Children's Issues Archives - Page 3 of 9

ADD & ADHD Divorce Court Bias Against Parents?

Study Reveals Children Diagnosed With ADD and ADHD Saw Increase In The Last 5 Years. But Experts Question Findings

NOTE: I want to thank Attorney Danielle Peterson for all her help researching and collaborating with me on this blog article! Originally from Helena, MT, Ms. Peterson received her B.A. in Sociology from Carroll College, and her J.D. from the University of Idaho College of Law. She is currently licensed to practice law in the State of California.

Gregory Ramey, Ph.D., is a child psychologist and vice president for outpatient services at the Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. For more of his columns, join Dr. Ramey on Facebook at www.facebook.com/drgregramey. Dr. Ramey has been a guest contributor to the Ohio Family Blog since 2007.

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add adhd ohio

On August 6, 2016, The Dayton Daily News ran an article by Dr. Gregory Ramey entitled, “Things I Don’t Understand.” While I found myself nodding along to many points made by Dr. Ramey, numbers 1 and 2 really got me thinking:

“Why Are So Many Kids Diagnosed With Attention Deficit Disorder?”
“Are Kids Being Over-Medicated By Well-Meaning Professionals As A Way To Pacify Parents Looking For An Easy Solution To Behavioral Problems?”

In discussing these … Read More... “ADD & ADHD Divorce Court Bias Against Parents?”

Kids Shouldn’t be Treated Like Little Adults

kids little adults

Kids aren’t little adults. While the physical differences are obvious, the psychological ones are not, particularly as kids and teens appear more sophisticated than previous generations.

Here are a few key differences.

More egocentric. Children experience the world from their own very limited perspective. When something bad happens, they are more likely to wonder about the impact on themselves, rather than on others. In adulthood, we call this narcissism. In childhood, we call this normal.
More trusting. Most children fortunately haven’t had a lot of bad experiences with other people. They tend to be trusting, or in cases vulnerable, to the influence of others. Trusting others is positive in many ways, as it gives parents and other loving adults the opportunity to guide young people. However, this also means parents to be cautious about the impact of peers and others on our kids.
More reactive to stress. I have a variety of ways to deal with a difficult day. I can talk with my spouse or friends, challenge my unhealthy ways of thinking about things, play basketball, or run a few extra miles.Most kids don’t have sophisticated strategies to deal with difficult times. Therefore, they are more susceptible to tough

Child Abuse Increases During Holiday Season – But You Can Help!

For Victims Of Child Abuse The Holidays Can Be The Worst

child abuse holidays Around this time of year, it is impossible to go anywhere without hearing or seeing something reminding us to “give thanks” and to get into the “holiday” spirit. However, as the joy and excitement of the season spreads, so does the stress and anxiety that goes along with it. While it may seem strange to those of us who believe this is the “most wonderful time of the year,” for the victims of child abuse, it can actually be the worst.

With the stress of putting aside money for holiday meals and gifts, the additional events and expenses looming, coupled with children being home from school for an extended period of time, parents are often susceptible to losing control in an attempt to deal with the situation. During the holidays, emotions run high and tempers flare. As a result, these parents or caregivers often take their frustration out on their children rather than dealing with their anger in an appropriate manner.

Organizations nation-wide often report an increase in child abuse during the holiday season. For example, the organization Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee states that every year during the … Read More... “Child Abuse Increases During Holiday Season – But You Can Help!”

Raising Mentally and Emotionally Tough Kids

tough kids If you want your children to be successful, raise them to be emotionally and mentally tough.

Tough people don’t get upset easily. They are resilient in the face of adversity. They are great problem solvers, focusing on ways to deal with problems rather than complaining about things they can’t control.

These types of people don’t deny their emotions, but they don’t allow themselves to be victimized by their feelings. They get angry, depressed and anxious like the rest of us. However, their mental guidepost is a motto used by the Navy Seals. They are comfortable being uncomfortable.

They view unpleasant feelings or bad events as messages to be understood and acted upon. Their behaviors are deliberate, with an emphasis on what they can do differently rather than on what others should be doing.

Many kids that I see in my office complain about stressful events that are not problems to mentally and emotionally tough kids. The level of stress hasn’t increased with our kids over the years. Rather, more kids seem emotionally weak and unprepared to deal with life’s challenges.

Here’s how you can raise tough kids.

Develop a tough mental mindset. This toughness starts with the way we think

Fathers: 5 Ways American Fatherhood is Changing

Pew Research Statistical Findings Show Fathers Taking Active Role In Home Life

fathers children Kim Parker, Director of Social Trends Research at Pew Research Center, published a very interesting article on June 15, 2015, in their “Fact Tank” about the changing role of fatherhood in today’s society. Some of the statistical findings were surprising in my mind.

“Today, fathers who live with their children are taking a more active role in caring for them and helping out around the house. And the ranks of stay-at-home fathers and single fathers have grown significantly in recent decades. At the same time, more and more children are growing up without a father in the home ”, Parker said.

Here are 5 of the findings she made from reviewing the Pew Research Center reports:

Fewer dads are their family’s sole breadwinner. Among married couples with children under age 18, dual-income households are now the dominant arrangement (60%). In 1960, only one-in-four of these households had two incomes; 70% had a father who worked and a mother who was at home with the kids.
Roles of dads and moms are converging. In 1965, father’s time was heavily concentrated in their employment duties, while mothers

Divorce Book Review: DIVORCE: How to Tell The Kids: A Parent’s Guide to Breaking the News Without Breaking Their Hearts

Author Vikki Stark Conducts Over 100 Interviews With Children For New Book About Separation And Divorce

divorce children separation Vikki Stark, a divorce recovery specialist and a family therapist for over thirty (30) years, published this book in 2015. Her stated purpose in writing the book was to make the “telling” to the children of the news that a family was going to be separating as non-traumatic as possible. To research this subject area, the author conducted over one hundred (100) interviews with children and with adults who were children when their parents separated and divorced. She also interviewed parents who had already done the “telling” to their children to learn about their positive and negative experiences in doing so. Finally, she read and researched many articles written by other professionals in the same field.

The main points from Chapter 1, A Bridge to Your Next Life, are as follows:

You cannot avoid the anger or sorrow that your children may feel; but you can learn skills to reduce the trauma.
You must become “attuned” to your children’s emotions. Attunement means listening carefully to what they are saying, acknowledging and accepting their feelings.
Hearing or reading the actual words of children who have

Why Aren’t You Getting Help for Your Child?

child mental health help There’s both good and bad news on the status of kids’ mental health in research just published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The good news is that more kids are getting help for their emotional and behavioral problems, with 13.2 percent of children receiving mental health services in 2012 compared to only 9.2 percent in 1996.

The bad news is that only 44.6 percent of children with severe mental health problems received any professional assistance.

There is no single or simple reason why more than half of our kids with serious problems received no professional support. This may be due to a shortage of pediatric mental health specialists, parental financial issues, problems with getting off from work to attend sessions, or the refusal of kids to participate in therapy.

However, here are the top three reasons I’ve heard from parents.

“I don’t know how to find a good therapist.” Many parents are confused about how to identify the appropriate professional needed by their children. Should they go to a counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker? How can you obtain information about the training and skill of such a person?I advise parents to start off with a discussion with

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