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Today’s kids are busier than ever, dividing their time between school, activities, tutoring, and family time. When they’re not busy with scheduled activities, kids have to make time for homework, sleep, and personal care. Is there a way to balance it all and still provide some structure? Sure; making room for the priorities just takes a little planning. Of course, when it comes to time management, flexibility is also important. There will be times when you need to make adjustments to meet your child’s needs....

Anxiety disorders are serious mental illnesses that cause significant worry or fear that doesn’t go away and may even get worse over time. We all feel anxious at times, but with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety tends to be fairly constant and has a very negative and intrusive impact on quality of life. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 19.1% of adults in the United States have some type of anxiety disorder....

Mental Health and the Pandemic The pandemic reduced some of the stigma surrounding mental health issues. As celebrities, influencers, and icons stepped forward to share some of the struggles they were experiencing during lockdown, it became clear that no one is immune to mental illness. In the “Ask a Therapist” series, I’ll be answering your questions about all things mental health and psychology. Whether you are struggling with a mental health condition, coping with anxiety about a life situation, or simply looking for a therapist’s insight, submit a question....

When most parents think about discipline, consequences and punishment come to mind. But effective discipline is more than just time-outs and loss of privileges. In fact, those consequences aren’t likely to be effective if the bulk of your discipline focuses on negative consequences. 5 Core Components of Healthy and Effective Child Discipline Healthy discipline should include these five core components: A Healthy Relationship With Your Child If you don’t have a healthy relationship with your child, discipline isn’t likely to work....

Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts Every Monday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, interviews authors, experts, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and other inspirational people about the strategies that help them think, feel, and do their best in life. Meet Brooke Shields Brooke Shields has worked in Hollywood since 1978 as an actress and a model. She’s starred on magazine covers across the globe, appeared in movies like ‘Blue Lagoon,’ and starred in the TV show ‘Suddenly Susan....

For some people, a spray tan might be part of their regular beauty routine, while others might view it as a treat for special occasions (think: before weddings or vacations). No matter if you’ve gotten one in the past, it’s natural to have some questions about whether or not spray tans are safe when you’re expecting. You probably can get a spray tan while pregnant (in most cases) if you follow a few safety precautions....

Getting quality sleep can become more of a challenge during pregnancy. You may be completely exhausted and need more shut-eye than usual or your baby bump may make it hard to get into a comfortable resting position. If you are a stomach sleeper, you may also wonder whether your preferred sleeping position is safe now that you are carrying a developing baby. You may even worry that lying down on your stomach to relax or stretch could hurt your baby....

The desire to alter personality is not uncommon. Shy people might wish they were more outgoing and talkative. Hot-tempered individuals might wish they could keep their cool in emotionally charged situations. Is it really possible to change your personality, or are our basic personality patterns fixed throughout life? While self-help books and websites often tout plans you can follow to change your habits and behaviors, there is a persistent belief that our underlying personalities are impervious to change....

Many people confuse panic disorder and phobias, believing that these two conditions are the same. It is undeniable that panic disorder and phobias share similar symptoms, including intense fear, feelings of anxiety, and panic attacks. Both conditions can involve difficult symptoms that can tremendously impact one’s relationships, career, and other responsibilities and goals. Additionally, according to information found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5), both conditions are classified as “anxiety disorders....

If you are trying to maintain abstinence from alcohol or drugs over a long period of time, it is important to develop a drug-free lifestyle in all aspects of your life—at home, at work and during your leisure hours. If you sought treatment from a professional rehab program for your alcohol or drug problem, one of the most important objectives of your continuing or follow-up care is to help you learn to replace your previous destructive behaviors with more healthy and productive alternatives....

When most parents think about consequences for kids, they usually envision negative consequences, like a time-out or taking away a video game. While negative consequences are instrumental in changing a child’s behavior, positive consequences are also effective discipline tools. When used together, positive and negative consequences will change your child’s behavior —as long as they are used consistently. Use positive consequences to reinforce good behavior and enforce negative consequences to discourage bad behavior....

If you are like most parents, you have probably wondered why your baby smiles in their sleep. Could it be a reflex, or is your little one caught up in a pleasant dream? Here we take a look at baby sleep including whether or not they dream. The truth is, much is still unknown about what occurs in a baby’s mind during sleep. This is, in part, because they lack the communication skills to convey that information to us....

Many men worry about having a semen analysis or sperm count test done. A semen analysis entails producing a semen sample via self-stimulation in a private environment. It usually takes place in a room in at a fertility clinic or urologist’s office, but it can possibly be done at home if you live close enough to the testing center. While fertility testing often starts with the female partner, the male partner may be surprised to learn he needs testing too....

Bubbles. Butterflies. Gas. These are all words used to describe what a baby’s first movements in utero feel like. Quickening is defined as the first time you feel your baby move. This is a long-anticipated event in every pregnancy. When You Can First Expect to Feel Your Baby Move If you’re pregnant with your first baby, you can expect to feel your baby for the first time between 18 and 24 weeks gestation....

FuzziBunz is one of the best selling cloth diapers year after year. There’s a reason for that. The drawbacks to using this brand over its competitors are minimal, which make it a popular choice for cloth diapering parents. Find out more about FuzziBunz one-size pocket cloth diapers with this review and information to help you decide if this is the right cloth diapering option for your family. Pros of FuzziBunz One Size Pocket Cloth Diapers Included replaceable elastic makes the diaper usable from birth up to 40 poundsOver 30 possible adjustmentsDurable diapers that stand up to the rigors of daily use, washing, and dryingMicroterry insert easily shakes out of the diaper and into the washing machine....

In the first few weeks of breastfeeding your little one, your breasts felt full often. Maybe you leaked milk between feeds, and it seemed like your baby was just gulping down your milk. Now, a few weeks later, things have changed. You’re still making milk, but it seems less abundant than it was before, and you’re wondering what this means. Has your milk supply regulated? Has it decreased? What exactly is going on?...

Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts On The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, interviews experts, authors, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and other inspirational people about the strategies that help them think, feel, and do their best in life. Meet LeAnn Rimes LeAnn Rimes is a singer/songwriter, actress, and author. She rose to stardom upon the release of her #1 debut album “Blue” at the age of 13....

Ghosting occurs when someone you are dating or have a friendship with disappears without a trace. This could happen at the very beginning of a relationship or in the middle of one, as well as in person or online. Dealing with being ghosted is incredibly difficult—especially because you usually don’t know the cause or know how to react. The person suddenly quits all contact with you—they won’t respond to texts, emails, calls, or social media messages....

There are so many factors to consider when choosing a new school for your child: location, safety, curriculum, and staff, just to name a few. It can be overwhelming, but choosing the best school for your child can set them up for a better learning experience. Every child deserves an engaging, comfortable, and inclusive learning environment; and as a parent, it’s your role to find a school that provides it....

Most parents today will want to find out the sex of their baby before birth. One of the most common ways to do this is with an ultrasound, most frequently performed at between 18 and 20 weeks of gestation. According to a 2012 study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, no less than 69% of parents wanted to know. Among the reasons cited, 77.8% wanted to know “out of curiosity,” 68% “just wanted to know,” and 66....