The Alcohol Talk: What to Say if Your Teen Is Already Drinking
If you’re talking to your kid about the important issues in life, the subject of alcohol is bound to come up. In some ways, the “alcohol talk” is a lot like the “sex talk”: Ideally, you’ll have the discussion long before your child really needs it. Le…
Learn MoreHigh School Students and Drinking
When it comes to teen drinking, parents would be wise not to look the other way. The consequences — from drunk driving accidents to date rape and violent crime — make it clear that teen drinking is much more than just harmless youthful experimentati…
Learn MoreWhining, Ages 6 to 12
How can I get my child to stop whining?A school-age child who whines can be a serious nuisance and may earn a reputation as a complainer at school. Ending the habit isn’t easy. Find the patience and resolution to help your child by reminding yourself …
Learn MoreWhining, Ages 1 to 3
How can I get my child to stop whining?That depends on why he’s whining. If he’s hungry, tired, or bored, give him what he needs: a snack, a nap, a suggestion of something to do, or maybe just a hug. Then you can figure out how to curb his fussy behav…
Learn MoreHarry Potter and Divorce Among the Muggles
We were listening to a tape of the most recent Harry Potter volume, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, on the way back from the beach, my three children and I. It was late, and everyone was sunburned and sandy, stunned into peaceful silence. T…
Learn MoreNight Terrors
If you’ve ever seen a young child in the grip of a night terror, you’ll never forget it. He’ll wail in panic, scream, and thrash about like a small animal. His eyes are wide open but he doesn’t recognize or even see you. A child with a night terror is…
Learn MoreHeadaches in Children
Most people think of headaches as an adult problem, but kids can get them too. Often, childhood headaches are just temporary symptoms of a cold, flu, or an an infection of the sinuses, eyes, or ears. But like adults, some children can get tension head…
Learn MoreStress and Child Abuse: The Past Hurts
Child abuse casts a long shadow. A long-term study published in the Journal of Child Abuse and Neglect found that by age 21, up to 80 percent of child abuse survivors had developed a psychiatric illness, including depression and anxiety disorders.In r…
Learn MoreSinus Congestion in Children
What are the sinuses? The sinuses are four sets of air-filled cavities located behind and around the nose and eyes. Many people (adults as well as children) only become aware of these spaces when they begin hurting, so they may not appreciate their va…
Learn MoreSickle Cell Anemia (Children)
What is sickle cell anemia?
Sickle cell anemia is a disease of red blood cells that is passed from parent to child. Normally red blood cells contain a protein called hemoglobin A, which carries oxygen to all the organs in the body. With sickle cell a…