 Robert Myers, PhD Psychologist |
 Pamela Myers, BSEd Educator |
 Gail Fernandez, MD Psychiatrist |
 David Paltin, PhD Psychologist |
 Desmond Lew, MD Pediatrician |
 George Tucker, PhD Psychologist |
| Learn more about our panel | |
Video Game Addiction, Obsession, or Habit: How Much is Too Much?
I am often asked some variant of this question, and a few of my recent cases have stimulated me to explore more evidence-based answers to improve the quality of my response. As it turns out, many have written fairly extensively on the subject of how much video gaming is too much. It has been proposed that two to three hours per day of playing the games is now an average amount of time for the average adolescent to play video games or spend time on the computer (APA Task Force, 2008).
There are many reasons for parents to be concerned about their child’s seeming obsession with video games, and the amount of time that their children are playing them. Initial concerns were that the games, which were largely played by adolescent males, stimulated aggressive instincts and increased the likelihood of violence in the, again, largely, male population who played the games. These concerns were fueled and heightened by the massacre at Columbine, Colorado, on April 20, 1999, in which two high school students went on a killing rampage. These two students had reported that they spent a great deal of time playing “Doom,” a gory video game with a great deal of violent and aggressive themes. It was also inferred that the boys had spent a great deal of time watching violent movies–which may inspire another article at a later date.
Food Allergies
More people are getting food allergies. From 1997 to 2007, 18% more children under 18 years were reported of having food allergies. Any food can cause an allergic reaction, but the most common for children are cow’s milk, egg, peanut, soy, wheat, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. Common adult allergens are peanut, tree nuts, fish and shellfish. About 80% of children outgrow milk and egg allergies, but recent studies suggest that children now need more time to outgrow them than in the past. The reason why more people are making antibodies for harmless food proteins is not fully understood. One well-known hypothesis is the hygiene hypothesis: our improved hygiene has taken the burden off our immune systems, which are prepared to fight diseases or parasites, so instead begin to fight off harmless proteins. Since more people are getting food allergies, it’s important to know how to prevent and treat them.
Importance of Family Time on Kids Mental Health and Adjustment to Life
The goal of every parent is to raise a happy and well-adjusted child. There are thousands of books which provide information and advice on raising children successfully. Experts in their respective fields strive to give parents the most up to date information whether it is about health, nutrition, child development, education, or parenting. However, one simple truth is often overlooked: Children from birth to adulthood need time and attention from their parents. Sometimes parents become so anxious to raise a “successful” child that they overlook the importance of spending time interacting personally with their child or children. This does not mean rushing from school to extracurricular activity to supervising homework. Interactive time is that spent with both child and parent fully engaged in an activity together. The importance of this time is multifold:
Teens: Smart Ways of Organizing your Study Time for Maximum Efforts
Many teens, like many adults, don’t understand about time management. They struggle to meet their daily obligations – time with family and friends, homework, extracurricular activities and possibly after-school jobs. They’re looking for smart ways of organizing their study time to get maximum results.
If you’re like most teens who struggle with studying effectively, chances are you have poor study skills. You may waste time instead of use it wisely. You’re also likely to have low or failing grades and are frustrated because you want to do better. Don’t lose hope; you can learn how to organize and maximize the time you study.
How to Prevent a Fire at Home
The very concept of a house fire is scary, and there’s no disputing the fact that devastating house fires do occur. To help prevent this tragedy in your family home, here are some tips.
Outlets In this day and age of electronics, outlets are often used to the utmost. Don’t overload an outlet; if you need to plug in multiple plugs, use a surge-protected power strip, not extension cords. Make sure all cords are in good repair, with no fraying or tears. Remove and replace any cords that are hot.
Candles The romantic glow of a candle adds ambience to a home, but make sure they are not fire hazards. Keep them well away from curtains and furniture, and out of the reach of children and pets. (Cats are especially prone to igniting their fur as they tend to jump on tabletops and into bay windows.) Never light candles and leave the room; you might forget about them and go to bed without snuffing them out.
Mirror, Mirror, in the Brain
Most of the time, when a colleague or co-worker calls me over to watch a video on Youtube, my first thought is to look at the time length of the video so I’ll know how long I’ll spend with a quizzical look on my face. But even I could not escape the hypnotizing cuteness of the “Talking Twin Babies” video. If you haven’t seen it, the clip shows a set of twins facing off babbling and gesturing like two old companions that are so in-tune they could finish each others’ thoughts. The toddlers break through the developmental boundaries of pre-language to share humor, coordinate dance steps, and converse about something that looks extremely funny and interesting to both of them.
The Process of Negotiating the Rules with your Child
We all know as parents that discussing and negotiating the rules with our children is never easy. Children are all very different, and what might need to be a rule for one, may not even be an issue for another. That being said, there are many parameters that we set as parents that are the hard and fast rules – those with no ‘wiggle room.’ Those are the rules set forth to protect our child’s health, safety and well-being. These rules and their consequences should be very clearly defined and it should be understood by all involved that they are there for a very important reason and that they are ‘all or nothing.’
Top Tips for Helping Your Preschooler Make New Friends
Preschoolers may not make friends naturally or easily. Depending on your preschooler’s temperament, making friends may be easy or challenging. Generally speaking, preschoolers do not often form lasting friendships with peers; their friendships tend to be fleeting. Bearing this in mind, you can help your preschooler learn to make new friends with a little help. Here are some tips.
Holiday Traveling Tips
You can’t seem to avoid the holiday traveling if you have a large extended family. There are always get-togethers at Grandma’s or holiday dinners at Uncle Ed’s. Getting to these holiday functions requires smart traveling planning and knowing some good traveling tips can come in handy.
Three Basic Steps to Holiday Stress Reduction
We all love the holidays and want to them to be a truly enjoyable and rewarding experience. As a result, we tend to spend a great deal of time and effort engaging in various activities trying to make the time period extra special. Our desire to have the best holidays possible often delivers a result more ironic than O’Henry’s Gift of the Magi. Instead of enjoying the holiday season, we spend it in stress, worrying about how to make our holidays perfect.
