Child Development

When it comes to activism, students often feel powerless. After all, they argue, they don't have the ability to change laws and rules or even influence how existing ones are interpreted. Being students, which, by definition, means to be in the process of learning rather than leading - they feel that few people take them seriously.

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Are ambidextrous children more likely to develop symptoms of ADHD than their left-handed and right-handed peers? Read More

Do you have a bright teenage child who is nevertheless struggling at school or having difficulty socially? Your child's IQ and SAT scores probably aren't the culprit. EQ—or emotional intelligence—has much more influence on your child's success, now and in the future. Read More

It has been my experience that children want straight answers to what is happening with them and why. Educate yourself on dyslexia, and then share what you have learned with the child. If a child is left to his or her own devices to figure out what is wrong, the chances are what he or she comes up with will be worse than what is actually happening (i.e. 'I'm just stupid' or 'my brain is broken'). Educate yourself and your child to demystify the situation. Read More

When I began this blog, I chose the name "child myths" because of my concern about misunderstandings that are potentially harmful to children. As some readers know, my interest in this issue began some years ago with a study of so-called Attachment Therapy and its role in the death of Candace Newmaker in 2000 (described in Mercer, J., Sarner,L., & Rosa, L. Read More

Dozens of organizations are interested in child welfare and child development, some from the research point of view, some from a public policy perspective, and some with an emphasis on advocacy. Like other organizations, these often fail to work together. Read More

Could it be that Hollywood will help bring back the family dinner--that old fashioned notion that it may be a good thing to spend time as a family enjoying home--cooked cuisine. Read More

Just yesterday, a mother called me about her daughter Delia. Delia, age 8, was voted off of her classroom lunch table. Apparently all of her "friends" had been watching reality television shows and like all kids do - begin imitating what they watched and believed to be true. Unfortunately, it brought Delia to tears and shook her confidence to the core. Read More

CNN and everybody else is reporting that the 1998 study linking the MMR vaccine to autism published in the medical journal The Lancet has been retracted.

Four quick thoughts / reactions to the story: Read More