What is attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder?ADHD (commonly known as ADD) is a behavioral disorder. Basically, children with ADHD have difficulty concentrating and are excessively active, or both. The American Psychiatric Association calls the dis...
By now your child has reached elementary school age and you feel pretty well in tune with her personality -- her shyness is just part of the package. Still, you wonder how you can make life easier for her. The key is to avoid the two opposing -- and p...
Anxiety is a normal part of children's behavioral and emotional development, and as children get older, their concerns grow broader. Your child may be worried about a spelling test, a soccer match, or riding the school bus for the first time. These an...
What is Roseola? Roseola, or roseola infantum, is a fairly mild childhood disease that causes fever and a rash. Sometimes called "baby measles," it typically strikes children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years. It's caused by the human herpes vi...
Like quite a few parents, you may have recently taken a good look at your adolescent and wondered, "What happened?" Not only has your child's appearance changed, her demeanor may have as well. A once-gregarious child who used to tell you everything no...
As your child moves into the preschool and kindergarten years, behavior that seemed understandable and even expected of a toddler -- clinging to your leg when a stranger approaches, weeping during goodbyes, refusing to join in group activities -- may ...
What's the best way to initiate a conversation about sex with my child? First of all, give up on the idea that it's going to happen the way you plan it -- fruitful conversations with adolescents rarely take place when and how their parents want them t...
How do I handle the birds-and-bees speech responsibly? Give up on the idea of presenting the subject in one big talk -- you'll overwhelm your child with more bewildering and even distasteful information than she can process at once. Instead, think of ...
Anxiety is a normal part of your child's behavioral and emotional development. Toddlers often get uneasy when separated from their parents or introduced to strangers. Fears of the dark, the toilet, animals, and loud noises (such as fireworks or thunde...
My child hits, kicks, and lashes out at other kids. Should I be concerned?Yes. Most children outgrow this kind of behavior by the time they enter grade school, because they've developed the language skills to express themselves in words and been socia...
Spurred on by family instability, violent crime now touches millions of young lives. The control of crime in the streets, in the schools, and in the home ought to be the preeminent 'children's issue.'--Karl Zinsmeister, "Growing up Scared," Atlantic M...
How early do children have sexual feelings? Almost from the very beginning, children are exploring their bodies. But before that idea makes you anxious, remember that at this point your child's curiosity is less about sex as you think of it and more a...
Parents usually manage to remain calm during the years when children's lying takes the form of fantastical stories or denials of having raided the cookie jar. But an older child who skimps on the truth sets off parents' alarm bells -- and rightly so. ...
Why does my toddler fib? Until she's 3 or 4, your child won't be able to reliably distinguish between reality and fantasy. That makes it impossible for her to grasp the concepts of lying and telling the truth. What seem like fibs are really the result...
How can I tell if my child has a stuttering problem?Everybody has trouble speaking from time to time. We've all filled sentences with "um" or "uh" or stumbled through a nerve-wracking speech. But when a child has a stuttering problem, words can be a d...
When it comes to manners, what can I reasonably expect of my child? Inconsistency, for one thing. A 4-year-old is capable of being amazingly polite one day and spitting his milk at you the next just to see what will happen. But even very young childre...
Sometime during your child's school years, he'll open his sweet mouth and out will pop a whopper. If you're an older mom or dad, you may find he has told his friends you're his grandparent. Or you may find your daughter, who has never been out of the ...
How can I tell if my child has a stuttering problem?The mind of a preschooler is buzzing with questions, commands, and mangled lyrics to Sesame Street songs. Your child is probably still learning how to turn his thoughts into intelligible sounds, and ...
How can I tell if my child has a stuttering problem?The mind of a toddler is buzzing with questions, commands, and mangled lyrics to "Sesame Street" songs. Your child is probably still learning how to turn his thoughts into intelligible sounds, and mi...
My well-mannered child has suddenly been replaced by a rude, temperamental lout. Is this normal? Unfortunately, yes. Odds are puberty turned you into a rude, temperamental lout yourself; you've just blocked out the memory. The main thing to keep in mi...
Lynn White, an assistant professor of research at Northeast Ohio University's College of Medicine, recently got a surprise when she tried to pick up her son's middle-school backpack. The pack didn't look unusually full, but it weighed somewhere in bet...
How important is it to teach my child good manners? These are the years when your child needs to learn the true meaning of good manners: that if she conducts herself considerately in all sorts of different situations, from visits with relatives to ove...
By Constance MatthiessenIn your baby's second month, his world grows much larger. He is still drawn to familiar faces, and he sometimes holds eye contact for as long as 10 seconds. In addition to your face, baby's top 10 list includes high-contrast mo...
The first month of life is a steep learning curve for both the new baby and the new parents. In even a few short weeks, your baby will have come a long way from the moment he was born. Your baby starts life with more than 70 separate reflexes. Reflexe...
Your baby is full of emotions, and he's more than willing to put them on display. He can go from laughter to tears and back again faster than you can change his clothes. Dealing with his up-and-down feelings can be a tiring job, but there's an upside:...
How do I know if my child has a weight problem?There's no simple answer, since children grow in spurts. Boys especially tend to put on weight and look plump for a period and then suddenly shoot upward and slim down. If you're worried, talk to your chi...
By now, your baby is moving towards all sorts of fun and mischief. Different babies have different methods for getting around. Some scoot on their bellies, some use their arms to push themselves backwards, and some have already mastered the classic fo...
Your baby loves to move. It's almost as if she still remembers her cramped quarters from a few months ago and is making the most of her newfound freedom. She can get a surprising amount of exercise while lying on her back. Put her down on her blanket,...
At this age, your baby's social circle isn't very large. Of all of the friends, relatives, and strangers who drift in and out of her life, she really only cares about a few key people. And you're one of them. Throughout the day, she'll make many attem...
For the first couple of months, the relationship with your baby was a one-way street. You gave her love and attention, and she soaked it in. She could smile and cry, but she never really tried to connect with you or the other people in her life. Now, ...