Children and Kids

The Boy Who Finally Stopped Washing: OCD From Both Sides of the Couch
John B. is a therapist who both suffers from and treats OCD. In this memoir, he describes what it’s like to live with OCD, and, in general terms, the treatments that helped him and his clients. Unfortunately, although the book contains some vivid descriptions of John B.’s OCD along with some information on suggested treatment, [...]
Got An Angry Kid? Parenting Spike: A Seriously Difficult Child
Search Barnes and Noble or Amazon for self-help books on “child discipline” and over 8,000 titles show up. Eight thousand! You can find magic 1-2-3, positive discipline, discipline without tears, how to discipline with one hand behind your back or how to discipline in your spare time. You can find out how to make star [...]
Parent-Child Power Struggles
To point out the absurdity of parent–child power struggles, one of my teachers used to ask us to imagine a prizefight. The announcer booms . . . “In this corner, in the red trunks, weighing 190 pounds, Pow-er-ful P-op!” The crowd roars! “And in this corner, in the yellow trunks, and weighing 40 pounds, we [...]
Disturbances of the Mind
Disturbances of the Mind by Douwe Draaisma is a book regarding various illnesses ranging from Bonnet Syndrome to Alzheimer’s, with an entire range of brain diseases in between. It provides an interesting narrative about how each disease came to be identified, by whom, the disease’s symptoms, and how it came to be named. This book [...]
Having a Smooth “Breakup” with Your College-Bound Teen
As fall approaches, many teenagers will be leaving home for the first time, headed to college. Families face many challenges in navigating this transition. Casey, 18, an only child, is struggling with his parents. He is a good kid, bright, funny, well-liked. Diagnosed with ADHD, he has been an “underachiever” with a common but paradoxical blend [...]
In-Depth: Asperger’s Disorder
Asperger’s Disorder — also known as Asperger’s Syndrome or just AS — is a mild form of autism, recognized as a mental health concern that sometimes requires treatment. Asperger’s is usually diagnosed in childhood or as a young teenager, and is characterized by social impairment, isolation, and what others might see as eccentric behavior. The disorder’s [...]
To Grandmother’s House We Go
Miranda is at a loss. Her 8-year-old granddaughter Melody has come for a three-week visit so that her mother Terry can save on camp expenses. Four days in and Miranda is wondering if it was a big mistake. “Melody is so stubborn,” she tells me. “We’ve always had a good time in the past. [...]
BRAVE: Be Ready and Victory’s Easy
BRAVE: Be Ready and Victory’s Easy is a 96-page, large-print, softcover book is a quick and easy read geared toward helping children and parents find solutions for those who suffer from social anxiety. The story is more for younger people; Danny, a fifth grader, is its main character. Danny comes up with the typical excuses many [...]
Money Matters: How To Make Allowances Work
Functioning in today’s world requires the ability to manage money. From my point of view, it’s a disservice to let kids grow up thinking that money will magically show up whenever they want something. It’s not helpful to inadvertently teach them that they can obtain money by whining, cajoling, or throwing a fit. It’s [...]
Mistake Phobia
Mistake phobia: No, it’s not a real diagnosis, although maybe it ought to be. I came up with the idea while listening to a mom talk about her 9-year-old son: “My son, Theo, can never seem to finish anything,” she said. “He starts all kinds of projects but gets easily frustrated when they don’t look exactly [...]
Depression and Teenage Pregnancy
Research suggests that childbearing does not necessarily cause psychological distress among teenagers. Dr. Stefanie Mollborn of the University of Colorado and her team investigated stress and depression using a large group of teenage girls and adult women. In the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, they explain that teenage mothers’ high depression rates have received “considerable [...]
Approaching Neverland: A Memoir of Epic Tragedy & Happily Ever After
In the 1960s, when author Peggy Kennedy grew up, mental illness was a family secret. It was whispered about, handed off to hospitals, restrained, subjected to electroshock therapy and slews of sedatives and sent back home, when appropriate. Peggy Kennedy knows this all too well because her mother suffered from schizophrenia (her diagnosis was later [...]
So You’re Thinking about Giving Your Kids Music Lessons
Let’s be clear. There is such a thing as talent and a drive to make music. Some kids start rhythmically banging on pots at age 2 and comping on a toy piano at 3. Playing almost anything vaguely resembling an instrument is so in their blood and in their fingers that they would rather [...]
The Importance of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Pregnancy
How important are omega-3 fatty acids in a pregnant woman’s diet? Pregnant women are advised to eat about 12 ounces of fish a week, including one of oily fish. Raw fish or seafood, swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel, and shark are best avoided due to risk of food poisoning and heavy metal toxicity. Eating fish is good for [...]
A High School Project on Depression
I tutor a number of students from my local high school, which offers a remarkable English course called Psychology and Literature. What an idea! Although I’d never heard of such a course at any other school, Psych and Lit is extremely popular here, and I’ve been very impressed with the concept and the content. My favorite [...]