Child Myths

Straight Talk About Child Development

Jean Mercer is a developmental psychologist with a special interest in parent-infant relationships. See full bio

November 21, 2009

Legacy of the Sixties: Not All Peace and Love, Man

If you're old enough and have been interested for a long time in psychological issues, you may remember Synanon, the California organization that specialized in treatment of addictions and was gradually revealed to have been both emotionally and physically brutal in its methods. A surprising allusion to Synanon cropped up the other day in a New York Times article about union organization. Read More

November 15, 2009

Moms, Babies, and Species Differences

Most of us are pretty sentimental about mothers and babies. If they're animals, they're cute; if they're humans, they are charming, admirable, even noble in their deep connections with each other. And somehow, it's pretty easy for us to make the assumption that all mothers and babies, of every species, have a lot in common with each other. Read More

November 15, 2009

Adolescents and Serious Crime: A Couple of Stories

In yesterday's post, I commented on some of the issues that need to be resolved before we as a nation can really think through the matter of sentencing juvenile criminals to life without parole. The concerns I mentioned were not "psychological" in nature, but had to do with the intentions the community might have when supporting such sentences. Read More

November 14, 2009

Adolescents and Life Without Parole

The United States Supreme Court is presently discussing whether it is or is not appropriate to condemn and adolescent who has committed a crime to life imprisonment without parole. A decision in 2005 has already abolished the death penalty for juveniles. Read More

November 9, 2009

Learning Right From Wrong: How Does Morality Develop?

"That child is so bad! He needs somebody to teach him right from wrong." An adult who says this usually really means that he or she would like someone to scold or spank that annoying child. Read More

November 7, 2009

Homelessness, Parenting, and Attachment

Most of us have seen a pitiful sight, either in photographs or in reality: a homeless mother and one or more young children, sitting in a doorway, wrapped in blankets against the cold, with their few possessions next to them in a shopping cart. Read More

November 4, 2009

Away With the Asperger's Diagnosis: What's It All About?

There are going to be some changes made, according to news stories on the reports of the groups working on the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. Read More

November 2, 2009

Hi,Sugar: The Halloween Candy Myth

Everybody knows that eating a lot of candy makes children "hyperactive". If they didn't eat so many sweets, they wouldn't be like that, and when they get lots of sweets, their behavior is just awful. Yes, we do know that... or don't we? Read More

October 31, 2009

Precocious Puberty: How Early Is Early?

Several weeks ago, I commented on the ways new diagnoses and definitions have changed our view of autism, and how the statistics about autistic disorders have been affected by the way we define them. Today I want to discuss another phenomenon of development that looks different depending on the way we define it. Read More

October 25, 2009

Dizzy, Delightful, or Irrelevant: How Did Vestibular Stimulation Get So Much Attention?

I recently received a children's book catalogue that I've been getting for years and have always liked. Like most book catalogues, it includes toys and goodies for mothers as well. This time, it included a sort of sliding and riding toy, and here's what the description said: Read More

Books by Jean Mercer, Ph.D.

Child Development: Myths and Misunderstandings

Understanding Attachment: Parenting, Child Care, and Emotional Development

Attachment Therapy on Trial: The Torture and Death of Candace Newmaker (Child Psychology and Mental Health)

Child Development Basics

The speedy physical and psychological changes that children undergo from birth through adolescence often leave parents wondering how best to care for them at each stage. From how to talk so kids will listen to when to back off and allow them to fail, PT's experts weigh in.

Go to the Child Development Basics page for more on Child Development including:

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Books by Jean Mercer, Ph.D.

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