Child Mind Institute Archives

News

September 14, 2026

Thriving Kids Podcast Episode Focuses on How Boredom Can Help Children Grow

When caregivers hear children say they are bored, their immediate reaction might be to help them fill the void by finding them something to do.

But the restless feeling of having nothing to do isn’t a problem that needs to be fixed, according to the latest Thriving Kids podcast episode, but rather a means by which many valuable skills that involve critical thinking, self-direction, and independence get built.

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In the Thriving Kids episode, Dave Anderson, PhD, senior psychologist and vice president of public engagement and education for the Child Mind Institute, joins Aliza Pressman, PhD, a developmental psychologist, associate clinical professor at the Icahn School of Medicine and Mount Sinai, co-founding director of The Mount Sinai Parenting Center, and host of the “Raising Good Humans” podcast, to discuss why boredom is important for children’s growth.

The podcast’s discussion touches on gentle parenting, including common misconceptions about the term and the benefits of an evidence-based approach called authoritative parenting. It also focuses on ways to manage screen time and the quiet value of boredom.

Suggested Strategies

When children learn to sit with unstructured time, this is a skill – not a sign that something is wrong. Some of the expert-backed strategies to help children work through the discomfort of being bored include:

Build the boredom menu before the boredom hits: During a calm moment, sit down with your child and make a list of things they like to do, mixing your ideas with theirs. Keep it varied and low-effort. For younger children, a picture chart might work better.
Point them to the menu: When the complaint arrives, steer them back to their own menu. You can give them a choice between items on the menu, but the goal is for them to decide, not you.
Notice when “I’m bored” actually means “notice me”: If a child rejects every option you offer, boredom might not be the real issue: They could be angling for your attention. Rather than getting pulled into a negotiation over activities, give them a short window to make a decision and let them know that if they don’t, you’ll choose for them.
Let the project flop: Half the value of an open afternoon is the thing that doesn’t work. Rather than smoothing it over, ask what worked, what didn’t, and what they’d try next time. This is how boredom builds frustration tolerance and the willingness to try again.
Change your own script: For caregivers, “I’m bored” often translates as a request for rescue, and anxiety can lead them to fill the gap with a screen or one more scheduled activity. Instead, treat it as an opening: Tell children, “I can’t wait to see what you come up with.” When boredom stops coming across as an emergency to a caregiver, it stops seeming like one to a child.

To learn more, listen to the latest Thriving Kids podcast episode.

News

September 8, 2026

Child Mind Institute Resources Help Caregivers to Address Children’s Back-to-School Worries

Going back to school in the fall can be an exciting time for children – but it can also be a stressful one. The Child Mind Institute has put together some resources on how caregivers can talk to children about their back-to-school worries.

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As a caregiver, it is tempting to focus on positive aspects of the back-to-school experience, but glossing over a child’s worries can be a missed opportunity to help them share their concerns and prepare to deal with them.

The Child Mind Institute notes that while it is important to emphasize good things about starting school, caregivers should also take children’s worries seriously. This could involve bolstering the confidence of a child with a learning disorder while recognizing that their challenges can make school frustrating.

Caregivers should help children to have strategies in place for dealing with common stressors such as homework or test-taking before they get overwhelmed. The institute provides tips for children going back to school with ADHD and sensory processing issues and teens who are socially anxious.

The Child Mind Institute’s resources include:

News

September 7, 2026

Thriving Kids Podcast Episode Focuses on Helping Neurodivergent Children to Make Friends

A new Thriving Kids podcast episode focuses on how to help neurodivergent children to build real friendships.

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In the episode, Dave Anderson, PhD, the Child Mind Institute’s senior psychologist and vice president of public engagement and education, speaks with Caroline Maguire, MEd, PCC, an ADHD and executive function coach and author of “Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults,” on the topic.

Many children with ADHD, autism, or a learning disorder often think that to make friends, they must “mask” who they actually are. So, they study others, try to blend in, and hope it works. In the process, they conceal fidgeting, agree with opinions they don’t hold, or over-apologize for awkward moments. But, Maguire said, children who work hardest to hide their true selves are often lonely.

Maguire noted that this kind of masking doesn’t build authentic friendships. Instead, true connection comes from shared interests, a shared sense of humor, or shared experiences. Finding common ground is extremely difficult when a child buries the real version of themselves, she added.

If a child struggles to make or keep friends, Thriving Kids has provided a few ideas that caregivers can put to work:

Start with who they are, not who they are supposed to be: Children who feel they have to hide their real selves tend to feel shame, which makes connection harder. Let the child know the goal isn’t to become someone else – it is to find people who click with them as they already are.
Let their interests do the introducing: Shared interests are the fastest way to find your people. Look for structured, interest-based activities where a passion is the price of admission, whether it’s a robotics club, theater group, Dungeons & Dragons table, a sport, or an art class.
Treat social situations as training, not a test: Children don’t need to get it perfect – they need practice. Rehearsing tricky moments ahead of time (walking up to a group, starting a conversation, knowing how to say “no”), role play them at home, and try short “social scripts” for common exchanges. When something doesn’t work, do a calm post mortem together on what happened, which part was hard, and what to do next time.
Right-size the friendship before your child does: Many neurodivergent children get so excited about a promising connection that they instantly crown a new acquaintance their “best friend,” and then are crushed when the feeling isn’t returned with the same intensity. Gently teach them that there are stages to getting to know someone as well as different kinds of connections – f.e., the people you say hello to, acquaintances, new friends, and the rare close friend.
Honor introverted and anxious children: Being introverted isn’t a problem to fix. Quiet children make wonderful, loyal friends. Make sure they still get chances to connect on their own terms. Try hosting the first hangout at home where they are most comfortable and nudge them to stretch just a little past what feels easy, rather than all the way to the deep end.

To learn more, listen to the latest Thriving Kids podcast episode.

News

August 25, 2026

Child Mind Institute Provides Tips for Students Starting Elementary, Middle, or High School

Although the sun is still shining and families are still taking vacations, the return to school is not far off.

This can lead to a combination of excitement and nervousness. For some, a new school year means a different teacher and classroom, but for others it could be a new school and higher expectations.

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The Child Mind Institute has put together some resources and suggested some strategies for a successful return to school. Some resources explore what children in transition years can expect, what skills they will need to develop, and how caregivers can support those who may be anxious.

One article discusses how kindergartners need to build independence and stamina for longer days and more structured learning activities, while middle schoolers will be changing classes for the first time and dealing with a heavier workload.

And high school freshmen will face pressure to effectively manage their time and develop productive study habits. Children of all ages will face social and emotional challenges and new opportunities as they navigate larger groups and more complex interactions.

The Child Mind Institute’s resources include:

News

August 18, 2026

Thriving Kids Podcast Provides Tips on How to “Future Proof” Children

While no caregiver can know what their children will face in the years to come, that uncertainty doesn’t prevent them from doing what they can to prepare them for the future.

In a new episode of the Thriving Kids podcast, Dave Anderson, PhD, senior psychologist and vice president of public engagement and education for the Child Mind Institute, discusses the concept of “future proofing” children with Lisa Damour, PhD, a psychologist and best-selling author.

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The list of things that Anderson and Damour discuss that caregivers can do to support their children in the long run includes protecting sleep, prioritizing family meals, encouraging meaningful hobbies, and practicing flexible thinking and emotional durability.

The podcast provides several tips on building sustainable habits and fostering curiosity and resilience, including:

Protect your child’s sleep like it’s nonnegotiable: Set a consistent bedtime and stick to it. Build in screen-time before bed, so children are already winding down. Keep the bedroom cool, dark, and free of distractions such as glowing screens or exciting toys. Try to reserve the bed for sleep only, so it doesn’t become a place where homework or scrolling happens.
Build in regular, low-key time together: Aim to eat together regularly – it doesn’t have to be dinner and it doesn’t have to be every night. Keep phones and screens off during designated family time, even if you aren’t having a big talk.
Support pursuing hobbies for fun: Encourage children to try new things simply because they are curious, not because it will look good on a resume. Help them to find something that’s genuinely theirs. Celebrate their effort and progress – and not just the end result – to help build their confidence and take on bigger challenges.
Model adaptability and resist the urge to prevent every hiccup: Help children understand how to adapt to change by showing them what to do. It’s OK to get frustrated when plans fall through, but show how you’re going to adjust so children have a template. When children are faced with a problem, resist the urge to overprotect or overdirect – let them navigate small setbacks on their own first.

To learn more, listen to the latest Thriving Kids podcast episode.

News

August 11, 2026

Child Mind Institute Resources Focus on Negative Impacts of ‘Looksmaxxing’

A trend known as “looksmaxxing” has drawn attention due to influencers who have utilized the extreme grooming, fitness, and occasionally extreme cosmetic practices associated with the subculture.

In a new set of resources, the Child Mind Institute discusses why such extreme self-improvement routines can have a negative impact on boys’ self-esteem and mental health.

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“Looksmaxxing” has become a trend due to the practices of popular online influencers, who have used extreme measures such as “bone smashing” to try to alter their facial structure. There has also been a rise in social media content that encourages teenage boys to engage in self-improvement routines to meet a narrow and exacting standard of attractiveness.

The trend, which has been around for nearly a decade and stems from the belief that women choose romantic partners based on physical traits alone, can be especially damaging to young boys during puberty.

The Child Mind Institute’s resources examine how “looksmaxxing” affects boys and how to help teens navigate current beauty standards. Clinicians have raised concerns that the trend can exacerbate certain mental health disorders – such as body dysmorphic disorder – in teenagers.

The resources also include information on how social media use can lead to self-doubt in teens and how to monitor what they are doing online, while also respecting their independence. There is also a piece on the challenges of early adolescence and how to help boys build confidence during that time.

The Child Mind Institute’s resources include:

News

August 3, 2026

Child Mind Institute Resources Focus on How to Calm Squabbling Siblings

Siblings can often be each other’s best friend, but a lot of time spent together over the summer can occasionally feel like too much. Squabbling can then become commonplace during long car rides or activities in which siblings are spending too much time together.

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The Child Mind Institute has put together a series of resources on what to do when siblings won’t stop fighting. The first step is to figure out if there is a pattern to the arguments, and then to set ground rules to help avoid conflict.

If one child keeps running to an adult to tattle, they should establish rules on when to tell an adult and when to resolve things on their own. Noticing when children are getting along and praising them for it helps to reinforce the desired behavior.

There are also tips for when there’s a new baby on the way or if a sibling has a mental health challenge. When a child is struggling, a sibling might often be the first to notice and can sound the alarm so that their brother or sister can get help.

Below are the Child Mind Institute’s resources:

News

July 22, 2026

Child Mind Institute Resources Focus on Inspiring Children to Read for Fun in the Summer

One of the summer’s challenges for caregivers is making sure that children do not lose some of the skills they have gained over the past year. A critical way to ensure this is to find ways to make reading more appealing for those who aren’t naturally inclined to pick up a book.

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The Child Mind Institute’s latest series of resources focuses on how to prevent the summer slide and encourage children to read for fun during their break.

One of the options explored in the resources are reading a chapter book to a child to share a story they are not yet ready to tackle themselves.

The institute has provided a list of nearly 100 children’s books about mental health as well as a piece on strategies to help children with learning disorders or ADHD with reading.

The Child Mind Institute’s resources include:

News

July 20, 2026

Child Mind Institute Resources Provide Advice in Handling “Failure to Launch” Syndrome

In our currently expensive age, it’s common for young adults – especially recent college graduates – to live at home with their parents or caregivers.

Some may be looking for a job, while others might have one that doesn’t pay enough to enable them to live on their own yet. But some adult children live at home for a longer period without going to school, working, or looking for work.

The Child Mind Institute has released a set of resources for caregivers with highly-dependent adult children – known as “failure to launch syndrome” – that describes what can be done for children who are not moving forward.

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The series includes an article on what constitutes highly-dependent adult children as well as the difference between supporting children facing mental health challenges and enabling their dependence.

Another piece examines research that has found that carefully pulling back on accommodations, using principles from a treatment that has been effective in children with anxiety or OCD, can encourage highly-dependent adult children to take steps forward.

Mental health struggles can be a contributing factor to these scenarios, so the Child Mind Institute has included an article on signs that adolescents have anxiety or depression. There is also advice on how to help children develop the confidence they need to do hard things, which is an essential part of the growth process.

Below are the Child Mind Institute’s resources:

News

July 8, 2026

Child Mind Institute Resources Focus on Children’s Summer Anxieties

For many children, summer is a relaxing time during which they can take a break from homework or getting up early in the morning – but the season can also bring its own stressors.

The Child Mind Institute has released some resources on some of the things that stress children during the summer, whether it’s summer camp, unpredictable schedules, or travel.

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Changes in routine can cause worry about the unknown, especially for children who struggle with mental health challenges such as ADHD or anxiety.

The Child Mind Institute’s resources include a discussion on how to support children who might be feeling anxious about summer activities. They feature some suggestions for children who are nervous about camp, whether it’s apprehension about meeting new people or fear of being separated from their caregivers for longer than they’re used to.

The resources also include a piece in which experts weigh in on how to make travel easier for children with mental health challenges and how to support children who are easily upset by sensor surprises, such as hot sand or loud firecrackers.

Lastly, the resources include an article on how to manage boredom and use it to help children develop independence.

The Child Mind Institute’s resources include: