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....
Read More6-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....
Read More5-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...
Read More4-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...
Read More10-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...
Read More4-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...
Read More18-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...
Read More5-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...
Read More5-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...
Read More2-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...
Read More5-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....
Read More28-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...
Read More3-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...
Read More10-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...
Read More3 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...
Read More16-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...
Read MoreMom 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...
Read More5-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...
Read More10-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...
Read More4-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...
Read More6-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...
Read More3-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...
Read MoreMoms 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...
Read More5-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...
Read More13-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...
Read More3-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...
Read More3-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...
Read More6-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...
Read More4-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...
Read More4-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....
Read More11-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...
Read More8-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....
Read More7-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...
Read More5-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...
Read More10-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...
Read MoreParents 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...
Read MoreTherapy 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...
Read More8-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...
Read MoreChildhood 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)...
Read More8-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...
Read MoreHow 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...
Read More7-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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