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It’s tough for both parents and kids when a child struggles with anger. Some children grow frustrated easily. They blow up over seemingly minor events. They yell. They might even become aggressive. If your child has angry outbursts, and especially if your child’s anger interferes with their relationships and quality of life, it’s important to teach them the skills they need to deal with their feelings in a healthy way. Guidance from a mental-health professional can also be very helpful....

While your smartphone can be detrimental to your psychological well-being, it can also be an amazing tool that can help you build mental strength. It all depends on how you use it. Some people use their smartphones to mindlessly scroll through social media for hours on end—or even to make hurtful comments that tear other people down. Other people use their smartphones to watch videos that teach them how to fix the transmission on their car or to take online college classes....

The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development is an assessment instrument designed to measure motor, cognitive, language, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior development in babies and young children. It involves interaction between the child and examiner and observations in a series of tasks. As with other assessments, the tasks range from basic responses to more complex responses. For example, a basic response might involve introducing an interesting object for the child to track with his eyes....

Spotting refers to light vaginal bleeding that occurs during pregnancy. As many as 30% of people may experience spotting at one time or another during pregnancy. Spotting, or light brown vaginal bleeding, can occur in both viable and nonviable pregnancies. It’s easy to panic and fear the worst when you discover that you are spotting, especially in the first trimester, but try to stay calm. Miscarriage is only one possible cause of spotting....

Filing for child support is anything but simple. Being prepared with the right documents can save you time, money, and stress. Child support application requirements vary from state to state, but only slightly. Learn which documents you need to file for child support in your state. The Child Support Application Process Each state has their own process to apply for child support. To start, you need to create an account with your state’s Department of Human Services or Department of Child Services....

Adopting outside your own race is a big decision. It’s also controversial. Questions remain as to whether a white family can properly prepare a Black child for dealing with racism. Now the decision rests mainly with the families, social workers, and agencies involved. What issues should you consider before making the final decision to adopt transracially? Here are some questions to ask yourself. Thanks to the Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 and the revisions made to it in 1996, it is against the law to prohibit an adoption or to delay an adoption based solely on the race of the adoptive parents or child....

Antidepressants can be an effective treatment for depression, but they can also have side effects. People who use medications like antidepressants may potentially become constipated. This side effect can be uncomfortable, but there are strategies you can try to find relief. Learn more about why this side effect happens, what to watch for, and what you can do to relieve this side effect. Why Antidepressants Can Cause Constipation Constipation is a common side effect of tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil (amitriptyline) and Norpramin (desipramine)....

The United Nations defines domestic abuse as: “a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner.” Domestic violence is a shockingly common occurrence the world over, with an estimated 10 million people in the United States alone affected on an annual basis. Broken down further, around 1 in 4 women, and 1 in 9 men are victims of domestic violence—a number which is believed to be underreported....

One of the main concerns expecting parents have in the third trimester is knowing when it’s time to go to the hospital or call the midwife. While it’s not uncommon to think that the first contractions are your cue, that’s usually not the case. Early labor can last for days, and may not even be true labor. Dilation is an essential part of labor, and it’s hard to know how dilated you are unless you are examined by your doctor or midwife....

Flight of ideas is a symptom that involves rapid, erratic speech that switches quickly between thoughts and ideas. People who experience this symptom talk rapidly and jump from one topic to the next. While bipolar disorder is generally considered a mood disorder, symptoms can also include disorders of thought—particularly during manic episodes. People in a manic state may have difficulty filtering out meaningful versus non-meaningful input and may thus respond to their environment in surprising ways....

It can be difficult to reach goals, but for some gifted kids, it can be nearly impossible. It’s not that they are incapable of reaching goals; it’s the way they go about setting their goals and working to attain them. One problem is that their goals are unrealistic. For example, a child might want to get a dog, but if he’s allergic to dogs, that’s not a realistic goal. Or the child expects to reach a goal overnight....

Want to improve your child’s nighttime sleep? The secret may be in focusing on and adjusting their daytime sleep first, which can reap the double reward of better naps and more solid slumber during the night. Many sleep experts tout the connection between day and nighttime sleep and encourage parents to take a close look at their baby’s nap times and daytime sleep routines in order to improve the quality (as in uninterrupted length) of nighttime sleep....

Being busy is often seen as a badge of honor and a marker of self-worth, with a lack of leisure time viewed as a direct indication of status. However, over-scheduling yourself can negatively affect your emotional and physical health, as well as your ability to maintain healthy relationships. Why We Love Busyness Research indicates that an individual’s perceived level of busyness may be heavily connected to their self-worth, as well as how others view their status....

The decision to become a parent can come with many different financial considerations, and that is particularly true for people looking to have a child via surrogacy. Before choosing this path, there are plenty of factors to evaluate, including the various fees that might creep up along the way. It’s natural to have a lot of questions about the process, especially when no two experiences are necessarily the same. Ahead, we’ll break down some of the common costs of surrogacy, along with some unseen emotional costs, with the help of experts and people who have been through the process themselves....

Feeding premature babies can be challenging, both in the neonatal intensive care unit and at home. Preemie health problems can interrupt early feedings, and even older preemies might not be strong enough to take in the amount of milk needed for good growth. Here’s what parents need to know about feeding preemies as well as some tips for encouraging your baby to eat. Overview Premature babies are small at birth and might not tolerate milk feedings right away....

If your child is exhibiting sexual behavior, it’s appropriate to be concerned. That said, you don’t necessarily need to panic. Develop a plan to address the behavior and determine whether you’ll need to seek professional help. The first step is to make sure that you understand sexual development. While it can be normal for a 3-year-old to reach down their pants in front of other people, it’s not normal for a 13-year-old to exhibit the same behavior....

What Does It Mean to Be Selfish? Everyone is a little selfish sometimes, which isn’t always a bad thing. Caring for yourself, focusing on yourself, and meeting your needs are critical for mental well-being. Selfishness Selfishness involves caring only about your needs without thinking of other people. It is often characterized as excessive concern for one’s interests, needs, and welfare without regard for others. The problem is if you always put your own interests above everything else, it can take a serious toll on your relationships, impairing the mutual give-and-take that is so essential for healthy interpersonal relationships....

When someone you know has been sexually assaulted, it can be difficult to know what to say or do. Oftentimes, the best thing you can do is to just make yourself available. It’s also important to actively listen to what they have to say if they want to talk. Strive to be supportive and nonjudgmental and assure them that you believe them. It’s also important to remind your loved one that what happened was not their fault and that they didn’t do anything to deserve what happened to them....

What Is Intoxication? Intoxication is a state in which a person has consumed enough alcohol or drugs that their mood and physical and mental abilities are noticeably affected. For example, a person has reached the point of alcohol intoxication when the alcohol produces mental or physical impairments, such as slurred speech, difficulty walking, or disorientation. In addition to observable symptoms, intoxication is also distinguishable through tests, such as a breathalyzer or blood test....

I was in the first trimester of pregnancy with my second child, sitting at my New York City office desk one afternoon when I got an important phone call. Several days before, my husband and I chose to get some early genetic testing done. When I picked up the phone, it was the doctor overseeing the testing; her tone was soft and gentle as she said hello and asked how I was doing....