Parenting & Children’s Mental Health Blog

Does your hesitant, or anxious child have a hard time trying new things. Sometimes you probably wish they would just jump and give it a try.

Avoidance is one of the biggest culprits in the maintenance of anxiety in children. Avoidance is directly connected to the fight or flight response each one of us have.

Children don’t grieve on a predictable schedule. They may cry one moment and play the next, ask the same questions repeatedly, or revisit a loss years later. Here are five things grieving children need parents and caregivers to understand.

Later bedtimes, sleeping in, travel, and relaxed routines are part of winter break—but they can make the first week back to school difficult. Here are five practical ways to help children rebuild their school routine and make the transition easier.

Children can be resilient after trauma, but resilience doesn’t mean they’re unaffected or should simply “get over it.” Learn the facts behind five common myths about childhood PTSD, trauma memories, talking about what happened, and treatment.

PTSD can look different in children than it does in adults. Nightmares, avoidance, clinginess, irritability, trouble concentrating, trauma-related play, and constantly watching for danger can all be signs. Learn what parents should watch for and how childhood PTSD is treated.

Is your child having trouble paying attention in school? ADHD and anxiety can look surprisingly similar. Learn what may be behind problems with focus, what parents and teachers can watch for, and when an evaluation may help.

When your teenager is depressed, it can be hard to know whether to give them space, push them to get moving, or step in. Learn seven practical ways parents can support a depressed teen—and when it’s time to get professional help.

Teen depression doesn’t always look like sadness. Irritability, withdrawal, sleeping too much, declining grades, and losing interest in friends or activities can also be warning signs. Learn what parents should watch for and when it’s time to seek help.

Anxiety doesn’t always look like fear in children. It can appear as stomachaches, irritability, perfectionism, trouble sleeping, repeated reassurance seeking, or difficulty concentrating. Learn the signs parents should watch for and when anxiety may need additional support.

Tantrums can leave parents feeling frustrated, embarrassed, and unsure what to do. Learn how to respond during a tantrum, prevent predictable outbursts, set limits without escalating the situation, and know when additional support may help.

Defiant, stubborn, manipulative, difficult—these labels don’t explain why a child is struggling. Learn how looking at lagging skills, triggers, and behavior patterns can give parents a more useful way to understand challenging behavior.