Parenting

• Panic Disorder In Children

  Panic disorder is a common and treatable disorder. Children and adolescents with panic disorder have unexpected and repeated periods of intense fear or discomfort, along with other symptoms such as a racing heartbeat or feeling short of breath. These periods are called “panic attacks” and last minutes to hours. Panic attacks frequently develop without warning.

• Helping Children After a Disaster

  A catastrophe such as an earthquake, hurricane, tornado, fire, flood, or violent acts is frightening to children and adults alike. It is important to acknowledge the frightening parts of the disaster when talking with a child about it. Falsely minimizing the danger will not end a child’s concerns. Several factors affect a child’s response to a disaster.

• Conduct Disorder

  “Conduct disorder” is a complicated group of behavioral and emotional problems in youngsters. Children and adolescents with this disorder have great difficulty following rules and behaving in a socially acceptable way. They are often viewed by other children, adults and social agencies as “bad” or delinquent, rather than mentally ill.

• When Children Have Children

  Babies born in the U.S. to teenage mothers are at risk for long-term problems in many major areas of life, including school failure, poverty, and physical or mental illness. The teenage mothers themselves are also at risk for these problems.

• Responding to Child Sexual Abuse

  When a child tells an adult that he or she has been sexually abused, the adult may feel uncomfortable and may not know what to say or do.

• Children Online

  Computers have traditionally been trusted by both children and adults as reliable and accurate sources of information. The rapid growth of online services and Internet access has added a new dimension to modern computing. Through a computer modem and phone line children now have access to an almost endless supply of information and opportunity for interaction. However, there can be real risks and dangers for an unsupervised child.

• Children and Lying

  Young children (ages 4-5) often make up stories and tell tall tales. This is normal activity because they enjoy hearing stories and making up stories for fun. These young children may blur the distinction between reality and fantasy.

• The Influence of Music and Music Videos

  Singing and music have always played an important role in learning and the communication of culture. Children learn from the role models what they see and hear. For the past 35 years, some children’s television has very effectively used the combination of words, music and fast-paced animation to achieve learning.