John's Articles

6-Year-Old Separation Anxiety

Posted on 8/22/2006

Separation anxiety Q: My 6-year-old son is still experiencing separation anxiety about going to school, to a friend's house, or whatever. I am a homemaker, and he has never been in day care....

6-Year-Old Fear of Sleeping Alone

Posted on 5/23/2006

IT'S TIME FOR 6-YEAR-OLD BOY TO CONQUER FEAR OF SLEEPING ALONE Q: When we had our first child, his pediatrician encouraged "attachment parenting" and especially that we all sleep together....

5-Year-Old Fear of School

Posted on 2/7/2006

SON'S FEAR OF BUS IS GENUINE, BUT HE CAN CONQUER HIS TERROR Q: My 5-year-old son was so nervous on the first day of kindergarten that he threw up shortly after getting there. Since then, he...

4-Year-Old Transitioning to Pre-K Program

Posted on 5/24/2005

Be confident in your decision Q: We recently moved our 4-year-old daughter to a new pre-K program. The first couple of weeks were fine, but now she cries and doesn't want to go. She attends...

10-Year-Old Separation Anxiety

Posted on 6/29/2004

HELP CHILD TAME SEPARATION ANXIETY Q: Our 10-year-old daughter has a problem with separation from me. After I put her to bed, she gets up numerous times to make sure I'm still in the house. She...

4-Year-Old Cries When Dropped Off at Preschool

Posted on 5/25/2004

DON'T OVERREACT TO CHILD'S CRYING JAG Q: My best friend's 4-year-old daughter is currently in her third year at the same half-day preschool. The first two years were fine, but she has lately...

18-Month-Old Clinging to Mom

Posted on 4/20/2004

IT'S NORMAL FOR TODDLERS TO CLING Q: Our 18-month-old daughter has recently started clinging to me, following me from room to room, and wanting to be held more than ever before. I expected...

5-Year-Old Bad Dreams

Posted on 2/10/2004

HELP 5-YEAR-OLD CONQUER BAD DREAMS Q: My 5-year-old daughter has occasional bad dreams. She can go weeks without one and then have them once or twice a night for two weeks in a row. She's on a...

5-Year-Old Scared During the Night

Posted on 10/28/2003

Q: Our 5-year-old daughter has recently been getting out of bed in the middle of the night and coming into our room telling us she is scared. When we question her, however, she can't tell us what...

2-Year-Old is Clingy to Mom

Posted on 6/17/2003

MAKE GOODBYES SHORT AND SWEET Q: My husband and I have a 5-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son. Our son is in a very clingy phase. Three months ago he had a very bad episode of separation...

5-Year-Old Afraid of the Dark

Posted on 12/17/2002

MASTERING THE 'ACT' OF DISCIPLINE Many, if not most, of today's parents are convinced that nearly every child-rearing circumstance is fraught with apocalyptic psychological ramifications....

28-Month-Old Waking Up During the Night

Posted on 11/12/2002

NO NEED FOR PARENTS TO LOSE SLEEP OVER 2-YEAR-OLD'S NIGHTTIME WAKING Q: Our 28-month-old is waking up anywhere from two to five times a night (on a bad night, about every two hours). She comes...

3-Year-Old Having Nightmares

Posted on 10/22/2002

HOW TO CHASE AWAY SCARY COWS Q: Our 3-year-old has recently started having nightmares involving cows. We haven't a clue as to how this got its start, but within three weeks, she's gone from...

10-Year-Old Frightened by Certain People

Posted on 9/17/2002

TV IS THE ROOT OF YOUR BOY'S FRIGHT Q: Our 10-year-old son thinks certain people look frightening. When he sees one of these supposedly frightening people, he can work himself up to the point...

3 1/2-Year-Old Is Overly Cautious

Posted on 7/2/2002

SON TOO YOUNG TO HANDLE WARNINGS ABOUT FIRES, STRANGERS Q: My 3 1/2-year-old son has always been overly cautious. He is scared of trying anything new and this includes things other kids his age...

16-Month-Old Afraid of Penis

Posted on 3/26/2002

JUST IGNORE TODDLER'S FEAR OF HIS PENIS Q: My 16-month-old has recently become afraid of his penis. A few weeks ago he accidentally peed one evening after his bath while I was toweling him off...

Mom Worried about 4-Year-Old Preschool Anxiety

Posted on 10/9/2001

DON'T FEED CHILD'S PRESCHOOL ANXIETY Q: For purposes of convenience, I recently changed my 4-year-old son's preschool program. The new program is as highly rated and well staffed as the...

5-Year-Old Bedtime Fears

Posted on 5/29/2001

AS USUAL, COMMON SENSE TRIUMPHS OVER PSYCHOLOGY One of contemporary parenting's stumbling blocks is the tendency to "think psychologically" about child-rearing difficulties. Doing so often...

10-Month-Old Cries at Everything

Posted on 2/27/2001

AN EASILY STARTLED 10-MONTH-OLD IS NOT A 'CRYBABY' Q. Our 10-month-old son has started crying at things he's never cried at before. A stuffed cow mooed at him the other day and he just began...

4-Year-Old Waking Up During the Night

Posted on 2/20/2001

LET 4-YEAR-OLD HAVE MOTIVE TO GET PAST IRRATIONAL FEARS Our normally very easy going 4-year-old daughter has started waking us up several times a night, wanting us to lie down with her so she...

6-Year-Old Anxiety Issue

Posted on 11/23/1999

FIRST, TRY TALKING TO EDDIE ABOUT HIS ANXIETY Q. My 6 year-old son, Eddie, has anxiety over new situations like the first day of school and the start of swimming lessons, and he worries about...

3-Year-Old Crys After Dropped Off at Mother's Morning Out Program

Posted on 11/9/1999

Q. The other issue is nursery school. The girls have no one to play with except one another. My daughter recently signed them up for a "mother's morning out" program three mornings a week. One of...

Moms Afraid Their Children Will Not Like Them

Posted on 12/8/1998

TODAY'S KIDS HAVE NO FEAR, AND PARENTS ARE TO BLAME In my more recent public presentations, I've been pointing out that while baby boomers, as children, were afraid of their mothers, today's...

5-Year-Old Has Anxiety Over School

Posted on 11/24/1998

CHILD'S FEAR IS REAL, BUT SHE'LL GET OVER IT WITH HELP Q. My 5-year-old daughter was so nervous on the first day of school that she threw up shortly after getting there. Since then, she's been...

13-Year-Old Has Fears, Problems Falling Asleep, Obsessions and Compulsions

Posted on 10/3/1996

OBSESSIONS, COMPULSIONS ARE COMMON IN EARLY TEEN YEARS Q. Our 13-year-old son, Brian, has recently started having problems falling asleep. As soon as he closes his eyes he begins having...

3-Year-Old Has Developed Several Fears

Posted on 8/11/1995

IT'S NORMAL FOR KIDS TO DEVELOP CERTAIN FEARS Q. Within the last month or so, our just-turned 3-year-old daughter has become afraid of the dark, barking dogs, trucks and thunder. She's also...

3-Year-Old Afraid to go Outside

Posted on 2/14/1992

3-YEAR-OLD'S AFRAID TO GO OUTDOORS Q. My 3-year-old has suddenly developed a fear of going outside. If I try to take her outside to play, go for a walk, or even go down the street to see a...

6-Year-Old Has Fear of School

Posted on 9/20/1991

WHAT CAUSES 6-YEAR-OLD'S FEAR OF SCHOOL? Q. Our 6-year-old daughter has developed a fear of going to school. Last year, with the exception of one or two teary mornings the first week, she...

4-Year-Old Wants Bedside Lamp On at Night

Posted on 8/11/1991

GO AHEAD, LEAVE THE LIGHT ON IF THE CHILD NEEDS IT Q. Our 4-year-old goes to bed easily, but wants us to leave his bedside lamp on until he falls asleep. We've tried making Egbert go to...

4-Year-Old Clingy and Whiny after Parent Separation

Posted on 10/21/1990

PARENTS' SPLIT CREATES A CLINGING, WHINY CHILD Q: My husband and I separated several months ago. Ever since then, our usually outgoing, happy, 4-year-old daughter has been clinging and whiny....

11-Year-Old Having Scary Thoughts

Posted on 5/13/1990

THOSE SCARY THOUGHTS OF PUBERTY ARE MOSTLY MENTAL GROWING PAINS Q: Our 11-year-old daughter recently told me she has been having "scary thoughts" lately, including thoughts of dying, us being...

8-Year-Old Bedtime Fear

Posted on 2/4/1990

CHILD'S FEAR OF MONSTER' AT BEDTIME IS NORMAL Q. Our 8-year-old son will not go up to his room alone after dark because he's certain there's "something" up there that's going to get him....

7-Year-Old Panics When Parents Argue

Posted on 1/1/1989

HEARING PARENTS ARGUE STRIKES FEAR INTO 7-YEAR-OLD Q. Beginning a few months ago, any argument between my husband and me sends our 7-year-old daughter into a panic. When she calms down, she...

5-Year-Old Homework Issue

Posted on 2/21/1988

5-YEAR-OLD FRETS OVER KINDERGARTEN HOMEWORK Q. My daughter's kindergarten teacher recently started assigning homework. It really doesn't amount to much - just to practice forming letters and...

10-Month-Old Separation Anxiety

Posted on 7/26/1987

INFANT IN 1ST STAGE OF SEPARATION ANXIETY Q. I have my 10-month-old son in a Mother's Morning Out program one morning a week. He cries almost the entire four hours unless one of the teachers is...

Parents Looking for Professional Help with Child

Posted on 3/8/1987

PARENTS ASK ABOUT THERAPY FOR CHILD As promised in last week's column, here are some answers to questions asked by parents looking for professional help with a child. Q. What are some signs...

Therapy Should Be Tailored to the Child

Posted on 3/1/1987

THERAPY SHOULD BE TAILORED TO THE CHILD Last fall, I wrote two columns concerning childhood fears. The first dealt with an 8-year-old boy who had developed fears of the dark and being in a...

8-Year-Old with Fear of Dogs

Posted on 1/4/1987

HYPNOSIS MIGHT HELP CHILD OVERCOME FEAR OF DOGS Q. Two summers ago, our daughter, who is now 8, was attacked and mauled by a large dog. Physically speaking, she recovered fully, but has been...

Childhood Fears

Posted on 9/21/1986

PARENTAL CONTROL WILL HELP CHILD OVERCOME FEARS Last week's column concerned a child of 8 who was fearful of (1) going to bed by himself, and (2) being in a room by himself. As a result, he (1)...

8-Year-Old Wants to be Center of Attention

Posted on 9/14/1986

PSYCHOLOGIST SHOULD COUNSEL PARENTS ON CHILD'S PROBLEM Q. Ever since our 8-year-old son was 4, he has always wanted to be the center of attention. He manages, therefore, to disrupt any...

How to Handle School Phobia

Posted on 10/27/1985

HELP WITH HANDLING SCHOOL PHOBIA I've received several letters lately about school phobia. Most have come from parents of early elementary-age children who cry at school in the morning and...

7-Year-Old Girl Feels Left Out

Posted on 9/15/1985

CHILD'S SOCIAL SUCCESS HAS IMPACT UPON SELF-ESTEEM Q. Our 7-year-old is in the second grade in a public school. However, all of the other children her age in our neighborhood attend the...

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