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• Global Approach to AIDS Overlooks Children

  A general consensus that has emerged from the International AIDS conference currently being held in Mexico is that the global approach to fighting AIDS does too little for children. According to health workers at the conference, much of the government money earmarked for combating AIDS in developing countries goes to consultants and overheard costs, with little of that money directly helping children. Read More... Posted Aug 07 2008, 12:04 PM by Hannah Tennant-Moore with | with no comments Filed under: children, kids, nutrition, therapy, HIV, AIDS, pregnant women, virus, developing world, poor families, access to drugs, antiretroviral drugs, international AIDS conference, developing countries, overlooking children, mexico city, psychological help

• Nightly Nookie (and a book deal) Saves Your Marriage

  If you can't hack always being within 15 feet of your spouse like "spiritual partners" Michael Roach and Christie McNally, you can take another, sweatier approach. But you best have your agent on the line during the afterglow.   Read More... Posted Jun 08 2008, 04:30 PM by Adrienne Martini with | with no comments Filed under: Sex, marriage, intimacy, therapy, NYT, book, nookie

• Five Kinds of Moms and How They Mess You Up

  Jezebel reports on a new book by clinical psychologist Stephen Poulter called The Mother Factor: How Your Mother's Emotional Legacy Impacts Your Life. The gist is that your bond with your mom can have a big ol' influence on your emotional development, ability to form meaningful relationships, and so on. (Do the dads do anything? Cuz we should share the dysfunctional love!) Anyhow, according to the book, there are five kinds of mothers. This immediately begs the question: Which mother are you?  The five types are... Read More... Posted Apr 26 2008, 11:33 AM by Kelly Mills with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: parenting, kids, parents, mothers, moms, therapy, psychology, relationships, jezebel, perfectionism, development, book, types, emotions

• Four-Year Old Talks Only to Animals

  The whole getting-kids-to-talk thing can be extraordinarily complex. My older son was about two and a half before he uttered much in English, having spent a fair bit of time using made-up signs and an entire self-made language before that. His younger sister, on the other hand, was shouting complete sentences at 18 months. And then there's Eric, my younger son. Having various learning delays and anatomical challenges, he's four but speaks largely unintelligibly (though nearly constantly) to the uninitiated. And he's not alone. Tons of kids have speech issues of a wide variety, and it all makes communication an enormous challenge. So I loved this story about a four-year-old girl who only talks to animals.   Read More... Posted Jan 06 2008, 07:11 AM by Karen Murphy with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: autism, therapy, Temple Grandin, Rose Willcocks, talking to animals, speech delays

• Kids With Down Syndrome Walk Sooner With Treadmill Training

  This is probably one of those stories that isn't going to interest more than a handful of people, being kind of special-interest and all, and maybe I wouldn't be interested if it weren't for the fact that my kid has Down syndrome and took a hell of a long time figuring out the walking thing, but hey, treadmills! and kids! C'mon, I think that's interesting! And look, I get to post a photo of my kid here! (He totally looks like he's up to no good, doesn't he? Which would be about normal for him) Read More... Posted Oct 31 2007, 02:28 PM by Karen Murphy with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: kids, down syndrome, therapy, physical therapy, treadmills

• Therapist Keeps the Attention of ADHD Fathers

  Move over Ritalin. There’s a new ADHD treatment in town. A therapist has come up with a simple way to help treat kids with behavioral, emotional and learning problems.   Read More... Posted Oct 31 2007, 08:21 AM by Madeline Holler with | with no comments Filed under: fathers, therapy, Madeline Holler, soccer, ADHD, ritalin, sport parents

• Quit Biting!

  I overeat. I talk too loud. I’m insecure. I think I snore. But if I could change one thing about me, it might be this: I wish I didn’t bite my nails. Read More... Posted Sep 13 2007, 09:45 AM by Madeline Holler with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: therapy, The Netherlands, bad habits, fingernails, nail biting

• Removing Tonsils May Cure ADHD

  New research and a little experimental surgery indicates that severe behavioral problems associated with ADHD may be "cured" with removal of the tonsils. In kids with ADHD who are also experiencing sleep difficulties due to sleep apnea, snoring, etc., removing the tonsils has changed little monsters into regular kids. I guess it's hard for many of us to imagine the extreme behavioral issues that can prompt such desperate measures, but families routinely deal with it via a variety of methods including medication and therapy. Read More... Posted Aug 06 2007, 02:29 PM by Karen Murphy with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: kids, health, therapy, surgery, ADHD, tonsils, behavioral problems

• Strollerderby Playdate: Free Associate, Folks

  I hate those free association tests and crap like that. I don't care how many reassurances I get that there's no "wrong" answer, I always feel like some secret psychotic side is going to be exposed, marking me as the next Dahmer. But I'm trying to be less Type-A and uptight, plus I'm short on themes right now, so let's take a rambling little journey through the parents blogs, making one carefree leap here, another one there... No, I'm not crazy! Finslippy is going nuts over the kid-no-eat thing. I'm telling you, kids are either good eaters or good sleepers, but you rarely get both.   Speaking of eating turmoil, Paper Napkin knows that when it comes to weight loss, there's some seriously unequal stuff in the man-woman dynamic. I can relate.   All that food talk made me think of L.A. Daddy's super-cool recipe for octopus and seaweed. Hey, this isn't rambling at all! It's all food! I told you I suck at this. But speaking of sealife, A Little Chaos lies about jellyfish. Therapy might be required. Now that was a good free association, wasn't it?   And while we are on the subject of therapy, the Sarcastic Journalist did not just hang herself. But she does mention popsicles, which brings us full circle to food and proves I'm about as one-note as they come. And I might have food issues. Sigh. Posted May 18 2007, 07:01 AM by Kelly Mills with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: food, therapy, strollerderby playdate, Dad blogs, mommy blogger

• AblePlay: Toy-Rating Site For Special-Needs Kids

  I struggled with the concept of needing "special" toys for my son Eric, who's now three and has Down syndrome.  I so wanted him to be like his older brother and sisters, and of course in so very many ways he is.  He's also like himself, and like many children of all kinds, with special needs or not, he can use a little assistance at times with various elements of toys in order to get the fullest use of them.  For instance, he's pretty good at catching a ball (not bad for three!), but it's helpful if it's a squishy ball with texture that he can grab instead of a smooth one. Read More... Posted Apr 10 2007, 11:03 AM by Karen Murphy with | with no comments Filed under: toys, therapy, AblePlay, children with special needs

• Dogs Make Great Reading Tutors for Kids: Who Knew?

  He sheds.  He slobbers.  He goes out, and he comes back in, and then he goes out again.  He licks plates, and not always just when he's invited to.  He doesn't even bury his poop like any self-respecting animal might.  But, he does have at least one redeeming feature:  he makes for a damned good reading tutor.  And?  He's as close as your family dog.  In fact, he is your family dog. That's right, in school districts all over the country, dogs are entering the classroom and being read to.  And they like it.  And what's more, the kids doing the reading like it.  "When you're with a dog they don't ... talk to you and you feel more comfortable," said one nine-year old at a Minnesota elementary school.  "It's a lot more fun reading to a pet than just a bunch of people," said another.  Teachers notice the difference too:  "[T]he dog is not judgmental."  Which is something most kids and plenty of adults have known for a long time. The concept is catching on, though: there are more than 1000 certified therapy dogs involved in reading-assistance programs across the country.  My question: what do the dogs think about Old Yeller?   Posted Feb 04 2007, 12:19 PM by Karen Murphy with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: kids, reading, schools, therapy, dogs, tutoring