Children’s Mental Health Blog
Explore recent articles from Little Otter’s child and family mental health and wellness experts.
Does My Grandson Have Aggressive Tantrums Because He Witnessed Abuse?
One grandparent wrote in wondering if their grandson’s aggressive tantrums could be a result of seeing his mother being abused. Here’s advice from our team of child mental health experts.
Our Eldest Son Has Meltdowns After I Get Home From Work. What Can We Do?
One dad asked us, “My 6-year-old son has meltdowns after I get home from work. He behaves differently with me than with mom. What can we do?” Here’s our advice.
How Can I Help My 5-Year-Old Son Understand His Emotions and Manage What Appears to Be an Anxious Tic?
“I have two possibly related questions. My 5-year-old son says he’s sad but doesn’t know why. He also seems to have developed an anxious tic. Do you have any advice?”
My Son Has a Speech Delay and Expresses His Frustration By Biting. How Can I Respond to This Behavior?
“My son has a speech delay. He does know some words, but bites and hits me when he’s angry, is told ‘no,’ or is asked to wait for something. Do you have advice for how to respond to this behavior?”
How Can I Talk to My 3-Year-Old Son About His Absent Father, While Maintaining Space for Them to Have a Relationship?
“How can I talk to my 3-year-old son about his father abandoning us, while maintaining space for them to have a relationship?”
My 6-Year-Old Son Says Negative Things about Himself. Is He Depressed?
“My 6-year-old son is sensitive and says negative things about himself. I’m worried that he is depressed, and I need some advice. Can you help?”
I Think My Daughter Says “I’m Scared” When She Means “I Don’t Want To.” How Can I Handle This While Respecting Her Feelings?
“How do I know for sure if my daughter is scared, and how should I handle it without invalidating her feelings? I feel she uses it as an excuse when she doesn’t want to do something. I don’t know the best way to handle this, please help!”
How Can I Help My 6-Year-Old Daughter Deal with Her Intense Fears and the Outbursts They Trigger?
“My 6-year-old has recently started having huge fears of riding in the car once it gets dark. Leading up to this fear were other fears. What can I do to help her navigate them?”
Does My Child’s Love of Electronics and Sugar Signal Potential Addictive Behavior or ADHD Risk?
“I’m wondering if I should worry about addiction to electronics and the meltdowns that happen because of it. I’m also noticing what appears to be addictive behavior related to treats and sugar, and wondering if we should be thinking about a possible ADHD early intervention. Any advice?”
My 2-Year-Old Daughter Has Extreme Sleep Tantrums. Any Advice?
“My 2-year-old daughter has extreme sleep tantrums. Any advice?”