brain feeling more (the intensity) and her impulse issues (ADHD), your daughter is going to walk into trouble over and over. Her prefrontal cortex (pretty immature in even the average 6-year-old) is overloaded with sensory information. Before her brain can even sort through consequences, empathy and compassion, her body has acted. The train has left the station. ”

Parents' anxiety, depression may lead to kids being fussy eaters, by Andrew M. Seaman, Reuters, Feb 22 2016.

“Preschoolers are more likely to be fussy eaters if a parent had anxiety or depression during pregnancy or early in the child's life, suggests a new study from the Netherlands. ”

The Trouble With Talking Toys, by Cory Turner, NPR, Jan 11 2016.

“Just because a toy's packaging says it's educational doesn't make it so. That's the finding from a new study in JAMA Pediatrics that found some toys being marketed as language promoters got in the way of learning. ”

6 Parent Tips for a Smooth Back-to-School Transition, by Melissa A. Kay, Understood for learning and attention issues, 2016.

“The start of school brings a lot of changes—new teachers, new schedules and new school demands. Planning is key to a successful transition. Here are six parent-tested tips for back-to-school. ”

What Great Parents Do: 75 Simple Strategies for Raising Kids Who Thrive, by Dr. Erica Reischer, 2016.

GIST: The Essence of Raising Life-Ready Kids, by M. Anderson & T. Johanson, MD, Center for Parenting Education, 2016.

Resilience factors may protect teen children of depressed parents, by Kathryn Doyle, Reuters, Dec 16 2015.

“Many teen children of parents with depression also suffer from mental health problems, but about one in five kids show traits or behaviors that seem to protect them, a recent study suggests. Researchers found that among high-risk adolescents, having warm and supportive parents, good quality social relationships, a sense of self-efficacy or getting regular exercise were all tied to a higher likelihood of having good mental health. The more of these factors were present, the greater the protection. ”

Stereotypes About Teens Can Undermine Parents' Confidence, by Aimee Cunningham, NPR, Nov 5 2015.

“Raising teens is commonly perceived to be a total drag. Indeed, moms and dads of adolescents report feeling less capable than parents of younger children. And what parents think about adolescence can affect how competent they feel when dealing with their teens. ”

Parents Can Learn How To Prevent Anxiety In Their Children, by Lynne Shallcross, NPR , Sep 25 2015.

“Children of anxious parents are more at risk of developing an anxiety disorder. But there's welcome news for those anxious parents: that trajectory toward anxiety isn't set in stone. Therapy and a change in parenting styles might be able to prevent kids from developing anxiety disorders, according to research published in The American Journal of Psychiatry Friday. ”

Watchful parents help early-maturing girls avoid alcohol abuse, by Anne Harding, Reuters, Sep 21 2015.

“Girls who hit puberty early are at sharply higher risk of abusing alcohol as teens if their parents don't keep tabs on them, new research shows. 'Early-maturing girls whose parents gave them free rein at age 13 showed a dramatic increase in alcohol abuse over the next four years compared to early-maturing peers who were supervised more closely', Dr. Brett Laursen of Florida Atlantic University in Fort Lauderdale and colleagues found. ”

When You're a Parent...Again, by Amanda Long, Granparents.com, Aug 7 2015.

“Taking over as primary caretaker is not easy. But know this: You are not alone. ”

That's Not Fair! Crime And Punishment In A Preschooler's Mind, by Nadia Whitehead, NPR , Jun 24 2015.

“Toddlers can throw their fair share of tantrums, especially when you don't yield to their will. But by age 3, it turns out, the little rug rats actually have a burgeoning sense of fairness and are inclined to right a wrong. When they see someone being mistreated, children as young as 3 years old will intervene on behalf of others nearly as often as for themselves, a study published this month in Current Biology suggests. Just don't ask them to punish the perpetrator. ”

What Babies Understand About Adult Sadness, by Maanvi Singh, NPR , Jun 12 2015.

“Babies tend to wear their hearts on their tiny little sleeves. They cry because you took away that thing they picked up off the floor and then put in their mouths. They cry because they're tired. Sometimes, they cry just because. But by the middle of their second year of life, it turns out, babies do understand that a stiff upper lip can be appropriate in certain situations. Children this age show more concern for adults who overtly express sadness, according to a study published this week, but they're also understanding of people who are more emotionally reserved. ”

Teens Who Skimp On Sleep Now Have More Drinking Problems Later, by Maanvi Singh, NPR , Jan 16 2015.

“Sleep-deprived teenagers find it difficult to focus in class, and they're more likely get sick. They are also more likely to develop problems with alcohol later on, according to a study published Friday in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. The study included teens who suffered from conditions like insomnia as well as those who simply weren't getting enough sleep. Teenagers ages 14 through 16 who had trouble falling or staying asleep were 47 percent more likely to binge drink than their well-rested peers. Sleep problems were linked to even more issues with alcohol later on. ”

Preschool Depression May Continue for a Decade, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , Jul 31 2014.

“New research discovers early childhood depression increases the risk that a child will be depressed throughout their formative school years. Washington University researchers discovered children who had depression as preschoolers were 2.5 times more likely to suffer from the condition in elementary and middle school than kids who were not depressed at very young ages. ”