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In a child custody battle, a judge will ask several questions to determine which child custody arrangement, sole or joint custody, will work best for the children involved. Primarily, a judge’s main concern is the best interests of the child. The judge will ask a parent several questions during a child custody hearing to determine which custody arrangement serves the child’s best interest. Here are some questions that a judge may ask during a child custody hearing:...

With today’s medical technology, some patients have the option of feeling nothing in labor. They can show up early in labor and get an epidural and settle in until their baby is born comfortably. So, why would someone want a natural childbirth? Natural childbirth is actually something that many women are open to considering, up to 60% of women who had had a medicated birth reported, in a recent study, that they were open to the idea of natural childbirth or unmedicated birth....

While you can travel with a newborn baby, including airplane travel, it doesn’t mean that you should. A lot depends on your baby’s age and health. Generally, travel before one week old is not recommended and many doctors will also advise you to limit travel for several months. Using caution is not about the oxygen levels, the pressurized cabin on the plane, or the effects of high altitude. There is no proven connection between airplane travel and SIDS....

Do you know someone who never seems to be able to control their emotions or understand the feelings of others? Perhaps they are constantly doing or saying the wrong things, at the wrong time. Or maybe they’re always judging others, but have a hard time accepting criticism. If this describes someone you know, chances are high that this person struggles with low emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence (sometimes referred to as “emotional quotient” or “EQ”) is essential to basically every aspect of life....

People with “Type A” personality traits can experience greater-than-average levels of stress. Being time-conscious, competitive, and impatient, as many Type A people are can create stress in relationships, jobs, and other areas of life. Type A traits can also create obstacles to stress management. Some of the more effective stress management techniques can feel frustrating for someone who has a more intense personality. For example, the quiet stillness of meditation can be difficult and even frustrating to achieve for those who are impatient, competitive, and used to making every second count at work....

Substance abuse is a pattern of harmful use of any substance for mood-altering purposes. “Substances” can include alcohol and other drugs (illegal or not) as well as some substances that are not drugs at all. “Abuse” can result from using a substance in a way that is not intended or recommended, or from using more than prescribed. To be clear, someone can use substances and not be addicted or even have a substance use disorder, as defined in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition” (DSM-5)....

Children are blank pages, and it’s the parents’ responsibility to teach appropriate behaviors and life skills, and help kids learn right from wrong. At one point or another, this will likely involve employing some form of discipline to teach children why they should not repeat certain actions in the future. While there are many different schools of thought when it comes to discipline and the methods that are most effective, none should ever toe the line of child abuse or come close to harming the child in any way....

What are the psychological effects of being in a detention center? With the increasing number of adults and children spending long periods of time in detention centers at the southwest border of the United States and Mexico, this question has become of paramount importance. While the mental health effects on these detainees might not always be immediately observable, it is without question that the negative ramifications of changes to government policy have impacted and will continue to impact refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced persons and families....

A photo scavenger is a great way to keep kids busy while having fun. You can specify an area of the house, your backyard, a local park, or any other safe location for the hunt. If you have tech-savvy kids, this is a wonderful way to engage them with nature while tapping into their interests. How to Prepare the Photo Scavenger Hunt Choose the location of the hunt. You’ll want to consider the weather, ages of the kids involved, and whether you’ll have more than one team....

Finger feeding is a technique that allows you to feed a baby without giving the baby an artificial nipple. Finger feeding is also a method that helps train the baby to take the breast. If you want to breastfeed successfully, it is better to avoid the use of artificial nipples before your milk supply is well established. Why Finger Feed Finger feeding may be used if: Breastfeeding is stopped temporarily. The baby does not seem to be able to latch on to the breast properly, and thus does not get milk well....

For someone dealing with major depression, an antidepressant truly can be a lifesaver, both figuratively and literally, but there may come a time when you’re feeling better and you’re ready to try life without it. If this describes you, be sure to talk to your doctor first. Why? Because in addition to needing to monitor for any recurrence of your symptoms, antidepressants can cause symptoms of discontinuation syndrome if there are major fluctuations in the amount of drug in your system or if you suddenly stop taking them completely....

Night terrors, also called sleep terrors, are sudden, partial awakenings from deep sleep characterized by intense fear, screaming, and difficulty fully waking up. These episodes are frequently confused with nightmares, the distinction being that nightmares happen in rapid eye movement (REM) or dream sleep and occur during a dream, while night terrors occur during deep sleep and/or the transition period between sleep stages and are not associated with a bad dream....

At some point in one of your psychology classes, you might be asked to write a case study of an individual. What exactly is a case study? It is essentially an in-depth psychological investigation of a single person or group of people. Case study topics often focus on people who are experiencing symptoms of an illness or on people who have had experiences that cannot be replicated in a lab....

A psychiatric disorder is a mental illness diagnosed by a mental health professional that greatly disturbs your thinking, moods, and/or behavior and seriously increases your risk of disability, pain, death, or loss of freedom. In addition, your symptoms must be more severe than expected response to an upsetting event, such as normal grief after the loss of a loved one. Examples A large number of psychiatric disorders have been identified. Chances are that, whether or not you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, you know something about one or more of the following examples:...

Having a baby—whether your first or your 10th—is a truly transformative experience. The joy that comes with meeting your little one as they enter this world can be one of the highest pinnacles of your life. Of course, having a newborn is going to change your schedule and your perspective. But you also may notice your body looks different than it did before pregnancy, too. While some people wear these changes—a softer tummy, a c-section scar—like badges of honor, others would just as well prefer that their appearance returns to its pre-pregnancy state—or as close to it as possible....

The transition from high school to college is not always an easy one. In fact, it is not uncommon for young teens to experience a whole host of issues, including everything from homesickness and roommate troubles to sleepless nights and failing grades. If failing grades is the case for your college student, don’t despair. In addition to tackling harder coursework, college students are also adjusting to college life. They are learning to live on their own, negotiating with roommates, dealing with loneliness, and trying to make new friends....

Almost one-third of all children in the United States live in a stepfamily before they turn 18 and it’s the fastest growing type of family unit. Despite how common stepfamilies are, navigating a stepparent-stepchild relationship can still be extremely complicated. A stepparent may inadvertently overstep boundaries, despite their best efforts to be considerate. Or, they may have a different parenting style, which may be inconsistent with what the child is used to....

It used to be that the question was who should cut the cord after the birth of your baby. Though today, when it comes to the umbilical cord, there are more things to consider after the birth of your baby. Here is what you need to know to make the most informed decisions. What’s an Umbilical Cord? The umbilical cord is typically a collection of two arteries and a vein covered in a substance called Wharton’s Jelly....

If you’re dealing with depression, will you have to take antidepressant medication forever? The short answer is not necessarily, but it’s complicated. According to the CDC, more than 60% of patients aged 12 and up who were prescribed antidepressants have been taking them for two years or more. Of that population, 14% has been taking them for over 10 years, leading many to question whether these medications are being overprescribed and over-relied on as a standalone treatment....

Update: As of January 17, 2023 all US veterans are eligible to receive emergency mental health care at no cost. This applies even if the individual isn’t enrolled in the VA system. The policy also includes the cost of ambulance rides, up to 30 days of inpatient care, and up to 90 days of outpatient care. Key Takeaways Complementary and integrative (CIH) therapies are an untapped resource in providing care to veterans....