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While many children are lucky enough to become the best of friends with their siblings, it's common for brothers and sisters to fight – and to swing back and forth between adoring and detesting one other. Often, sibling rivalry starts even before the second youngster is born, and continues as the children grow and compete for everything from toys to attention. As children reach different stages of development, their evolving needs can significantly affect how they relate to one another. It can be frustrating and upsetting to watch and hear your children fight with one another. A household that's full of conflict is stressful for everyone. Yet often it's hard to know how to stop the fighting, and or even whether you should get involved at all. But you can take steps to promote peace in your household and help your children get along. Why Do They Fight? Many different things can cause siblings to fight. Most brothers and sisters experience some degree of j...

What's easier for a typical adolescent to get his hands on: a six-pack of beer or a bunch of prescription drugs?  More adolescents now say it's easier for them to acquire prescription drugs — usually powerful painkillers — than it is to buy beer. Unfortunately, moms and dads are somewhat ignorant about their adolescents' use of drugs. Almost half (46%) of adolescents surveyed say they leave their homes on school nights to hang out with friends — and sometimes use drugs and alcohol. But only 14% of moms and dads say their adolescents leave home to hang out with friends. Adolescents used to say it was easiest to buy cigarettes and marijuana. But for the first time, they say prescription drugs not prescribed to them are easier to get. Their main source of drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin and Ritalin: the medicine cabinet . Another big source of these drugs is their friends. Adolescents tend to think that because the medications are prescribed, they...

The teenage years can be a tumultuous time, and as many moms and dads know, it is also a time when teens begin to flex their mental muscles, testing boundaries, and turning to peers rather than parents for advice. Sometimes emotions and arguments can become so intense that things get out of hand and the teen runs away. Reasons Teens Run Away— It may be hard for a mother or father to understand why adolescent’s runaway, so here are a few reasons that may help you to understand: 1. The adolescent may feel like she has to escape and get away from home to avoid something bad from happening (e.g., maybe you have been fighting a lot and she feels she just can’t go through it again …or she may be afraid you will be mad at her for something she did wrong or rules she disobeyed …or she may feel like you won’t forgive her so she has to leave). 2. An adolescent may be afraid that something bad might happen if she doesn’t leave home (e.g., living with a step-parent that she fig...

There are some  areas where seemingly small transgressions can easily become huge legal problems for a teenager. About 15 percent of all adolescent males get arrested, and 24 percent of all minority adolescent males get arrested. When kids enter the teen years, they will naturally begin to rebel. Some adolescents choose to change their hair color or get a tattoo, but others become more rebellious. This struggle for independence can lead to trouble for the adolescent. This trouble can then lead to an arrest. If this happens with your youngster, follow these steps to learn to deal with the adolescent getting arrested: 1. Be sure your adolescents knows their legal rights. They do not have to talk to a police officer without a lawyer present. They do not have to submit to a search without a warrant. They do not have to answer questions. 2. Determine if your adolescent is alright. Is he in jail? Is he in a safe jail? Some communities have safe jails, other communities h...

Bullies have been around forever, but technology has given them a whole new platform for their actions. As grown-ups, we're becoming more aware that the "sticks and stones" adage no longer holds true; virtual name-calling can have real-world effects on the well being of children and adolescents. It's not always easy to know how and when to step in as a mother or father. For starters, our children tend to use technology differently than we do. Many spend a lot of time on social networking sites, send text messages and instant messages (IMs) by the hundreds, and are likely to roll their eyes at the mention of email — that's "so old-school" to them. Their knowledge and habits can be intimidating, but they still need us as moms and dads. Fortunately, our growing awareness of cyber-bullying has helped us learn a lot more about how to prevent it. Here are some suggestions on what to do if online bullying has become part of your youngster's lif...

Expulsion from school is used to punish children, alert moms and dads, and protect other children and school staff. Unintended consequences of these practices require more attention from health care professionals. Expulsion may exacerbate academic deterioration, and when children are provided with no immediate educational alternative, child alienation, delinquency, crime, and substance abuse may ensue. Social, emotional, and mental health support for children at all times in all schools can decrease the need for expulsion and should be strongly advocated by the health care community. This policy statement, however, highlights aspects of expulsion that jeopardize kid’s health and safety. Recommendations are targeted at doctors, who can help schools address the root causes of behaviors that lead to expulsion and can advocate for alternative disciplinary policies. Doctors can also share responsibility with schools to provide children with health and social resources. Expulsio...

Question My son just turned 14 two days ago, and was diagnosed with Aspergers, ADHD and ODD last November. He is supposed to take medicine twice per day (once at home, once at school) to help him focus and to control anxiety. The problem is that he doesn't take his medicine unless someone reminds him-ever. He and I have tried putting the medicine where he will see it every morning at home …and that has helped some, but at school no one reminds him, so he does not take his medicine there. I have two questions: 1) is it reasonable to expect him to take full responsibility for taking this medicine, and 2) if so, how can I help him to do that? Thank you! Answer Re: 1) Is it reasonable to expect him to take full responsibility for taking this medicine, and 2) if so, how can I help him to do that? Reasonable? Yes. Is it likely he will meet that expectation consistently? Probably not. Plan A— There are now a much larger choice among medications that c...