Posts

Whether your child has lost a grandparent, sibling, parent, or pet, the loss of a loved one can feel overwhelming. Watching a child grieve can stir up a lot of emotions for caregivers too. Sometimes, a little professional help may be warranted. Grief counseling can help kids find healthy ways to cope with their distress while also making sense of their loss. Why Grief Counseling May Be Needed Most children recover from grief without any long-term emotional problems, but some children experience significant emotional problems that persist over time....

If you have a child in middle school or high school, you’ve probably encountered interims, or progress reports, as they are sometimes called. Interims help parents stay on top of their child’s progress in a given subject, and because they’re usually issued halfway through a grading period, they also give families a chance to correct any academic problems that exist. While progress reports or interims aren’t issued by every school or school district, they are very popular in the public school setting, as well as many private schools....

Finding a therapist who understands you is important. And a big part of feeling understood means finding someone familiar with your culture. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to find a culturally sensitive therapist. But first, it’s important to understand why doing so is worth the effort. A Healthy Therapeutic Alliance It’s important for a therapist and a client to have a therapeutic alliance. That means that the client feels heard and understood by the therapist and that they trust the therapist has their best interest in mind....

Having your child go to another family’s house for a playdate might be seen as a welcome break, make you nervous, or fall somewhere in between. Regardless of the emotions involved, it never hurts to communicate expectations and boundaries. “Ask yourself, what is my number one job as a parent?” suggests Becky Kennedy, PhD, a clinical psychologist and author of the upcoming book “Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be....

Baby powder is made from the mineral talc or corn starch. There are no medically necessary uses for baby powder, but some parents use it on their infants and toddlers to keep diapered skin dry and rash-free. Research has shown that this practice may lead to breathing in of fine powder particles, which make their way into the lungs and can lead to respiratory problems. Other research has tied talc use to certain types of cancer....

Unfortunately, stress is a normalized experience in our culture. From the hustle-mentality many have adopted as a way of meeting their basic needs to the lasting effects of the pandemic, individuals have grappled with adapting to the stress in their daily life. Unfortunately, stress doesn’t only impact one’s mental health—it can affect your physical health too. The results can be overwhelming, from spiked cholesterol and blood pressure to lackluster sleep. However, other physical indicators you’re experiencing may leave you wondering if stress is the culprit....

We have been in this pandemic for almost two years. As a pediatrician and mother, the decision-making has been tiring at times. It’s been 24 months of weighing risk and benefit for our families, and now deciding if we should vaccinate our children with the COVID-19 vaccine. In November 2021, the Pfizer vaccine became available for kids 5 years old and up, leaving parents (much like myself) feeling happy to have added protection for their children....

While a pregnancy-approved vaccine for whooping cough has been around for a decade now, the FDA recently cleared the injection to protect infants who are not yet eligible to receive their first dose. The first-of-its-kind vaccine, green-lit on October 7, is administered to pregnant people in the third trimester who then pass along antibodies to their infant in utero, protecting them until they are 2 months old. Key Takeaways The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved the whooping cough vaccine to provide protection for babies under 2 months old when given to a pregnant person in the third trimester....

Thanks to physical changes during pregnancy, like hormonal fluctuations and increased blood volume and cardiovascular output, pregnant people tend to feel warmer no matter the season. So, if you are pregnant in the summertime, you may find it difficult to get cooled off. Before you were pregnant, feeling hot may have been a minor nuisance. But getting too hot during pregnancy can quickly turn to overheating, which can be a serious health risk to you and your baby....

If your bike seat is old or uncomfortable or doesn’t support your favorite style of cycling, then it’s probably time to replace it. “The best bike seat is the one that fits you properly and keeps you riding confidently and comfortably,” Ben Cooley, owner of Bicycle Sport, a bike shop in Charlotte, NC, says. If your current seat isn’t doing that, bid it adieu—and upgrade to one that will. When looking for a new bike seat, pay attention to size, style, and material....

Hydration is a critical part of staying healthy. But often, we aren’t drinking enough to meet our daily goals. Regular water gets the job done, but sometimes, the taste can leave you wanting more. And on busy days, it can be almost impossible to remember to stop what you’re doing and drink. The solution? Infuser water bottles. “Infuser water bottles are a great way to increase your fluid intake. By making water taste more appealing, you’re more likely to drink at regular intervals throughout the day,” Sarah Glinski, RD, says....

A healthy, balanced diet is the best way to get the nutrition you need; however, sometimes a supplement can be beneficial. If you have a diagnosed deficiency, follow a restrictive diet that eliminates entire food groups, or have a medical condition or take medications that interfere with nutrient absorption, you may want to consider a supplement. Additionally, some specific stages of life require increased vitamin and mineral needs, such as before and during pregnancy, and therefore supplements may be recommended....

As a new parent, it’s natural to want to keep careful tabs on your baby when they are sleeping in another room. Baby monitors can give parents a lot of peace of mind, allowing you to keep a watchful eye or ear on your baby at all times. These days, technology even allows you to monitor your baby while you’re at work, running errands, or even halfway across the country!...

What Does the Term ‘Emotionally Unstable’ Mean? Emotional instability is a catch-all term sometimes used to refer to unpredictable reactions and extreme emotions. While it is natural for everyone to experience a range of emotions, the term is usually used when discussing people who have more difficulty regulating their emotions. Language Note: While people may still use the term “emotionally unstable,” this term is not an official diagnosis and is both stigmatizing and offensive....

What Is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)? Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a type of noninvasive deep brain stimulation that may be used to treat severe depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) when other treatments have not been effective. Transcranial magnetic stimulation has received considerable attention as a possible alternative treatment for certain conditions. Although first developed nearly 30 years ago as a tool to treat major depression, TMS has now been widely investigated for effectiveness in treating a variety of mental illnesses, as well as migraines....

There is so much to learn about taking care of an infant. As a new parent, you have to master diaper changing, swaddling, and latching baby on correctly, if you choose to breastfeed. Burping your baby is another important skill to learn when you bring your baby home. Burping is a normal and healthy part of a baby’s routine. You may not have ever thought about helping someone burp before you had a baby, but infants are pretty helpless and very often need assistance bringing up a burp....

This time last year, the race was underway to find a safe, effective vaccine for COVID-19. Right now, we have three vaccines being administered across the U.S., with more than 2.4 million people getting their shot every day. Key Takeaways Three COVID-19 vaccines are now available in the U.S., and more than 2.4 million people are getting their shot every day.However, reports are circulating that some vaccines are “better” than others, because they have a higher efficacy rate....

Children love to play because it’s fun—but it’s also vital to healthy development. During different types of play, children learn and practice key social, thinking, physical, and emotional skills, including creativity, imagination, and problem-solving. The benefits of play are progressive, meaning that the skills kids develop during their fun and games build upon each other. Play activities like rolling a ball back and forth with a sibling or putting on a costume help little ones learn to take turns, build fine motor skills and proprioception (awareness of the body in space), and practice getting along with others....

Most people consider cyberbullying a teenage issue, but the workplace is not immune to cyberbullying. In fact, workplace bullies often use cyberbullying to intimidate coworkers and control their environment. As a result, knowing how to respond is essential. While every situation is different, if you know in advance how to handle a workplace cyberbully, you should be able to get through the situation unscathed. Here are 11 ways to handle cyberbullying at work....

The following is a mindfulness meditation script that you can use to help overcome social anxiety disorder (SAD). This script is based on basic meditations, and those for coping with anxiety. How to Implement Mindfulness Meditation Choose a quiet place and time to practice your meditation. You might also wish to set a timer to signal the end of your meditation; anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes is a typical length for practice....