© 2023 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved #author-byline-block_bb6eea05aa95936b6fee4fe925afb1d9 .author-byline-text{ font-size: 16px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); } Is your child afraid of the dark? Is your child’s fear severe enough to be considered a phobia? Here’s what research tells us about the signs and causes…and how to help kids to...
© 2023 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved #author-byline-block_fe8409d616072aadbc26011da97ba94d .author-byline-text{ font-size: 16px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); } Observational fear learning, sometimes called “observational threat learning,” is what happens when we use social cues to identify something as threatening or dangerous. Can children learn in this way? Absolutely. In fact, it’s...
© 2008 – 2023 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved #author-byline-block_5338db9aa81f9e2ba94c8a9689a4a20b .author-byline-text{ font-size: 16px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); } Night terrors in children — also known as “sleep terrors” — are sometimes confused with nightmares. Both cause distress and disrupt sleep, and though terrors are less common than nightmares, they...
© 2023 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved #author-byline-block_5cf1c9be599a53be0c168ff7a9a8c531 .author-byline-text{ font-size: 16px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); } Electronic media devices are useful for communication, education, and entertainment. For many parents, they are also tools for keeping the peace — a quick and reliable way to calm down a child who...
© 2018 GWEN DEWAR, PH.D., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Positive parenting lowers a child’s risk of behavioral and emotional problems, and it helps protect kids against the effects of toxic stress. But what, exactly, is positive parenting, and how should parents get started? Positive parenting means slightly different things to different...
© 2009 – 2022 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved #author-byline-block_18ed2ce1baec50c478e4618257e239db .author-byline-text{ font-size: 16px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); } Are you struggling with a picky eater? If so, you are in good company. Throughout the world, it’s common for young children to reject new foods (a phenomenon called “neophobia”). It’s...
© 2009 – 2022 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved #author-byline-block_c874a1c926533a42c18fb4f902a0e43e .author-byline-text{ font-size: 16px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); } Picky eaters can drive us crazy, but their quirks and preferences aren’t entirely arbitrary. Read about the biological differences that turn some kids into fussy, selective eaters. Does your child insist...
© 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved As disciplinary tactics go, spanking is ineffective, and it may be harmful, too. A new study suggests that spanking alters the brain, making kids more reactive to potential threats, and more at risk for developing behavior problems. Over the years, I’ve followed...
© 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Families are better off when teenagers communicate openly with their parents. But how do we inspire better communication? An experimental study shows the way: We need to provide kids with crucial signals of active, supportive listening. Not only does it make kids feel better. ...
© 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Far from being social oafs, many bullies are confident, popular, and socially-savvy. So what’s missing? Empathy, moral engagement, and a sense of responsibility towards others. According to an old stereotype, people bully others because they have poor self-esteem and lack basic social...
© 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved The difficulty of identifying ADHD in children Diagnosing ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is intrinsically problematic. The symptoms—distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity—are consistent with the normal behavior of young children. So when kids are diagnosed, the implication is that they are more distractible,...
© 2018 – 2021 GWEN DEWAR, PH.D., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Is childhood rebellion inevitable? Not really. Most kids are ready to be cooperative. But they recognize limits to our power: They resist when they perceive us as trying to control their personal lives. So what’s the solution? Be fair-minded. Listen...
