Child Myths

Straight Talk About Child Development

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

September 30, 2009

More Talking About Baby Talk

Yesterday, Jane Brody, the New York Times "personal health" columnist, published a very interesting piece about talking to young children. Read More

September 28, 2009

Robots Again: The Trouble With Nanny-bots

When I first started doing this blog several months ago, one of my first topics was "nanny-bots"--- hypothetical robots built to do child care. An article about this by Noel Sharkey had appeared in the journal Science, and a lot of discussion had ensued. Read More

September 27, 2009

Child Custody Decisions and Child Age Differences

Next week I'll be participating in an orientation program for new judges in my state, who will be starting their work in family court. They will be dealing with child custody in divorce cases, with visitation and with termination of parental rights, and with other concerns about children and their families. Read More

September 21, 2009

Autism and "Patterning": Magical Thinking at Work

Several days ago I commented on some "alternative" treatments for autism that may be attractive to concerned parents but have not been supported by systematic research evidence. Looking at a list of these treatments prepared by Tristram Smith ("Empirically supported and unsupported treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorders", Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice, 2008, Vol.6(10, pp. 3-20), I was concerned to see a reference to "patterning". I suppose I hoped it had gone away. Read More

September 21, 2009

That Epidemic of Autism: Much is in the Details

As journalists and celebrities alike have been telling us, increasing numbers of American children have been receiving diagnoses of autism or other forms of Pervasive Developmental Disorders. For many readers, this fact has raised the question: What's causing this increase in the occurrence of autism? Read More

September 17, 2009

Holding Therapy and Autism

An excellent resource for parents and community members interested in autism is Paul Offit's book, "Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure." Offit describes various physical treatments that have been falsely claimed as cures for autism, including chelation and the use of Lupron, both of which I mentioned in a post a couple of weeks ago. Read More

September 16, 2009

War and Children: The children at Bulldogs Bank

The effects of parents' deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan have been frequent topics on blogs and in news reporting over the last several years. Read More

September 13, 2009

My Mom or My Lyin' Eyes: Relationships and Learning

At a picnic yesterday, I saw a friend eating from a paper plate he held up close to his face, while his dog watched eagerly. The master said to the dog, "What are you looking at? Read More

September 8, 2009

When is Bad Behavior Really BAD?

The pediatrician Perri Klass recently commented in the New York Times on parents' worried when a child steals something ("Stealing in Childhood Does Not A Criminal Make", Aug. 11, D5). As Klass pointed out, it is pretty common for children in preschool or the early school years to swipe things that don't belong to them. Read More

September 8, 2009

Child Custody: Handling Changes

A few weeks ago, there were several news reports discussing the family situation of a woman soldier recently back from Iraq. Before her deployment, the woman had given birth to a daughter and had shared a home with the baby's father and his parents. 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.

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Books by Jean Mercer, Ph.D.

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