On the magazine’s website on Dec. 8, Time cited the largest-ever genetic study of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), published in April in the journal Nature, by a group led by Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Applied Genomics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. That study identified DNA variations that account for as many as 15 percent of all ASD cases. Because the gene region affects how brain cells connect with each other in early childhood, the research significantly advances the understanding of how the child behavior problem of autism originates.

“We are proud of this research discovery, and are glad to see it receive this recognition,” said Philip R. Johnson, M.D., chief scientific officer at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “It provides a starting point for translating biological knowledge into future autism treatments.”

The autism gene research from Children’s Hospital, which included two studies in the same issue of Nature, received extensive news coverage, including the CBS Evening News, ABC World News Tonight, BBC, Reuters, the Chicago Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and other news outlets in the U.K., India, Australia, Germany and China. Hakonarson’s main collaborator was neuroscientist Gerard D. Schellenberg, Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, with other scientists participating from 14 additional centers.

SOURCE The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

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McNeil Pediatrics(TM), Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., presented the data at the U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress (Poster 303: Time Course of Treatment Effect of Concerta® [OROS® Methylphenidate] in Children with ADHD).

“Untreated ADHD symptoms can present challenges throughout a child’s day, so new findings on onset and duration of effect are important to understand,” said Matthew Brams*, M.D., a practicing psychiatrist in Houston, Clinical Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and an investigator who participated in one of the studies. “There’s benefit in medication that acts quickly and lasts through the day, providing treatment coverage when a child may need it in the early morning, through the activities of the day and into the early evening hours.”

The results presented today showed significant improvements in attention with CONCERTA® versus placebo as measured by a validated, time-sensitive math test administered throughout the day.

At one hour post-dose, subjects who received CONCERTA® attempted 38 percent more math problems compared with baseline (from 75.8 problems attempted before treatment to 104.4 problems attempted after treatment), while those receiving placebo showed no change from baseline (from 80.6 problems attempted before treatment to 80 problems attempted after treatment).

The results were statistically significant throughout the study’s interim time points, from the first testing point at one hour after dosing (p<0.0001) through to the final assessment at 12.5 hours (p<0.0001). Accuracy, as measured by percentage of problems correct, was similar for both treatment groups and was consistent across the period of observation (placebo, 92.1 percent to 93.5 percent and CONCERTA®, 94.0 percent to 94.3 percent).

SOURCE McNeil Pediatrics(TM)

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The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation will promote the concept of energy balance - balancing calories consumed as part of a healthy diet with calories expended by physical activity -to people in the places where they spend much of their time: to consumers in the marketplace, to employees through workplace programs and to children in schools.

“The rise of obesity is one of the most significant global public health challenges facing us today,” said Rob Case, president of Nestle Beverage and board member of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation. “At Nestle USA, we believe that balanced nutrition and regular physical activity are critical for maintaining optimal health. We are dedicated to providing our consumers with delicious, high quality foods and beverages that can be enjoyed as part of nutritious diet, clear nutritional information, as well as educational tools that they can use to support a healthy lifestyle.”

Members of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation have already committed $20 million to this joint initiative to raise awareness about the importance of balancing a healthy diet with physical activity, particularly among children ages six to 11 years old and their parents and caregivers. This effort will include a soon-to-be announced national public education campaign on energy balance.

Source: Nestle USA

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Sibling rivalry is often the source of much fighting between brothers and sisters. It may start before the new child is born because the older child already feels like their place in the family is threatened. The main reason why children fight is that they feel the need to compete for your attention and they may seriously resent having to share you with someone new. As your children get older, the fighting may continue but you can be assured they do love one another despite the tension.

Different temperaments

You know no two children are alike, even twins, so your children’s different temperaments may be part of the cause of their fighting. One child may be laid back while the other is overly dramatic. You may have one that’s clingy with your or your partner while the other is independent and wants to try everything on their own. The difference in their temperaments may cause resentment. For example, the child who is clingy may seem to get more of their parent’s attention, which in turn leads to disagreements.

Different personalities

Similarly, personality differences may also be part of the reason your children fight. Your outgoing, rambunctious child may need a friend to pal around with. If your other child is more studious, there are going to be personality clashes. Try to encourage your children to meet in the middle and do activities both will enjoy.

Jealousy

Quite often jealousy is the biggest reason children fight. One feels they don’t have the attention of their parents like their sibling, so they feel the need to fight for attention and affection. Of course, you can tell your children that you don’t have a favorite until you can’t speak anymore, but jealousy is a strong emotion to overcome.

Competition for parent’s attention

It is possible that your children feel the need to compete for your attention. To combat this tendency, and make for a more peaceful home, you might want to plan special “dates” for each child. Depending upon the number of children you have, you could plan one day a month that you or your partner spends a specific amount of time with just one child. Switch up where your partner takes the rest of the children while you go someplace with one. Be sure each child has their own “date” time with either you or your spouse so they don’t feel slighted. It may reduce the fights right away.

What can you do when your children fight? Set ground rules about disagreements long before you’re faced with children fighting. Be sure they know hitting and calling names is not allowed; anyone doing these things will face pre-determined consequences.

If possible, don’t get involved unless you think there might be bodily injury. Intervening may create other problems and your children won’t learn the important skill of conflict resolution. Wait and see how they’re able to work out their problems on their own. You might be surprised at the solutions they come up with.

Children are going to have conflicts; it’s inevitable. When you ask yourself or others “why do my kids fight?” remember it’s part of growing up. They’re learning to stand up for themselves, express themselves, and further develop their personalities.

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Undue stress usually come in the form of school pressure. Other forms are when some children isolate themselves from other children or if they grow impatient and lack the will to focus.

Physical symptoms such as headaches and stomach problems are also common. Usually when a child suffers low energy, that’s a very huge indicator.

It could also happen when your child is in the midst of preparations for a play or a performance. Children can just hang up like a piece of wood when tensed.

So what can parents and other loved ones do? Since we can’t solve everything for them, the best we can do is to just be there to support them. Always be there to be relied on when your child experiences difficulties. Mark a special time with your child where you can just spend some quality time.

Also remember to be very patient. You can’t order them to stop being stressed. It’s a process and the important thing is for you to just be around. Here is a helpful video of how you can further relieve the stress of your children:

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Most people know what lying is. For those who don’t, according to Webster’s Dictionary (1913) lying is defined as the act of uttering “falsehood with an intention to deceive; to say or do that which is intended to deceive another.”

Some parents feel lying of any kind is a serious problem because it could mean there is a deeper character issue. Lying in teenagers could mean they are involved in drug or alcohol abuse, problems at school, or even worse, crime. Here are some guidelines to let you know if your teen may need the help of a professional psychologist to deal with their lying problem.

Young children can’t tell the difference between fantasy and reality and therefore appear to be lying. Older children begin to understand the difference between truth and a lie, but may lie to avoid punishment. They may also lie to protect the feelings of others. Teens are expected to know the difference but when they lie continually your concerns may be warranted.

If your teen does any of the following, you may decide they have a serious problem:

* Lie to get attention
* Lie to take advantage of others
* Lie to avoid dealing with demands of parents, friends, or teachers
* Lie to hide drug or alcohol use
* Lie as a means to manipulate another

When you catch your teen in a lie, you may have a serious discussion with your teen about lying. You’ve probably explained the importance of honesty and how lying can erode your trust in them. You may have also given them consequences for lying. It could be that talking and consequences haven’t had an effect on them.

Does your teen resort to telling lies whenever they want to avoid something? Do you catch them telling lies about where they’ve been and what they’ve been doing? How quickly does your teen cover up one lie when they’re caught by telling another? If these are common occurrences, your teen may have a chronic lying problem which requires professional intervention.

What type of health issues may cause a teen to be a chronic liar? Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, or learning disabilities are some conditions your teen may have which hadn’t been diagnosed in the past. Psychological counseling may help determine a course of action to combat your child’s problem.

If you find your teen lying too often, try not to take it as a failure on your part. You know how you’ve taught them, so you’ve done your part. Maybe you haven’t known when lying is a serious problem before; now you’ll have a better idea and a possible course of action for the future.

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Children that start using alcohol are four times more likely to develop an alcohol addiction than children who avoid it. Addiction, however, is not the only child behavior problem associated with alcohol abuse. The following are some of the other effects that come with children using alcohol.

Altered perceptions and emotions

Reports indicate that children who use alcohol develop an altered perception. They may not be able to accurately perceive dangerous situations or realize when things aren’t quite right. Because they may not perceive things correctly, they may have emotional outbursts over the littlest circumstances that aren’t the way they prefer.

Another psychological effect includes confusion. Alcohol use may also cause the user to exhibit poor judgment and take unhealthy risks. This is not a good combination, especially when you consider how children or teens often feel invulnerable.

Distorted vision

Alcohol use in children may affect the proper growth of their eyes. They may begin to “see things” that aren’t there or they may have problems seeing things correctly. In either case, their vision is adversely affected which could result in poor learning ability.

Memory loss

Research has shown that children and adolescents who abuse alcohol simply cannot remember things well. In fact, they may remember up to 10 percent less than their counterparts that don’t drink. Because they don’t remember as much, again their learning ability can be greatly affected.

Damage to the liver

If alcohol abuse continues for long enough, children who drink can cause serious damage to their liver. This could lead them to develop hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), cirrhosis of the liver (swelling of the liver that is irreversible), or possibly liver failure.

Lifelong alcohol problems

The longer a child uses alcohol, the more likely they are to develop lifelong alcohol problems. In fact, over 40 percent of children that began drinking before turning 13 ended up having an alcohol dependency issue. They may be able to stop drinking for a while but are more likely to return to alcohol at some point in their future.

No parent wants to think about their adult child having a problem with drinking. However, more and more children and teens are beginning to drink long before they are legally allowed. Knowing the short-term and long-term effects of alcoholism in children may encourage you to do everything in your power to keep your children alcohol free.

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If you begin telling children how you feel about drug and alcohol use while they’re young, you’ll have a better chance of instilling that same belief in them. Talk about how drugs and alcohol in terms they will understand. Explain that people who use them sometimes hurt other people because they can’t control their actions.

You can also explain to them how people who use alcohol and drugs are hurting themselves. Drug and alcohol use causes damage to the body in any number of ways. You can help your child avoid developing serious health issues related to substance abuse by talking to them early and often about it.

Talk to your children of all ages about keeping a healthy mind and body. Give them some ideas of things to do (eat a healthy diet, exercise, and get plenty of rest) and things to avoid (drugs, alcohol, overeating, and being sedentary). You may also tell them how important it is for you, as a parent, to know they understand the importance of staying healthy.

When it comes to older children, of course you’ll want to continue talking to them about your feelings toward alcohol and drug abuse. Another way you can encourage them to abstain is by leading by example. If they see you drinking often they may be less inclined to believe it’s something to avoid. In fact, if you drink or use recreational drugs the chances are higher that they’ll feel drugs and alcohol are alright for them, too.

If you’ve been talking to your children about drugs and alcohol since they were young, keep doing that. As they get older and understand more, you may want to be more specific when you talk about the damage alcohol and drugs can do to your body. Find pictures on the internet of accidents caused by drunk drivers. Pull together pamphlets from anti-drug organizations that are geared toward children. They may be able to explain the seriousness of alcohol and drug use better than you could ever do.

Take time to listen. If your children ask questions about drugs or alcohol, listen to what they’re really asking and try to figure out why. More than anything you’ll want to do your best to keep the lines of communication open with them. They want to know you care and one way you can do so is to give them guidance, especially about such a serious topic.

Learning how to talk to your kids about alcohol and drug abuse isn’t difficult but it can make parents uncomfortable. There are organizations that provide guidance and you’re encouraged to use them. However, if you start talking to them about it while they’re young, they are more likely to listen to your advice and know you have their best interest at heart.

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There may be many reasons why teenagers lie. They could have fallen in with bad influences and turn to lying to fit in. They may also lie because they feel bad about themselves and the lies help them feel better. Lying could also be a defense mechanism. The fact is, however, no matter what their reasons, you want your teen to know lying can have unpleasant consequences in the future.

Unfortunately, parents usually consider lying to be more serious than teens. Parents feel it is their responsibility to teach their teens how to be honest and avoid lying. They may even feel guilty or like a failure if their teen continues in this potentially destructive behavior. Here are some things to consider:

1. Realize that your teen will lie to you. Try not to be too shocked at the prospect and try to realize they’re not necessarily trying to hurt you. Being detached and objective will help you recognize when your teen is lying.

2. If your teen is lying, they’ll probably become defensive if you ask them for ways to check up on what they’re saying. Becoming defensive or throwing fits when you want to check their story could be a sure sign they aren’t being truthful.

3. Anyone who lies will avoid looking you directly in the eyes when telling you their story, or they look you in the eyes for too long. Pay attention to your teen’s actions when you talk to them and you’ll notice a difference when they are lying.

4. Those lying may also avoid details, fidget, or touch their face and mouth. They also won’t be able to keep their story straight if they have to tell it again.

If you suspect your teen is lying to you, deal with the situation immediately. Explain to them that you want to trust them and lying erodes your trust. Unfortunately, once trust is broken it isn’t easy to get it back. Don’t try to trap them in a lie; in effect that would be as dishonest as the lie they may tell. You may ask them to check in with you if you’re concerned that they’re hiding where they’re going.

Tell them what you expect out of them - that you want and need them to be honest with you. You’ll also want to inform them of clear consequences for being caught in a lie.

Teach them by example. If your teen hears you lying, even about something that may not seem important, you’re not being a good example for them. Expecting your teen to be honest means you’ll need to be honest, too.

Teens and lies don’t have to be a part of your life if you know what steps to take to break the habit before it gets too ingrained in their character. Worst even if it gets to become serious rooted from a child behavior problem in the past. Learn to recognize signs of their lying, address the situation right away, and explain that you expect better of them. They may rise to the occasion.

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So know how to stop spoiling your child, before it’s too late. But you will first have to recognize the signs that you are indulging in such a behavior.

Signs Of Spoiled Kids
The problem with many people today is that they don’t really recognize the fact that they are spoiling their children. The jet-age kids have all the resources to manipulate their parents any way they want, without the latter even being aware of it. Some of the signs, which say that a child is being spoiled, are:

* Your child expects to get everything he/she asks for and doesn’t care how he/she gets it.
* Your child is not used to hearing the word “no”.
* Your child is a whiner and has no respect for the rules.
*  Your child is selfish and does not share anything with other kids, even his/her siblings.
* Your child is rude and self-centered.

If these signs manifest in your child, it is the right time to stop spoiling him/her. No time is too late to reverse the spoiling. Your child may hate you initially, but would realize that it was for his/her own benefit, in due course of time. Now, the question comes how to stop spoiling your child?

Here are ways to stop spoiling your kids

Be A Good Role Model
To make your children disciplined, you need to provide them with examples. If you are whiney and nag too much, you would find these traits in your children as well. Even if you are not the only influence in their life, you will have to become the best influence. Until you make your children proud of you, they are least likely to get influenced by you.

Don’t Let Your Guilt Creep In
Today, hardly anyone gets enough time to spend with his/her kids. People are so busy piling up money that they keep a nanny to take care of their children. In order to make up for the lost time, they end up buying stuffs to make the kids happy. The guilt of spending less time makes them splurge on children and eventually, they end up spoiling them. Parents need to understand that children need love; not material things. Try to spend what little time you have, with your child, in a constructive way, like playing or chatting. This will bring you closer too.

Learn To Say “No”
In order to stop spoiling your child, you first need to learn, how to say ‘NO’. It is essential that your children know that they cannot get everything they wish for. The world is not perfect and they need to learn how to cope with disappointments as well.

Teach The Value Of Hard Work
Tell your kids that whatever you earn comes after a month of toil and hard work. Make them learn that you work a lot, to keep them happy and provide them with a decent life. Children should know that a lot goes behind the toys they play with. They need to learn to respect hard work.

Set Limits & Stick By Them
Set a limit to what your children can have. For instance, keep a limit on the money that you will spend on their toys - in a month, convey the same to your children and adhere to it. If they act persistent, stand firm. Tell them that they are acting spoilt and you won’t entertain such a behavior.

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It is more common in children who are very sensitive and may occur due to the frustration of not being able to express a feeling or perform something beyond their skills and abilities for the age. As motor skills of the child develop faster than his language skills, he may be just using them to let you know of his feelings.

Here are some tips to parent with toddlers who have tantrums:

* Find out what triggers the tantrums. Boredom, frustration for not being able to do something, hunger and too many children around may be some of the triggers. Stay alert when these triggers are there and offer him your help and guidance before being asked, so that the baby does not erupt. When he is trying to do something, try to show him how to do it as a facilitator rather than doing it for him or redirect him to easier activities.

* Watch out for pre-tantrum symptoms such as facial expressions and body language and come to help immediately before tantrums get started.
* Tantrums are of two types - frustration tantrums and manipulative tantrums.
* Frustration tantrums are emotional outbursts of the child, where he needs your empathy, support, help and comfort. It happens during the stage when child tries to do everything ‘himself’. Helping your child in these times will be remembered by the child as a part of his personality and he will fell secure and loved for.
* Manipulative tantrums are tricky as the child tries to get what he wants by hook or crook. Do not indulge him when he throws tantrums. Stand a few feet away from him and make it clear that you will help him, only when he calms down and ask appropriately, in a better way. You need to make the child learn that bad or undesirable behaviors will not get things done for him.
* When a child wants something, which is dangerous, offer him a substitute and explain the reasons, such as a spoon can replace the knife for playing as knife is sharp and may cut child’s hands.
* As the child learns how to express his feelings and use language, tantrums diminish. Tell the child to use alternative ways of expressing his feelings and use good voice and words to make requests, if he wants to get them fulfilled.
* If a child loses control over his temper, try not to do the same thing. Never mind what he or she is doing.If you have low anger tolerance, walk away from the scene, take deep breaths, gather your thoughts and react calmly. Remember, it is just a passing phase and normal for his age and will probably disappear by the time the child is 18 months to 2 year old.
* If child vomits or deliberately holds his breath until he passes out, intervene using ‘holding therapy’. Soothe and reassure the child in your nicest voice and hold him in a relaxed and comforting way. He must feel that if he has lost control, you are there to help and calm him. This can be very healthy for his psychological development.

You are not alone with this kind of toddler tantrums. Every child has his/her own way of making tantrums. You as parent have to take great child care responsibility to deal with your child’s moods and tantrums.

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But before taking any corrective steps, they must try to find out the reason why their child is indulging in such a behavior. There are several facts that compel children to steal, such as low self-esteem, peer pressure, etc. It might also be possible that they do not have friends and are trying to ‘buy’ their friends.

Reasons Why Do School Children Steal

Lack of Proper Understanding
Small children are naïve and cannot differentiate between things that belong to them and those that other children own. They may take someone else’s things thinking it to be their own. In such a case, children are unaware of the fact that they are doing something wrong.

Lack of Self-Control
Lack of self control is also one of the reasons for stealing. Often times, it has been noted that children get attracted to things that they do not own. The urge to have it makes them steal. They do this without realizing that taking someone else’s thing is a misdeed.

Peer Pressure
Peer pressure and the need to fit in are also one of the main causes of stealing. Some children get depressed when they are rejected from a group, just because they come from a relatively poor family. The need to fit into a group with members the high class society makes them steal also.

Get Attention
Sometimes, lack of attention by parents forces children to steal. They know that by stealing they would be able to get their parents attention. Sometimes, children also indulge in the act of stealing to impress their peers.

Anger or Revenge
Children find stealing the best way to show their anger and revenge. When they are upset with someone who is more powerful than them, stealing comes across as the best option to make the other person suffer.

Feeling of Excitement
Stealing is a daring act and some children do it just to get a kick in their life. There are many kids who steal things just for the adrenalin rush and enjoy the fun of not getting caught. The act gives them a thrill.

Jealousy or Desire
The feeling of jealousy develops from childhood. The desire to have things that are beautiful or flashy may cause kids to steal. Some children are also jealous of their classmates who have attractive things. In order to have the same thing, they resort to stealing.

Whatever the reasons for the act of stealing behavior of a child, bear in mind to take into consideration the urgent need to take corrective actions to stop it. Unresolved cases like this will lead to a great possibility of future rebellions, crimes and offenses.

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Ingredients:
4 cups of cooked rice
1/2 cup cooked ham, cubed
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
Dash of Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup fresh parsley, snipped
1/2 snap peas
1/2 cup carrots, chopped

Method:
In a wok, melt butter and sauté onions, carrots and parsley for about 2 minutes. Vegetables should be tender, but still be crunchy. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Cook until the rice is hot.

Enjoy this delicious meal with the whole family!

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When we decide if your child can get SSI, we consider your child’s income and resources. We also consider the income and resources of family members living in the child’s household. These rules apply if your child lives at home. They also apply if he or she is away at school but returns home from time to time and is subject to your control.

If your child’s income and resources, or the income and resources of family members living in the child’s household, are more than the amount allowed, we will deny the child’s application for SSI payments.

Your child must meet all of the following requirements to be considered disabled and therefore eligible for SSI:

- The child must not be working and earning more than $980 a month in 2009. (This earnings amount changes every year.) If he or she is working and earning that much money, we will find that your child is not disabled.
- The child must have a physical or mental condition, or a combination of conditions, that results in “marked and severe functional limitations.” This means that the condition(s) must very seriously limit your child’s activities.
- The child’s condition(s) must have lasted, or be expected to last, at least 12 months; or must be expected to result in death.

If your child’s condition(s) results in “marked and severe functional limitations” for at least 12 continuous months, we will find that your child is disabled. But if it does not result in those limitations, or does not last for at least 12 months, we will find that your child is not disabled.
Providing information about your child’s condition

When you apply for benefits for your child, we will ask you for detailed information about the child’s medical condition and how it affects his or her ability to function on a daily basis. We also will ask you to give permission for the doctors, teachers, therapists and other professionals who have information about your child’s condition to send the information to us.

If you have any of your child’s medical or school records, please bring them with you. This will help speed up the decision on your application.

Source: socialsecurity.gov

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Children with autism usually have difficulties to express their basic wants or needs so this may be one of the sources of stress for parents.They can also contribute strongly against the financial and social aspect of the family by way of daily care routines and appropriate help and educaton.

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention pinpoints that autism has risen dramatically over the past fifteen years jumping from 1 case in 5,000 people to a ratio of 1 in 150. However, over this same period of time, there have been much advancements in dealing with this case.

It can really be very difficult for a family because normal family routines will be more difficult with this case. The stress for such parenting demands is immense that both parents should be strong for each other

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The biggest reason toddlers whine is because they often can’t communicate well using words. They whine to get your attention and to communicate that they want something. They may be frustrated or they may be tired. Unfortunately they soon realize that whining produces results, so they begin to use it to get their way even past the age of toddlerhood.

To avoid having problems with whiny school-aged children, or worse - whiny teens, you’ll want to stop them before it becomes a habit. Here are six ideas you can use that may nip this bad habit in the bud before it has an opportunity to bloom.

1. Ignore the whining. As much as it may grate on your nerves, if you don’t react when they start whining, they’ll learn that they won’t get what they want that way. If you constantly give in when they begin whining, they’ll have won and will continue to use it to get their way.

2. Explain that you don’t understand. If your child starts to whine, tell them you can’t understand. To help you understand, they need to speak calmly, quietly, and in a normal tone of voice. When they can speak to you in a normal voice, then you can listen to what they say and decide whether or not to give them what they wanted.

3. Teach them simple sign language. If your toddler can’t talk much yet, teaching them simple sign language can help them communicate what they want without the whine. Go online or to the local library to find a book on baby sign language. Teaching them signs for hungry, thirsty, and paying attention to body signals like rubbing the eyes to tell you they are tired can help tremendously when stopping the whining train from leaving the station.

4. Distract them. When they start whining, don’t give in to them. Instead, try distracting them by singing a song, reciting the alphabet, or offering them something else.

5. Put them down for a nap. Being over-tired is one of the reasons toddlers whine. If you know they’re tired, having them take a nap may help both of you.

6. Tell them what you expect of them. Even though they’re young, that doesn’t mean they can’t learn. Explain to them that you expect them to sit still in the buggy without whining and asking you for everything. If they have behaved well, you may want to allow them a “prize” for their good behavior.

Whining is a common activity of nearly all toddlers, and even some adults. Using one or more of these tips to stop your toddler from whining may be what you need for peace in your home. Just remember, if you don’t do anything, the whining is sure to continue.

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One thing to understand, for instance, is that biting is a normal activity that children will go through as part of normal development. Knowing that your child’s biting isn’t uncommon, however, won’t ease the pain of the bite. Experts agree that blame should not be placed on the child, parent, or teachers when it does happen.

You know babies use their mouths to explore because they’re not co-ordinated enough to do much else. If they bite, it’s quite likely that the act is merely a way to explore or because they are overly stimulated. Infants may also bite because they are teething and need the pressure of something along their gums to help ease the pain they’re feeling. Regardless of the reason, infants are not aware of any pain they may be causing if they do bite you.

Toddlers, those between 12 and 36 months, will continue to use their mouth as a way to communicate, not just with speech. Since they may not be not able to use language to let you know what they want, some toddlers bite. They use it as a way to get what they want and control their environment. Despite this propensity to cause pain, it is quite possible that toddlers don’t understand the pain they inflict. Still, you want to begin to teach them that biting is not appropriate and that it hurts.

What do you do when your toddler bites?

- Respond immediately when your toddler bites by telling them “Ouch, that hurt mama.” This tactic will work beginning as early as four months old.

- Don’t bite back. Even though you may feel like biting them would be the only option, it will convey to them that biting (or any violence) is acceptable.

- Explain to them, if they are able to talk, that it is better to use words than biting to get your attention or to get what they want. Even if their speech is limited, you can help them learn to say one word such as “stop” or “mine.”

- When your toddlers are older, two or more, you can have them help with first aide for those they’ve bitten. This will teach them to learn how to be nurturing instead of hurtful.

- Look for environmental factors that may lead to your toddler biting. Are they fearful, over-stimulated, or over-tired? If you can recognize the triggers for why your toddler bites, you can work toward eliminating those triggers.

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Here is a sample guide of how to use a behavior scale in helping to understand how children are acting for their age range:

Start by trying to describe the positive and happy emotions being stated  by your child time and time again. And then in the next column try to describe the environment of your child. Child psychologists are strong in the belief that a child’s behavior is shaped by its environment.

By environment, you should describe the people around  your child and if there are factors that can cause stress in the life of the child.

Now to complete the spectrum of the child behavior scale, you should also try to record bad situations which your toddler may have been. This can include bouts of crying, tantrums and aggression. Likewise, try to describe the surrounding factors to the behavior of your child.

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Learn how to be reasonable with your expectations with your child. Often times this can only lead to frustration and anger for the both of you.

Since you are the ones who should know their children best, you should anticipate how he/she should act up in certain situations especially for those times when he/she should act up in an exaggerated and unreasonable times.

The parenting skills needed to balance taking care of children with behavior problems are intricate and yet instinctive. Remember to always match it with a touch of loving care and firm discipline.

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Always make it a point to put a healthy line of separation between fun and serious implementation of responsibility. This can be done by having a firm stance when dealing with inappropriate behavior from your child.

An important area where discipline shows is during routine yet productive tasks such as studying. This is why it is important to train them for a set period of time to handle their obligations. To further strengthen your communication with your child, you can give them simple and productive behavior.

But as wise men always say, people should always lead by example. Thus, you should remain spotless as a beacon of discipline for your child.

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Child behavior problems can be dealt with an emotional and social response - and not rely on medication. Medications, after all, are not fool-proof. They may work for one test subject and not respond to another. Moreover, the medications will not change the behavior of children in a flash. They will just change specific chemical equations in the body.

However, if your doctor decides that medication is the way to go, then closely follow the medication schedule and observe for any changes in your child. Positive results which you should be on the lookout for should be for increased focus in tasks such as homeworks. However, if it seems that your child just becomes unemotional even more, then it may be time to rethink the approach.

Remember that medication is not a shortcut for adult supervision. Your child should be surrounded by care, concern and firm education. For all you know, this just may be a phase for your child.

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On the other hand, we can’t just tolerate any negative attitude in children - because doing nothing is one of the most wrong thing parents can do. This may teach them that child behavior problems are alright with their parents thus lending it a sense of normalcy.

Child behavior problems need to be addressed because if they are left unchecked, they will spoil the development of their personality and even social skills.

What we can do as parents is to make them understand that their actions can have dire consequences. Instead of negligence or harsh discipline methods, we can comfort them and talk to them as though they have adult minds themselves. Hurting them can only result in aggressive and angry behavior.

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Is your child out of control most of the time? Are they not even respecting you anymore, especially when they throw tantrums? Do they resort to public embarassments when they don’t get what they want?

Does your child whine about anything. Does he/she not know when is the appropriate time to be quiet? Are they almost always annoying?

On the other hand, maybe your child is in the other end of the spectrum? Is he/she too shy for his/her own good? Are they withdrawn with their parents and peers?

For instances such as these, the first line of defense would be a good and hearty communication. Tell your toddler that such behavior is not acceptable. Hopefully, when the child is still learning, these mistakes are amenable. However, if it has already grown through the years, parents may need some psychological help.

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Among the traits exhibited by children with ADHD include restlessness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Although there is a normal level of curiosity and playfulness in children, ADHD takes it into a new level which prevents them to develop normally emotional quotient (EQ) skills.

ADHD delves on the neurobehavioral development of children and is said to affect three to five percent of children in the world especially by the age of seven years old. It is said to occur twice as more frequently in boys than in girls. It is also observed to be strongly tied in genetics.

Among the other difficulties children can experience together with ADHD are anxiety problems and clinical depressions for children as they grow older. It can also go into the extreme and develop into confrontational defiance or conduct disorders.

The causes of ADHD are not as clear-cut in its sources but many experts have pointed to biological factors such as the temperament of the child. Environmental factors have also been tagged with stress and environmental difficulties.

Treatments for ADHD are available in the form of management techniques initiated by parents and teachers, medication, educational treatments and even diet. But eventually children tend to outgrow it through adulthood - although some symptoms may persist like lack of attention.

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Emotional bonding with your toddler can be done through various exciting children activities such as stimulating mental puzzles and even some outdoor fun. Make sure that lessons of self-esteem, respect and lessons are imbibed during these playtime bonding sessions.

Games are also a perfect chance to train your toddler in useful social skills such as courtesy, taking turns and even leadership. This may also help his creativity and confidence.

Correcting child defiance will not happen overnight but with a continued and consistent guidance and caring, you will be able to get the job done. Patience is the virtue.

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Here are some insights which may be able to help quell sour child behavior problems. Hopefully, the frequency and severity of these problems may be thwarted altogether for the best child development possible:

Shower your children with a healthy and stable dose of love. Most of the emotional development of a child hinges on the stability of the family and its household. You can show your love through small yet effective means such as listening to his/her thoughts, taking the time to play, and teaching them important values and lessons.

Usually children will undergo radical behavior changes during periods of transition and adjustment. Call it growing pains. It’s easy to see that bad behavior is a natural reaction to challenges that the the child doesn’t yet have the skills to accomplish. Always be there to give positive reinforcement for good behavior which he/she may acquire/retain. Moreover, you have to explain to them certain bad behaviors and why it should be avoided.

Child behavior is highly dependent on reinforcement patterns in the family. If a certain deed or attitude is praised or ignored all of the time, it can send the message that it is okay and can be repeated over and over again. This move is excellent if the behavior is good to begin with but if it is negative, it has to be corrected and nipped in the bud.

The important thing to remember is that reinforcements and even punishments should always be firm and fair. This is the most effective way to shape the behavior and attitude of a child. Furthermore, always maintain an open line of communication with your child. It’s bad enough to be the source of suppression of your child’s feelings.

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Whether bullying is physical or verbal, the point is it can be very painful for children. The problem becomes worse if the child tries to go through the motions alone. Parents should take on an active role to make sure bullying ends.

Self-esteem is the best value we can teach out children to help divert any negative impact of bullying. Their resilience will be strengthened when they feel that parents are right behind them to support them. Here are ways one can help their children develop resilience and self-esteem:

1. Make them feel that many people love them - that the bullying is just an aberration. Let them know that it is the bully with issues and behavioral problems and not him/her.
2. You may not be able to solve the bullying problem immediately but make sure that you are there to give your child some emotional support. Listen to the problem. Sometimes listening to the problems of children develops their own problem-solving abilities.
3. Proceed to dissect the problem with your child to offer solutions on how to approach the bully. Must the bully be ignored? Or is it better to confront the bully and tell them to stop. You can also try to coordinate with your child’s teacher as the bully may be having communication troubles himself. Also, it is better to involve the parent of the bully in the solving process.
4. Teach social skills with your children. They are less likely to be targets of bullying if they are exuding self-esteem and confidence. Start with their posture - no slumped backs. Also, make sure they can communicate well with their peers.

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Many experts believe that part of the reason why there have been numerous school shootings in recent years is because some students were ostracized by the popular cliques in their schools. Some cliques can be mean. They can make fun of their classmates for not wearing popular clothing brands or for not owning the latest trendy gadget. Whatever the reason may be for bullying, you don’t have to stand pat as a parent and let your children experience a traumatic experience which may lead to behavior problems.

If your child is being left out, suggest they make new friends who aren’t a part of the clique that takes joy in bullying. Encourage your child to speak up against bullying should his/her clique starts to keep away people from joining. You can also make your child pursue engaging activities such as taking skills development classes or watching educational cartoons for kids.

More importantly, don’t let your children take any clique rejection personally. They may feel as though there is something wrong with them. But make them see that being a part of a clique isn’t all that important and that they are fine just the way they are. No parent would want their child to be left out of a group or made to feel like they’re not worth being friends with. Unfortunately, it may to your child in school. Cliques in schools can be hurtful but the way to counter them is to help your child appreciate his or her uniqueness as an individual.

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They found that animated shows aimed at youngsters often have more brutality than programmes broadcast for general audiences.

And they said children copied and identified with fantasy characters just as much as they would with screen actors.

Cartoons aimed at children, such as Scooby Doo, contain more brutality than programmes meant for general audiences, a study has found

The study also found that youngsters tended to mimic the negative behaviour they saw on TV such as rumour-spreading, gossiping and eye-rolling.

The U.S. psychologists quizzed 95 girls aged ten and 11 about their favourite TV shows, rating them for violent content and verbal and indirect aggression.

The shows included Lost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, American Idol, Scooby-Doo and Pokemon.

The researchers found that output aimed at children as young as seven, which included a number of cartoons, had the highest levels of violence.

They recorded 26 acts of aggression an hour compared with just five in shows aimed at general audiences and nine in programmes deemed unsuitable for under-14s.

‘Results indicated that there are higher levels of physical aggression in children’s programmes than in programmes for general audiences,’ the study said.

It added that the TV industry distinguished between animated violence and non-animated violence and appeared to rate the former as less harmful.

‘There is ample evidence that animated, sanitised and fantasy violence has an effect on children,’ the study’s authors said.

‘Research on the effects of violent video games, which are all animated, indicates that they have the same effects on children’s aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviours that violent TV shows have demonstrated.

‘In fact, even cartoonish children’s games increase aggression. Labelling certain types of media violence as “fantasy” violence is misleading and may actually serve to increase children’s access to harmful violent content by reducing parental concern.’

The study, by academics at Iowa State University and published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, also found that children copied at school the verbal aggression they had seen on TV.

It said: ‘In addition, the effects of televised physical aggression were extensive, such that exposure to televised physical aggression was associated with a variety of negative behaviours in girls.’

This anti-social behaviour included verbal and physical aggression and excluding others from friendship groups.

Co-author Jennifer Linder said: ‘There is ample evidence that physical aggression on TV is associated with increases in aggressive behaviour, but there was little until this study that has shown a link between televised aggression and resulting aggression among children.’

Professor Douglas Gentile, who led the study, said content ratings on TV programmes should provide detailed information on the aggression shown.

The U.S. introduced a ratings system in the mid-1990s but the idea has not been picked up in Britain.

Source: MailOnline.com

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Your child comes home with blood on his shirt. When you ask what happened, they tell you that they fell down or something like that. You wonder if your child is dealing with schoolyard bullies.

A schoolyard bully is a child, often bigger than their peers, who uses their size as a means to manipulate and take advantage of other children. Often the bully senses the vulnerability of other students and capitalizes on those feelings. They try to gain control of other children by use of intimidation and sometimes violence.

Children who are bullied are easily manipulated. They have low self-esteem and may become anxious or depressed. Unfortunately, depending upon the severity of the bullying a child receives, they may turn into the very thing that they hate. They may become a bully when they get older.

Children who are bullies often become a bully because they feel inadequate in some way. Perhaps their parents are divorced or one of them is abusive. If they are manipulated through violence it may be the only way they know how to get the recognition they need and desire.

Tell your child that no matter what is happening you’re there for them. Be sure they understand that you want to help them and they can tell you anything. They may feel intimidated to the point that they are afraid to talk to you. Reassure them that whatever is happening isn’t their fault.

You can help your child deal with the situation by helping them to not be an easy target for a bully. Teach them to stand up straight, speak with a clear voice, and to look their peers in the eyes. By carrying themselves in this way, they will not appear weak or vulnerable. Explain to them that bullies generally try to find children that are alone where that they can’t be seen or heard.

Many parents, when learning that their child has been bullied, decide to enroll their child in martial arts classes so they can take care of themselves. This may not be the best course of action. Violence often breeds violence and you don’t want to encourage your child to start down that road.

Sometimes kids can be cruel without being a bully. When it’s your child that has been the victim of bullying, you want to do whatever possible to get the bullying to stop and for your child to be safe. Perhaps your child isn’t dealing with schoolyard bullies, but to be on the safe side, you may want to speak with your child’s school so they can be aware of the situation and to take care of any problems.

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