July 22, 2025 Child Mind Institute Series Focuses on Fostering a Child’s Development Children grow up quickly and keeping on top of all the various forms and stages of their development can be challenging for caregivers. The Child Mind Institute has released a list of resources for fostering a child’s development, from play to language skills. Learn More Articles in the series focus on how specific forms of play are integral to a young child’s development and how play can help to develop cognitive, social, emotional, physical, creative, and language skills. The series also features an article on how spending time in nature can help a child to foster creativity, curiosity, and a sense of responsibility. It also includes resources on how to introduce discipline and encourage a child’s growing independence in an age-appropriate way. Here are the Child Mind Institute’s resources on fostering a child’s development: How Young Children’s Play Promotes Healthy Development Why Kids Need to Spend Time in Nature Helping Toddlers with Language Skills How to Discipline Toddlers How to Build Independence in Preschoolers Preschoolers: Tips for Supporting Learning at Home
July 15, 2025 Child Mind Institute Provides Resources for Summer Sensory Processing Issues The Child Mind Institute has compiled a list of resources for sensory processing issues that are exacerbated by summer. Learn More For many children with autism, The Child Mind Institute writes, summer can be a challenging season. Because many of them can be sensitive to light or certain sounds and textures, they might not enjoy things that other children do – such as playing in the sand on the beach or watching July 4th fireworks. The Child Mind Institute has put together some resources that parents can utilize to help children with autism enjoy the season on their own terms. Tips on how to navigate overstimulating summer activities involve planning and letting children know what to expect, whether you’re going on vacation or outside on a hot day, as well as smoothing transitions from one environment to another since unfamiliar sensations can lead children to act out. Rather than avoiding potentially stressful situations, The Child Mind Institute notes that it’s better to prepare for them by carrying comfortable clothing, earplugs, sunglasses, and other items. Showing kids how to deal with unpleasant sensory experiences helps them to recognize their needs and learn to manage situations on their own. Here are The Child Mind Institute’s resources on managing sensory processing issues during the summer: Summer and Sensory Processing Issues Sensory Processing Issues Explained Tips for Going Places with Sensory-Challenged Kids How Can We Help Kids with Transitions? Supporting vs. Enabling Sensory-Friendly Party Ideas
July 7, 2025 Child Mind Institute Shares Resources on Setting Screen Time Rules for Summer As summer temperatures heat up, parents will likely want to encourage their children to spend more time outside and hope that they’ll spend less time thinking about screen time. The Child Mind Institute has put together a list of resources on how to make effective rules for screen time during the summer. Learn More Most parents will want to limit their children’s screen time and, more importantly, not spend much of the summer arguing about it. The Child Mind Institute has shared tips for identifying the tech-related harms that parents will want their children to avoid as well as the activities they’ll want to encourage. It also discusses how to make a practical plan to achieve both objectives. The resources include recommendations on screen use for children who are neurodivergent and strategies to keep children reading over the summer. The Child Mind Institute proposes ways to provide the structure that children with ADHD need to thrive while on summer vacation. Lastly, the resources explore how parents should not be afraid to let their children become bored because there are lessons they can learn from it. Here are The Child Mind Institute’s resources on how to approach screen time for children during the summer: Screen Time and Summer Neurodivergent Kids and Screen Time Summer Success Kit for Kids with ADHD How to Keep Kids Reading Over the Summer Summer Activities for Kids with Learning Disorders The Benefits of Boredom For more information, visit The Child Mind Institute’s website.
June 30, 2025 Child Mind Institute Provides Resources for Getting Children to Do Chores For most children, chores are a burden that they don’t enjoy and, many times, it can be a chore getting them to pitch in around the house. However, chores can help children to build confidence, independence, and a sense of responsibility to others as well as develop practical skills for taking care of themselves when they get older. Learn More The Child Mind Institute has provided some resources that involve effective methods for getting children to do chores without making it feel like a punishment. It notes that making chores routine as early as the preschool years will help them learn to expect them as they grow older. The resources discuss giving step-by-step instructions on what you’d like them to do, noting that young children and older ones with ADHD might need detailed explanations. In the absence of clear instructions, children might get frustrated or even act out. The Child Mind Institute also wrote that it’s important to praise them for their good work as chores can often be thankless tasks. Here are the Child Mind Institute’s resources for assigning chores to children: How Can I Get My Kids to Do Chores? Building Independence in Preschoolers How to Give Effective Instructions Talking to Toddlers How Can I Get My Child with ADHD to Follow Instructions? Increasing Cooperation in Kids with Autism The Power of Positive Attention
June 24, 2025 Child Mind Institute Provides Sleepover and Summer Camp Anxiety Resources Spending the night at a friend’s house or going away to summer camp can be a fun and exciting rite of passage for children and young adults – but it can also involve anxiety. Learn More The Child Mind Institute has released resources regarding sleepover and summer camp anxiety to help parents in easing their children’s minds when they are going to spend the night away from home. Spending the night at a friend’s house or at a sleepover camp can help children to develop independence, but such occasions can be cut short by a stomachache brought on by anxiety. The Child Mind Institute’s resources discuss how to help children develop the courage to spend the night away from home. One article discusses how one bad experience away from home can lead to anxiety about doing so again, while another involves how parents’ anxiety about their children being away can be passed on to their child. Here are The Child Mind Institute’s resources on sleepover and summer camp anxiety: How to Help Kids with Sleepover Anxiety What to Do When a Child Gets Scared of Sleepovers After Getting Sick How to Help Children Manage Fears 13 Tips for Helping Anxious Kids Enjoy Summer Camp How to Avoid Passing Anxiety on to Your Kids Treating Anxiety in Kids by Working with Parents
May 19, 2025 Child Mind Institute Provides Resources on Oppositional Defiant Disorder Oppositional defiant disorder is a condition that is characterized by a frequent pattern of angry or irritable moods and argumentative or defiant behavior that is typically diagnosed in childhood. The disorder can affect a child’s relationships, school performance, and well-being. This month, The Child Mind Institute has shared some resources on how to respond to children whose behavioral issues are extreme and ongoing or who have a pattern of challenging authority figures, purposefully causing harm, or refusing to follow rules. Oppositional Defiant Disorder The resources examine how the disorder develops and how specific responses – parents being permissive to keep the peace or overly emphasizing punishment – can perpetuate a negative cycle. The Child Mind Institute also discusses treatment options for parents – such as training to reset the relationship – as well as medication for severe cases. Another article examines how children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can develop ODD, while another includes information on how anxiety, depression, and difficulty managing emotions can lead to behavior that looks like ODD. There is also information on conduct disorder, a serious disorder that can develop in teenagers if behavior problems go untreated. The Child Mind Institute’s resources include: What Is Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)? ADHD and Behavior Problems How Anxiety Leads to Problem Behavior Depression and Anger How Can We Help Kids with Self-Regulation? What is Conduct Disorder? Choosing a Parent Training Program
May 7, 2025 Child Mind Institute to Host Black Families and Youth Mental Health Discussion The Child Mind Institute will host a virtual panel discussion in May to discuss the findings of a study on mental health support for Black families and youth. Learn More The institute, in partnership with The Steve Fund, recently released findings from its mental health support for Black families study. The comprehensive literature review and nationally representative survey exposes a shift in views toward mental health within the Black community – and highlights significant gaps in access and quality of mental healthcare. The study was made possible by the Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health. During the panel discussion, experts will talk about the findings of the study and how mental health professionals, organizations, and communities can break down barriers and improve the quality of mental health care for Black children and young adults. Topics during the discussion will include: Shifts in views toward mental health Parent vs. young adult response to stigma Barriers to quality care Medication skepticism Intervention and prevention initiatives Continuing medical education credits for psychiatrists and continuing education credits for psychologists and social workers will be available to registered course participants. The event will run from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 14. Registration for the event is currently open.
May 6, 2025 Child Mind Institute: Challenging Behaviors Could Be Signs of a Learning Disorder Children who struggle academically in school might sometimes act out, whether it’s resisting to do their homework, refusing to participate, or being disruptive in class. While some parents or educators might believe these children to be defiant or disinterested, their behaviors could be a sign of undiagnosed learning disorders. Learn More The Child Mind Institute has compiled a list of resources on how to determine whether challenging behavior could be hiding a learning disorder or if children are acting out because they are struggling. The resources cover such topics as how to tell if a child who is acting out needs help with their schoolwork, how tantrums and problem behavior could be masking other issues, which issues could be at the root of math difficulties, and how to find the right professional to work with your child. The resources include: When Problem Behavior Masks a Learning Disability Disruptive Behavior: Why It’s Often Misdiagnosed Why Are Kids Different at Home and at School? How to Spot Dyscalculia Inside an Evaluation for Learning Disorders Learning Specialists at a Glance Help for Kids Struggling with Learning For more resources, visit the Child Mind Institute’s website.
May 5, 2025 The Child Mind Institute’s Spring Luncheon The Child Mind Institute will host its 2025 spring luncheon on Monday, May 12. Now is the last chance to register. Parenting in a Complex World: How Kids and Parents Can Cope During Challenging Times will kick off at 11:30 a.m. with a reception that will be followed by a luncheon and panel discussion at 12:30 p.m. Speakers include award-winning journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer and The Child Mind Institute’s Dr. Adam Zamora. Actress Ali Wentworth will moderate the event. Register now.
April 21, 2025 Child Mind Institute Provides Resources on Child Anxiety’s Physical Symptoms Some children experience anxiety through physical symptoms that are manifested as a result of their angst. The Child Mind Institute has released some resources to tackle stomach aches, headaches, or other symptoms that result from being anxious. Learn More A child might complain of a stomach ache or headache but if a pediatrician rules out an infection or illness, it might mean that they are suffering from anxiety. The Child Mind Institute’s resources discuss how anxiety can be connected to physical symptoms. And it also discusses the various ways to deal with them – for example, it might be a good idea to allow an anxious child to take a mental health day at home, while at the same time this could be a problem if it becomes a habit. The institute’s resources include articles on school refusal – which is when children refuse to go to school due to anxiety issues – and how to test for anxiety. There are tips for combatting anxiety and a piece on behavioral health therapy. Resources in the series include: Anxious Stomachaches and Headaches Kids Who Worry They’re Sick When They’re Not When Kids Refuse to Go to School Tips for Beating Test Anxiety Behavioral Treatment for Kids with Anxiety Should Kids Take Mental Health Days?
