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If your child is getting the seasonal flu shot for the first time, you can expect that they will also need a second shot a month later. This probably wasn’t the standard when you were a kid, but it has been recommended since 2009. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends that all children 6 months old through 8 years old should get two doses of flu vaccine the first year that they are vaccinated against the flu....

The common adage “sleeping like a baby,” describes the deep, restful sleep that is often associated with childhood. But while some babies and kids do sleep peacefully, others may move around a lot while they sleep, either periodically or on a nightly basis, rather than lying still. Learn more about the health implications of a child moving a lot in their sleep, what stages this tends to happen, and when to be concerned....

All grandparents are not created equal. Both scientific surveys and anecdotal evidence show that typically maternal grandparents are closer to grandchildren than paternal grandparents. The usual ranking goes like this, from closest to least close: maternal grandmother, maternal grandfather, paternal grandmother, paternal grandfather. Exceptions, of course, do occur. Differences in Closeness Some believe this difference is due to parents’ role as gatekeepers between grandparents and parents. In spite of strides in gender equality, mothers are still likely to direct their children’s activities....

How many times have you been encouraged to meditate or hit a yoga class when you’ve felt stressed? What you may have thought was just a simple tip is actually a tried-and-tested mental health strategy designed to improve your well-being and help alleviate symptoms of common mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. What Is a Mental Health Strategy? By definition, a mental health strategy is one that can help to maintain a sense of emotional well-being, reducing common symptoms…and, in some cases, curing them altogether....

At 36 weeks pregnant, you’re officially nine months along. Yes, you read that right. While you’ll commonly hear references to the “nine months of pregnancy,” in reality, full term is closer to 10 months (and sometimes a little more) when all is said and done. But you’re in the home stretch now and as you continue prepping for baby’s arrival, they’re doing the same. Your Baby’s Development at 36 Weeks At 36 weeks, a baby is nearly 13 inches (32....

There’s a very good reason moms-to-be are advised to be teetotalers: Drinking alcohol puts a woman’s pregnancy and her unborn child at risk for a number of potentially devastating outcomes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drinking alcohol while pregnant can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and fetal alcohol syndrome disorders (FASDs), a range of physical, intellectual, and behavioral disabilities that affect a baby throughout his or her life....

Masturbation is a term that most commonly refers to a person stimulating their own genitals in order to become sexually aroused, and often, to achieve orgasm. While the term masturbation is more widely used now than in the past, one study noted that “it is likely that individuals will differ substantially in terms of what behaviors they label as masturbation.” Therefore, it’s important to keep in mind that what constitutes as masturbation likely varies from person to person....

It’s a simple theory and an easy one to put into practice: The more words that your child hears on a daily basis, the more they’ll learn, absorb, and eventually put to use themselves. And while vocabulary expansion usually happens on its own as kids meet other people and enter preschool, there is a lot you can do at home every day to teach your child to use descriptive words. To help expand your child’s vocabulary, try some of these tips....

In the context of bipolar disorder, a mental illness that involves extreme swings in mood, a cycle is the period of time in which an individual goes through one episode of mania or hypomania and one episode of depression. Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to how often these cycles occur. The frequency and duration of bipolar cycles are as varied as the people who experience them. A change or “mood swing” can last for hours, days, weeks, or even months....

If your partner thinks they might be pregnant, you may feel excited by the prospect of parenthood. It’s also possible that either (or both) of you might be afraid to take a pregnancy test. If you have been trying to conceive, you might feel anxious about getting a negative result. If you were not trying to get pregnant, a positive test could be overwhelming for both of you. Here’s how you can support your partner if they think they are pregnant and plan to take a pregnancy test, as well as what to do if your role in your partner’s pregnancy is unclear....

When the world went into lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, parents everywhere were suddenly faced with the daunting task of juggling childcare, their kids’ online education, and their own careers. Key Takeaways The past several months of the coronavirus pandemic have been extremely hard on parents and caregivers as they’ve had to balance far more responsibilities than usual. The experience has been especially taxing for many working mothers who have had to pick up more of the slack than their male counterparts....

Despite a decline in popularity in recent years, the vast majority of homes in the United States still have a microwave oven, which also extends to schools and the workplace. It’s not uncommon for most people to use a microwave every day, or at least walk past a microwave in use on a regular basis. But is this a problem if you are pregnant? Microwaves work by using electromagnetic radiation to raise the temperature of water molecules in food, which generates electromagnetic fields (EMFs)....

Most pregnancy journeys begin with a positive urine test. Pregnancy tests detect a telltale sign of pregnancy: rising levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone produced by the placenta. During the start of a normal pregnancy, the levels of hCG increase rapidly—doubling every two to three days in the first four weeks. Seeing those hCG numbers rise can be comforting, but what if your level isn’t doubling? Many pregnant people worry that this is a sign of an impending miscarriage....

What Is Jungian Therapy? Jungian therapy is a form of psychotherapy that originated in the theories of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, who found that many of his patients suffered from deeply rooted feelings of gloom and inadequacy. He began to speak about the “divine” inside of people, which he called their “self.” He felt that we had overlooked this divine aspect in psychology. Jung’s therapy emphasizes helping people find their true selves, and it often uses tools like art and myth to help patients make contact with these deep feelings, thoughts, and beliefs....

Sure, there are challenges being a scouter. The weekly commitment to troop meetings, the one weekend a month and one week a year at camp, the challenge with helping reluctant or apathetic parents get involved, and the storage space it takes up in your garage are all part of the commitment. But the rewards are tremendous as well as we try as a scout leader to help build boys into committed, responsible and successful men....

You can better understand the definition of cognitive distortion by first acknowledging that we all have negative thoughts from time to time. This is especially the case for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In fact, negative thoughts are so common in certain mental health disorders that mental health professionals use the term cognitive distortions to describe them. Also known as maladaptive thoughts, errors in thinking or irrational thoughts, cognitive distortions refer to unpleasant thoughts that are extreme, exaggerated or not consistent with what is actually going on in the real world....

The cannabis plant has been utilized for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. The plant contains more than 80 different compounds, which are known as cannabinoids. While tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most abundant and is well-known for its psychoactive properties, the second-most found compound, cannabidiol (CBD) does not have psychoactive effects. There has been a growing interest in the potential mental health benefits of CBD in recent years. A 2019 research letter published by JAMA Network Open reported a significant increase in Internet searches for CBD in the United States....

As COVID-19 began its march across the country in mid-March 2020, many pediatricians’ offices scaled back operations or shut down entirely as stay-at-home orders were put in place. Predictably, this led to a dramatic decrease in the number of routine vaccinations administered during annual well-child visits in the months of March and April. Key Takeaways The US Department of Health and Human Services has authorized pharmacists to provide routine childhood vaccinations....

What Is Parent-Child Interaction Therapy? According to PCIT International, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is “an evidence-based treatment for young children with behavioral problems…conducted through ‘coaching’ sessions.” The parent and child engage in a playroom while the therapist observes, either through a one-way mirror or via live videoconferencing. In addition, the parent wears a Bluetooth or earbud device that allows the therapist to provide real-time feedback and suggestions for how the parent can respond to the child’s behavior and facilitate positive attachment....

Every parent experiences some apprehensiveness when it comes to potty training. Knowing what to do and when can feel stressful—especially if this is your first time potty training a child. Fortunately, there are things you can do to set you and your little girl up for success like watching for readiness cues, being in tune with her needs, and being prepared for challenges and setbacks. “Regardless of toilet training a boy or girl, potty training is a unique experience for each child and their family,” says Katherine Corvi, PsyD, a pediatric psychologist who works in the toileting clinic at Cleveland Clinic Children’s....