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Child psychology is one of the many branches of psychology. This particular branch focuses on the mind and behavior of children from prenatal development through adolescence. Child psychology deals not only with how children grow physically, but with their mental, emotional, and social development as well. History and Development Historically, children were often viewed simply as smaller versions of adults. When Jean Piaget suggested that children actually think differently than adults, Albert Einstein proclaimed that the discovery was “so simple that only a genius could have thought of it....

The level of familial and financial stability a person experiences can have a ripple effect that goes well into adulthood. One area of impact, in particular, is the ability to pursue further schooling successfully. A recent study from the Journal of Adolescent Research (JAR) found that experiencing foster care or homelessness as a youth creates immense barriers to affording and completing higher education. Key Takeaways Experiencing foster care or homelessness as a youth can make affording and completing higher education more difficult....

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a modified type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Its main goals are to teach people how to live in the moment, develop healthy ways to cope with stress, regulate their emotions, and improve their relationships with others. DBT was originally intended to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD), but it has been adapted to treat other mental health conditions. It can help people who have difficulty with emotional regulation or are exhibiting self-destructive behaviors (such as eating disorders and substance use disorders)....

How long is mental health support needed after a natural disaster? A lot longer than it’s usually available, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report on the lingering mental health effects of Hurricane Irma, a Category 4 hurricane that struck the Florida Keys in September 2017. Key Takeaways New research shows that survivors of natural disasters often experience worsening mental health effects many months or years later....

Generally, in the U.S., parents are legally obligated to take care of and financially support their minor-aged children. When a child reaches the age of majority, which means adulthood, parents are usually no longer legally obligated to provide for their offspring, with some exceptions. The age of adulthood may be 18 or 21, depending on the law of the specific state, and this formal designation is considered emancipation, or freedom, for the adult child....

Flashlight games are full of kid appeal! Most children, even tweens and teens, have a fascination with flashlights, and why not? It’s pretty to cool to shoot a beam of light out into the dark. Add a few rules and goals and presto: you have these flashlight games, perfect for after-dinner activity, sleepover parties, and camping. Stealthy Scavenger Hunt Make a scavenger hunt or treasure hunt a little more challenging by keeping hunters in the dark!...

If you’re awaiting the arrival of twins or more, you may be wondering what to buy and what to pass by. Use this guide for shopping for baby products for twins. Do you really need two of everything? Shortly after the monumental discovery that we were expecting twins, my husband commented, “I guess this means we’re going to need more stuff!” We’d already started shopping for items for one baby, and I was ready to hit the stores to double up on everything else!...

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 78 Whether you said something out of anger and hurt your partner’s feelings or you completely forgot about a deadline for work, your next move is critical....

What does it mean to be happy? There are so many ideas and perspectives when it comes to being happy. By definition happy means characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy. Strategies that can help you learn how to be happy include: Truthfully, Your ‘happy’ is whatever it means to you. Of course, not everyone will agree, but that is to be expected because no two people are alike....

Bullies tend to bully others anyplace where adult supervision is low. This means the playground, the Internet, the cafeteria, school hallways, restrooms, and school locker rooms are prime bullying hot spots. Even school buses provide an environment where bullying thrives. Why Bullying Occurs on the Bus On a school bus, bullies have a small space, a captive audience, and a bus driver whose focus is on the road. Add to that the contained environment, a ride that can last up to 30 minutes or longer, and very little supervision, and you can see why buses are one of the top places where bullying takes place....

While you might experience a sense of relief when election ads stop dominating commercial breaks and your mailbox is no longer flooded with fliers from local candidates, election stress doesn’t end on Election Day. In fact, your distress might increase if your candidates didn’t win. You might feel panicked about what’s going to happen to the economy or you might be worried about health insurance changes and other policy overhauls....

As anyone who’s watching their weight will tell you that hunger is just one of many reasons that people eat. Those with a tendency toward emotional eating are especially vulnerable to making poor choices. If you’re an emotional eater, you may find yourself eating to deal with uncomfortable emotions, using food as a reward when you’re happy, and craving sweets or unhealthy snacks when stressed. Don’t worry—you’re not alone! The following ideas can help you to cut down emotional eating and develop healthier eating habits, even when you’re stressed....

When you feel stressed, whether you face a real threat or merely think that you are facing a threat, your body experiences a collection of changes known as your stress response, or your fight-or-flight response. Your stress response is the collection of physiological changes that occur when you face a perceived threat, that is when you face situations where you feel the demands outweigh your resources to successfully cope. These situations are known as stressors....

Intuniv is a non-stimulant treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is a long-acting form of guanfacine, which had previously been used to treat high blood pressure. The medication was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2009. It was initially approved as a once-a-day treatment for children and adolescents 6 to 17 years old who have ADHD. Guanfacine had already been used off-label to treat children with ADHD who also have tics, sleep problems, or aggression....

What’s more important in determining life success—book smarts or street smarts? This question gets at the heart of an important debate contrasting the relative importance of cognitive intelligence (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ). Proponents of so-called “book smarts” might suggest that IQ plays the most critical role in determining how well people fare in life. Those who advocate for the importance of what might be called “street smarts” would instead suggest that EQ is even more important....

Being the parent of a baby is always a bit of an overwhelming experience, but doing so during a pandemic adds an extra layer of stress. Our number one job as parents is to keep our children safe and well, and with COVID-19 circulating, there is a lot of uncertainty about how best to do that. Key Takeaways Breastfeeding is considered safe in most circumstances, even if you’ve been exposed to or infected with COVID-19....

What Is Major Depressive Disorder? While everyone tends to feel sad or low from time to time, feeling that way for weeks or months at a time could mean you have depression. Major Depressive Disorder Depression, also referred to as clinical depression or major depressive disorder, is a medical condition that is classified as a mood disorder. It can affect how you feel and your ability to function on a day-to-day basis....

After you have your baby, you will typically lose a little weight right away as the body adjusts and sheds fluids. After that, weight loss varies from person to person. Many women worry about not being able to lose all the weight they gain. However, some people quickly lose more weight than is desirable after giving birth. Rapid or excessive postpartum weight loss may occur due to lifestyle factors or from a medical issue....

While there are many iPhone apps based around happiness, this was one of the first to come out, and it’s still one of the best to use, in my opinion. I really enjoy this iPhone application for many reasons, and think it’s a truly useful tool for stress relief in that it’s based on the principles of positive psychology, and can help you actually create habits that are proven by research to help you live a life that includes more happiness and less stress (or more resilience toward stress)....

Eating too much sugar can lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. So in the long term, reducing sugar in your diet may encourage weight loss, improve dental health, and reduce your risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In the short term, giving up sugar often results in temporary sugar withdrawal symptoms. Common symptoms of sugar withdrawal include cravings and fatigue, but in some cases, people experience irritability, depressed mood, and other unwanted symptoms....