“You’re so smart.” It rolls off the tongue when a child brings home a great test score, finishes a tricky puzzle, or says something unexpectedly clever. It sounds like the safest kind of encouragement. Who wouldn’t want a child to feel capable? But I wondered about...
“You’re so smart.” It’s one of those sentences many of us say almost automatically. A child brings home a good grade, figures out a puzzle, remembers an obscure dinosaur fact, and there it is. The compliment feels warm, deserved, and harmless. But I’ve wondered about...
The Lindsay Clancy case is horrific. Three children are dead. A mother stands accused of killing them. A husband and father has lost his children and the life his family once had. Examining the mental healthcare Lindsay received does not minimize any of that. It asks...
When Schools Pressure Parents to Medicate: What You Need to Know Medically Reviewed by Dr. Teralyn Sell, PhD Parents today face increasing pressure from schools and educators to medicate children for behavioral or attention concerns. From 504 Plan or IEP meetings to...
Do Kids Really Need Adults to Teach Them Coping Skills? In today’s culture, children are often surrounded by adults eager to teach coping strategies. Schools run social-emotional learning programs, parents coach children through emotional challenges, and therapy...
