Who Would Win?
The Cox family of 5 lives in Hoover, Alabama, a suburb just south of Birmingham. My 2nd and 6th graders attend Hoover City schools. In […]
Read MoreTag Archives: Parenting
5 Tips for Managing the Morning Rush
Au revoir, summer. Hello, new school year. It’s back to the grind for many parents and their children. If your family is anything like mind, […]
Read More3 Tips For When Your Child Worries
Honestly, these last 2 weeks have been pretty tough for the Cox family of five. Between my husband hosting the 2017 – 2018 NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championship at Birmingham Southern College, my son’s weekly baseball practices and games, the daily grind of work and school, and threats of severe weather, we have been stretched thin. On top of that, there have now been 3 school shootings as of this writing – Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, Huffman High School In Birmingham, AL on March 7, AL, and Great Mills High School in Great Hills, Maryland on March 20. Each shooting, tragic, and occurring within weeks of the other, my own anxiety escalated. But, this time my oldest was deeply impacted.
Read MoreThe Scoop on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
School shootings. Bullying. Sexual assaults. Hurricanes. Flooding. Tornadoes. Car accidents. Fires. Physical and sexual abuse. Exposure to violence. These days, the traumas that our children face seem endless. Exposure to traumatic events such as these can lead to the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.
Read MoreThe Scoop on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 68 children has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism is almost 4.5 times more common among boys (1 in 42) than girls (1 in 189). This neurodevelopmental disorder typically appears in children before the age of 3. While there is no cure for Autism, children make significant gains socially, emotionally, and cognitively through early intervention programs and treatment that targets some of the core symptoms of the disease.
Read MoreThe Scoop on ODD
Typically first diagnosed in elementary-aged youth, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, or ODD, is a psychiatric condition characterized by a chronic pattern of disruptive behavior. Estimates suggest that anywhere from 6 – 10% of children have ODD. Core features include negativity, anger and hostility, verbal aggression, and behavioral outbursts. While all children periodically display developmentally appropriate oppositional behavior and test limits, those with ODD have frequent anger outbursts and repeatedly refuse to comply with rules and instructions.
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