As you prepare to bring your sweet newborn home, you may be asking yourself: “What does a baby really need in the first weeks at home?” The answer is: not much. Of course, if you consult a baby registry suggestion list, or ask a baby gear store, it probably sounds like your baby needs everything under the sun! Some parents want all of those cool baby products and gadgets that can make life with the little one more convenient....
Does your child run, play, and move for at least 60 minutes a day? For school-aged kids, physical activities are (and should be) fun, but they’re also important. Kids this age need that daily hour of moderate to vigorous activity to stay fit and healthy. The time should be divided among aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening activities. Short bursts of 10 or 15 minutes count toward this daily tally, so make sure your child has lots of opportunities for physical activities before, during, and after school....
Harry Harlow was one of the first psychologists to scientifically investigate the nature of human love and affection. Through a series of controversial experiments, Harlow was able to demonstrate the importance of early attachments, affection, and emotional bonds on the course of healthy development. Early Research On Love During the first half of the 20th century, many psychologists believed that showing affection towards children was merely a sentimental gesture that served no real purpose....
When gauging alcohol use in their patients, healthcare providers rely mainly on three methods: Traditional brief screeningThe blood alcohol concentration (BAC) testThe carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) test The traditional brief alcohol screening isn’t as reliable as the other two methods because its accuracy depends solely on the patient being accurate and honest about how much they drink. While the BAC test measures the level of alcohol currently in the bloodstream, CDT testing uses biomarkers to detect a recent history of harmful levels of alcohol consumption....
In Broward County, FL, three teachers died from COVID-19 in the same 24 hour period, with schools just days away from opening. The Broward County School District had just decided to implement a mandatory mask policy for schools a few days before, defying Florida Governor DeSantis’ order that districts can’t make that decision. Key Takeaways The American College of Physicians (ACP) released a statement saying masks should be mandatory in schools this fall....
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 Wendy Suzuki Wendy Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University. Her books include “Healthy Brain, Happy Life” and “Good Anxiety....
It might sound like the stuff cliches are made of, but age really is just a number. For most men, this is an agreeable sentiment—the older man/younger woman dynamic has been accepted as normal for generations. Now on the come up is a similar trend with older women. Accepting that any romantic limits relying on age are groundless, mature women are venturing out to find love, companionship, and sexual satisfaction with younger men....
Nothing is more nerve-wracking and stressful than the college application process. Both teens and parents alike fret about how to make the applications shine so that those acceptance letters start rolling in—especially from the teen’s dream college. But just how involved in this process should parents be? Here is an overview of how to support your teen through this process without taking over, being a lawnmower parent, or causing more stress....
Culture is one factor that can have an influence on how people think and behave. One factor that cross-cultural psychologists often study involves the differences and similarities between individualistic cultures and collectivist cultures. Individualistic cultures are those that stress the needs of the individual over the needs of the group as a whole. In this type of culture, people are seen as independent and autonomous. Social behavior tends to be dictated by the attitudes and preferences of individuals....
A lactation aid is a device that allows a breastfeeding mother to supplement her baby with expressed breast milk or formula without using an artificial nipple. If the baby does not get milk well from the breast, he may fall asleep or push away from the breast when the flow of milk slows down. Thus the baby may refuse the breast, be very fussy at the breast, gain weight poorly, lose weight or even become dehydrated....
What Is Neurotherapy? Neurotherapy, also called neurofeedback and electroencephalogram (EEG) biofeedback, is a drug-free treatment that helps people improve their brain function. It’s based on the idea that you can consciously alter the way your brain functions using real-time displays of your brain’s electrical activity (known as brainwaves). Types of Neurotherapy There are seven types of neurotherapy for the treatment of various conditions: Frequency/power neurofeedbackSlow cortical potential neurofeedback (SCP-NF) Low-energy neurofeedback system (LENS)Hemoencephalography (HEG) neurofeedbackLive Z-score neurofeedbackLow-resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA)Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) The type of neurotherapy recommended depends on the condition or symptoms you are trying to address....
The rigors of labor and delivery can take a significant toll on your body. Plus add in the stress of caring for a newborn and the lack of sleep and it’s not surprising that the majority of women experience fatigue and exhaustion during the postpartum period. In fact, according to one study nearly 90% of women who gave birth vaginally reported feeling fatigued during the postpartum period. And some women—as many as 11%—continue to experience fatigue even into the third month postpartum....
Witnessing your baby crawl for the first time is a memorable event. It’s also one of the many major developmental milestones parents start to look forward to as a baby progresses toward walking and running. Typically, babies start crawling somewhere between 7 and 10 months old, but sometimes babies start earlier or later—or skip crawling altogether and go straight to walking. Learn more about when you can expect your baby to start crawling, the different styles babies use when they learn to crawl, and how you can encourage your baby to crawl....
When gearing up for walking, hiking, or exploring the outdoors, your instinct may be to reach for the first pair of running shorts or leggings in sight. However, not all workout apparel is made the same, and you’ll feel better with specialty walking pants. The best walking pants are comfortable, well-fitted, and equipped with zippered compartment and pockets to hold your belongings. Breathable materials and convertible options that turn into shorts are also great features to look for since these will keep you cool and well ventilated in warm weather....
The COVID-19 virus is one of the top 10 things people are worried about worldwide. And recent new concerns like monkeypox, polio in wastewater, tomato flu, and even new strains of the coronavirus, are causing more alarm. As the numbers for one virus start decreasing, there always seems to be another viral invasion ready to take its place. It’s hard to know—what should you really worry about, and how should you manage your concern?...
What exactly is personality? Where does it come from? Does it change as we grow older? These are the sorts of questions that have long held the fascination of psychologists and which have inspired a number of different theories of personality. Defining Personality While personality is something that we talk about all the time (“He has such a great personality!” or “Her personality is perfect for this job!”), you might be surprised to learn that psychologists do not necessarily agree on a single definition of what exactly constitutes personality....
Many people fall into the category of “problem drinker” but what does this label mean and how can it help you understand your relationship with alcohol? Often, having a sufficient reason to cut back—or a particularly embarrassing or frightening experience caused by drinking—is enough to signal a problem drinker to self-correct. Many one-time heavy drinkers merely “grow up” and change their behaviors. A “problem drinker” is not an official diagnosis, but a phrase used to describe people who misuse alcohol but don’t necessarily need medical treatment, peer group support, or a spiritual awakening to stop or modify their drinking patterns....
What Is a Sense of Belonging? The need to belong, also known as belongingness, refers to a human emotional need to affiliate with and be accepted by members of a group. This may include the need to belong to a peer group at school, to be accepted by co-workers, to be part of an athletic team, or to be part of a religious group. A sense of belonging involves more than simply being acquainted with other people....
While being a fan of pop culture was once considered strange or immature, today it’s common to hear people declare they are fans of movies, TV, music, celebrities, and other popular culture well into adulthood. This article will explore how fandom impacts adults where norms marking the traditional milestones of this part of life have rapidly shifted. It will then discuss how fandom can help meet psychological needs during adolescent and adult stages of development....
The Health Belief Model (HBM) is a tool that scientists use to try to predict health behaviors. It was originally developed in the 1950s and updated in the 1980s. The model is based on the theory that a person’s willingness to change their health behaviors primarily comes from their health perceptions. According to this model, your individual beliefs about health and health conditions play a role in determining your health-related behaviors....
