Parenting a 6-year-old can be a rewarding and fun experience. Your child is still young enough to want to hang out with you and still needs a lot of your attention and support. At the same time, they are blossoming into their own person. They are adjusting to school and valuing their friendships in more meaningful ways. They are also learning new skills faster than you can keep up with, and growing both physically and emotionally....
Change isn’t easy, regardless of what time of year it is, but the shift into the winter months can be particularly harsh. We cling to consistency, especially when it comes to our personal strategies for mental health. Key Takeaways Winter, like any seasonal change, can create additional mental health barriers for disabled people.Seasonal Affective Disorder is a condition experts are paying attention to this time of year.Just because winter doesn’t bring ice and snow in your particular climate doesn’t mean it won’t create complications for those with disabilities....
When your preemie is in the NICU, it is very likely that you’ll be asked to consider using donor breast milk, in one form or another. Whether it’s to provide milk because you are unable to produce enough milk for your baby, or it’s to provide an important supplement which adds calories and nutrients to your own breast milk, the reality is that human milk products are becoming more and more commonplace....
Growing up in a household with a parent that abuses alcohol is not a rare occurrence. In fact, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), about 1 in 8, or 8.7 million, children ages 17 and younger live in a house with a parent who has a substance abuse disorder within the last year. And that fact is not without consequences. From the moment of conception, children are impacted by a parent’s use of alcohol....
Parents across the U.S. are struggling to get their hands on baby formula, including brands like Similac and Enfamil. According to an analysis by Datasembly, the out-of-stock rate on baby formula was 31% in April 2022, up from 11% in November 2021. It’s natural for parents to panic when they can’t buy their baby’s food. And switching brands isn’t always easy, particularly when babies have allergies, sensitivities, or digestive issues and can only tolerate certain types of formula....
Most parents excel at keeping their kids physically healthy. They work to ensure they are eating well, getting their immunizations, and staying physically active. But a child’s emotional and mental well-being is just as important to their quality of life as being physically healthy. Supporting your child’s mental health—just as you would their physical health—helps your child develop the resilience they need to deal with obstacles while growing into well-rounded and mentally healthy adults....
Whether it’s saying “the park is closed” when you just want to go home or you are “out of cookies” when you know your child has had too many sweets, most parents know what it is like to lie to their kids. Sometimes channeling your inner Pinocchio seems like a better option than dealing with arguments or tantrums. Especially when those lies are for a sweet reason, like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or the tooth fairy....
Native Americans have been in the Americas for at least 15,000 years, and it’s easy to see their influence in art, music, food, games, products, words, and names throughout the United States. While many rivers, towns, and states have names that are Native in origin, Native American names are not as prominent in mainstream culture. Native American names come from many diverse tribes and landscapes, including the Hawaiian islands. Because of this diversity, naming traditions tend to vary as well....
When Alex* was about six weeks pregnant, she woke up bleeding. Getting pregnant in the first place hadn’t been easy—she had been trying for many months when her home test finally came back positive. Alex began to feel the tell-tale signs of early pregnancy. “Honestly, the nausea and exhaustion was a relief,” she said, “like my body was finally doing what it was supposed to do.” But seeing the blood at six weeks made her heart drop....
The overjustification effect is a phenomenon in which being rewarded for doing something actually diminishes intrinsic motivation to perform that action. Think about a few of the things that you love to do. Is there a sport such as volleyball or basketball that you love to play? Are you passionate about knitting, reading, or collecting movie memorabilia? Normally, you engage in these activities simply for the sheer joy and pleasure of it, not for some type of outside reinforcement....
Many people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a fear of speaking in public. This is a form of social anxiety. These fears can have a tremendous impact on a person’s level of success at work or at school. Someone with a fear of public speaking may avoid jobs, classes or situations where they have to present in front of other people. But you can overcome these fears, even if you are also dealing with PTSD....
As you approach your due date, you may wonder when to stop working and start your maternity leave. This decision hinges on several factors, mainly depending on your medical, financial, and personal situation. Some people prefer to stay busy at work up until their due date, or have a financial obligation to remain working as long as possible. Others use their due date as a firm “end date.” And for still others, health concerns can render it too difficult or unsafe to continue working beyond a certain point....
Dementia and its associated diseases impact millions of older adults and their communities across the United States, but it’s unclear why some people are more impacted than others. A new study found that Black and Hispanic seniors may be at greater risk of dementia than older individuals of American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, or white backgrounds. Key Takeaways According to a recent study, there was greater incidence of dementia among seniors from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups....
It’s never too early to talk to your kids about smoking. You might not think there’s a reason to have the discussion when your child is just 5 or 6 years old—after all, it’s unlikely that your first-grader is going to pick up a smoking habit—but the more time you have to reiterate the dangers and damage that smoking can cause, the better. As of Dec. 20, 2019, the new legal age limit is 21 years old for purchasing cigarettes, cigars, or any other tobacco products in the U....
Suspension fitness training systems have helped revolutionize bodyweight workouts into convenient and challenging strength training. Composed of heavy-duty, anchored straps with handles and foot stirrups, suspension trainers use your own body weight to engage core stability, balance, and mobility. This makes for an ultra-efficient, total-body workout that improves flexibility, builds lean muscle, develops functional strength, and supports cardiovascular health. Suspension trainers are portable, easy to setup, and easy to use. We reviewed suspension trainers and evaluated them for quality, safety, comfort, durability, design, pricing, and value....
Makeup and sweat very rarely get along. Whether you’re navigating a humid day or a grueling workout, your makeup is bound to run, smudge, or drip right off—unless you’ve invested in some sweatproof options. “Waterproof makeup contains the same types of pigments as traditional makeup, but they have added ingredients that prevent them from being washed away by water,” Joshua Zeichner, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist says. When looking for waterproof makeup, pay special attention to key ingredients....
Addiction is a chronic, brain-based disorder that involves brain chemistry, the environment, life experiences, and genetics. People who have an addiction to alcohol continue to engage in compulsive behaviors despite negative consequences. Many of these negative consequences affect the individual’s health and well-being, but family, friends, and other loved ones are also often affected as well. If you are a friend or family member of a person with an alcohol use disorder (AUD), you might be searching for ways to better understand your loved one’s behaviors....
Subscribe Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts Every Friday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, shares the “Friday Fix”—a short episode featuring a quick, actionable tip or exercise to help you manage a specific mental health issue or concern. Friday Fix: Episode 141 Although online therapy has grown in popularity during the pandemic, a lot of people are still hesitant to try it. And it’s wise to question whether online treatment can be effective as face-to-face therapy....
Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are the leading cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the general population. Each year, there are an estimated six million MVAs in the United States, resulting in over 2.5 million injuries. According to a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) study, 39.2% of MVA survivors develop PTSD. Risk Factors for PTSD Several factors have been found to increase the risk of developing PTSD, including: Dissociation during or immediately after the traumatic event Family history of psychopathology High levels of emotion (e....
Transcendental meditation, also known as TM for short, is a simple and effective form of meditation that is shown by research to be quite effective at minimizing anxiety, helping people manage stress, and even lowering blood pressure and carrying other benefits. It gained popularity in the 1960s, even attracting the attention of the Beatles, as well as other celebrities and notable people since then. You can learn this form of meditation from a certified TM instructor in a few days, but you can also learn the basics here....
