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May 25, 2026

Thriving Kids Podcast Episode Focuses on the Importance of Self-Care

Caregivers have a great responsibility when it comes to taking care of young children – but they must also take care of themselves.

The latest Thriving Kids podcast episode provides some tips and reminders about parenting and self-care – and how caregivers can’t pour from an empty cup.

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In the podcast, Dave Anderson, the Child Mind Institute’s senior psychologist and vice president of public engagement and education, is joined by Lauren Hughes, MD, IBCLC, a board-certified pediatrician who is known for her evidence-based approach to raising children.

The podcast’s topics of discussion include developmental milestones (when to worry and when not to), sleep training, breastfeeding, and why supporting one’s own mental health matters just as much as supporting a child’s.

Other tips provided regarding parenting and self-care:

Self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate – it can be a quiet walk, a few minutes of meditation, a bath after the children are in bed, or other small moments.
You don’t have to pretend to be OK when you’re not; if you’re struggling, tell someone and let them know how they can help, whether it’s covering a school pickup, watching children for an hour, or just checking in on you.
Find your people – connecting with other parents can help ease the isolation that comes with raising young children.
Your well-being and your child’s well-being are connected. Children look to their parents for cues on how to handle stress. By asking for help and taking care of yourself, you teach children to do the same.
Help is out there: Parenting is hard, especially when you’re not sleeping, getting enough support, or dealing with mental health challenges. Asking for help is a sign of strength – not failure.

News

May 11, 2026

Orlando Bloom Featured on Thriving Kids Podcast on ADHD and Learning Disabilities

The latest Thriving Kids podcast explores how caregivers might view the future for children struggling with a learning disorder or ADHD. It includes the insight of a well-known actor who once struggled with such a situation.

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Dave Anderson, a senior psychologist and vice president of public engagement and education for the Child Mind Institute, joins actor Orlando Bloom on this week’s podcast to discuss the topic.

On the podcast, Bloom discusses growing up with dyslexia, including the challenges he faced paying attention and concentrating in school. He also talks about how he developed workarounds before many of today’s evidence-based supports existed.

The podcast discussion also focuses on how movement, mindfulness, good nutrition, and sleep can help children and adults manage attention and learning challenges.

To accompany the podcast, the Child Mind Institute provided several tips on how to support children with ADHD or learning disorders:

Get them moving – Research shows that even 30 minutes of physical activity a day can help children with ADHD focus better, whether it’s a run before school or a game of tag during recess.
Find their area of excellence – Every child has something they are good at and finding an activity that gives them a sense of mastery can improve their confidence and self-esteem.
Cover the basics first – Emphasize sleep, nutrition, and movement. If children aren’t sleeping well, getting regular exercise, or eating properly, it’s harder for them to focus and regulate emotions at school.
Try mindfulness – Mindfulness practices can help children become less reactive and more focused; even a few minutes a day of paying attention to breathing helps to build a skill they can use for the rest of their lives.
Help them understand their diagnosis – Children do better when they know that a learning difference isn’t a reflection of their intelligence. Help them to understand how their brain works and give them language to talk about their strengths and challenges.

To learn more, listen to the Thriving Kids podcast.

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Child Mind Institute Resources Combat Feelings of Self-Hatred in Children

A child might occasionally say “I hate myself” when they have made a mistake or are struggling with or embarrassed by something. Caregivers might often write this off as an overreaction, but sometimes children actually mean it.

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The Child Mind Institute has shared some resources on how to combat patterns described by experts as self-hatred or self-loathing. This is a belief by children that they are flawed and fundamentally unworthy of love.

The feeling is not merely a response to something specific they did or a particular failure, but rather something they believe they are.

According to the Child Mind Institute, highly sensitive children can come to loathe themselves, believing that they are unlovable. Self-hatred is not a diagnosis, but instead a painful experience that can put children at high risk for suicide.

The institute’s resources examine how reassuring a child that they are valued and loved may not help them believe it and the kinds of treatment that can help them build a more positive view of themselves.

The resources also cover ways to help children who may not have developed full-blown self-hatred, but are easily upset by criticism or susceptible to negative-thinking traps. There are also resources that cover strategies for helping children to build self-confidence to enable them to rebound in a healthy way when they experience failure.

The resources include:

News

April 21, 2026

Child Mind Institute Provides Resources for Children with Autism and ADHD

Recently, the term auDHD has been coined to describe people who have both autism and ADHD, a combination that is common, according to The Child Mind Institute.

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While auDHD is not an official diagnosis, it is meant to draw attention to the effect of having both disorders because some symptoms overlap in challenging ways.

Both ADHD and autism can result in children having trouble paying attention to things they don’t find interesting, struggling in social situations, and being prone to emotional outbursts. Occasionally, having both disorders can compound the issues, while at other times children might feel as if they are being pulled in two different directions.

The Child Mind Institute has provided resources for caregivers of children who have both disorders. One article on auDHD explores the experiences of children with dual diagnoses and how treatment is affected by them. Another explains what a careful evaluation for autism should look like and how noticing ADHD first can delay an autism diagnosis.

The institute examines the challenges that can arise for autistic children during puberty in one article, while another focuses on the case for making a separate diagnosis for profound autism. There are also resources on how children who are not hyperactive might still have ADHD and on neurodiversity, which discusses how children with autism, ADHD, or auDHD each have strengths as well as challenges.

Below are The Child Mind Institute’s resources.

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April 13, 2026

Child Mind Institute Resources Focus on Executive Function Issues in Children

Executive functions are mental skills such as organization, problem-solving, and planning that we use daily.

However, some children struggle with them, which can result in their having trouble keeping track of their schoolwork or items (such as bags or jackets), remembering assignments, or following directions.

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In a series of new resources, the Child Mind Institute notes that it is important to investigate the root cause of why some children can become distracted or disorganized.

Executive function issues are most common in children with ADHD, the Child Mind Institute notes, but children without that diagnosis can have them as well.

The institute offers support for children who struggle with staying organized in school and those who need help with working memory – or, keeping track of the information they need to finish a project or solve problems.

The institute’s resources explore whether a child’s disorganized behavior could indicate other underlying issues, such as anxiety, depression, or a learning disorder.

Strategies for staying organized can’t address an undiagnosed learning disorder or help children who have experienced trauma. These children may appear forgetful or distracted, but may need different types of support, such as a neuropsychological examination.

The Child Mind Institute’s resources include:

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Thriving Kids Episode Focuses on Building Stronger Relationships with Children

To build a stronger relationship with a child, caregivers should slow down and reflect on their own history and motivations as a caregiver.

The latest Thriving Kids podcast episode suggests that doing so can often yield better results than giving in to the temptation of jumping straight into skills and communication strategies.

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In the latest Thriving Kids, Dave Anderson, PhD, senior psychologist and vice president of public engagement and education at the Child Mind Institute, discussed the topic of building stronger bonds with children with Ruben Parra-Cardona, PhD, a family therapist and the Roger and Carol Nooe-endowed chair and professor in the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee.

The discussion focuses on the ethics of raising another person, why encouragement can be harder to give than one might think, and how the process of learning to parent differently can also be a process of personal healing. Another topic is the balance of nurturing a child and holding them accountable.

Some of Thriving Kids’ tips for building a stronger relationship between caregivers and children include:

Be a good listener; often, children just want a caregiver who will give them undivided attention.
Make family time fun and make activities such as game nights, movies, or other activities routine.
Talk openly and honestly, but also set boundaries, so that children will feel safe and supported, all the while learning how to make responsible choices.
Respectfully agree to disagree. Acknowledge a child’s thoughts and feelings, even when you don’t agree. Showing respect for their opinions helps to build trust.

The Thriving Kids episode is available on the Child Mind Institute’s website.

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April 7, 2026

Child Mind Institute Resources Focus on Difference Between Bipolar Disorder and BPD in Youths

Bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder (BPD) can often be confused with each other. Both typically develop in adolescence, involve intense emotions and dramatic mood swings, and can lead to dangerous behavior.

Sometimes, teenagers might be misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder – which is more widely understood – when they might in fact be struggling with BPD.

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The Child Mind Institute has shared some resources about the key differences between BPD and bipolar disorder. For example, episodes of mania or depression last weeks or months with bipolar disorder and can arise without a clear trigger.

In BPD, emotional shifts are rapid and reactive, with moods lasting only minutes or hours and typically triggered by interpersonal stress, rejection, or disappointment.

The Child Mind Institute’s resources explain how to recognize the earliest signs of both disorders in teenagers and why it’s important to catch them as soon as possible. Treatment for the two disorders are very different, and the longer they go untreated or misdiagnosed, the more disruptive they can be to a person’s life.

The resources include:

News

March 24, 2026

Resources to Help Children with ADHD or Sleep Issues

Despite caregivers’ best efforts, most children do not get enough sleep, whether it’s because they are energized and do not want to go to sleep or they’re overwhelmed by homework.

But for children with ADHD, the Child Mind Institute notes, these struggles can be compounded with the fact that difficulty falling or staying asleep or waking up early are all common issues, and sleep problems can be a side effect of taking ADHD stimulant medication.

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The Child Mind Institute has shared resources regarding sleep issues for children with ADHD and what can be done to help them.

One article discusses how being able to wind down at night is a form of self-regulation and that children with ADHD have trouble stopping an activity they find stimulating – whether it’s reading or doing something online.

Another piece focuses on how caregivers can help children develop better routines to get to bed on time, such as providing support to help them set limits for themselves. If a child feels anxious about being able to fall asleep, the institute has provided tips on how to help them relax.

Occasionally, lack of sleep can cause children to have trouble focusing at school, according to one Child Mind Institute resource, and even lead to an ADHD misdiagnosis.

Below are the resources shared by the Child Mind Institute.

News

March 9, 2026

How to Prepare and Register Children for Summer Camp

With the ongoing snow and frigid temperatures, summer might still seem far away – but those looking to place children in summer camps should begin thinking about where to find spots for them.

Allegheny County Search Tool

Caregivers can find available spots for children at Allegheny County early learning, after school, summer camp, and virtual programs on Allegheny Child Care for Families’ website. The website – a collaboration between Trying Together and APOST – enables caregivers to explore programs based on location or children’s age and also includes virtual programs.

Providers regularly update information regarding available spots and whether they are accepting new families. As summer camp signup season approaches, providers should remember to update their profiles on the website. Caregivers can also create an account to save a list of their favorite child care providers.

How to Prepare Your Child for Summer Camp

While going away to summer camp can be exciting and provide a sense of independence for some children and young adults, it can also create anxiety for others.

The Child Mind Institute put together a list of resources regarding summer camp anxiety to help caregivers in easing children’s minds for when they will spend the night away from home.

In one article, the institute lists a variety of ways that caregivers can help children to overcome pre-camp anxiety – including letting them feel a sense of ownership over the experience, not trivializing their concerns or offering glib reassurances, reflecting on your own formative experiences away from home and sharing positive aspects, and not lingering at the bus stop or drop-off point.

In an article from New York Presbyterian on a similar topic, suggestions to help children get the most out of their summer camp experience include not promising to pick up a child as soon as they get homesick, doing a dry run by visiting the camp ahead of time, sending along a favorite stuffed animal, or suggesting they talk to a camp counselor about any challenges they have.

Allegheny County Summer Camp Options

In February, Kidsburgh released its annual list of local summer camps for children of all ages and interests. This year, among the 75 camps listed were:

August Wilson African American Cultural Center’s Hip Hop Camp
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
Pittsburgh Musical Theater Conservatory
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium
Shady Side Academy
Jewish Community Center
National Aviary
Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History
Pittsburgh Public Theater Summer Camps

In the Kidsburgh article, each summer camp listing is accompanied by information on the program and registration.

Programs listed in Allegheny Child Care for Families’ database include the Homewood-Brushton YMCA, Venture Outdoors, Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania, and the Sarah Heinz House Association, among others.

Summer Camp Options in Other Counties

There are a variety of options for summer camps in other nearby western Pennsylvania counties. These include:

Armstrong County

Beaver County

Butler County

Fayette County

Greene County

Indiana County

Lawrence County

Washington County

Westmoreland County