June 15th, 2016
Weekly Chatter
Encouraging Good Character & Solid Values in Children
Arguably, the main goal of parenting is to rear responsible, contributing members of society, adults fully-capable of fending for themselves in the real world. Knowing how to contribute to running a household and understanding appropriate ways for dealing with stress are two skills children should be learning and practicing by the time they are 18. 

Children also need to learn that things will not always turn out as hoped but that they can benefit by learning from the difficulties they face. Resilience, patience, kindness and respect are all character traits that can be fostered in children as early as five years old. 

With skillful parenting, any child can be instilled with these tools for success. Read more for helpful info on teaching children resilience.

For sharing with patients and/or adding to your practice website 
Patient Information Handouts (provided by ACPeds members): 
Teen Depression Update
Family Support, Therapy More Effective Than Drugs
For children and adolescents with major depression, research suggests the harms may outweigh the benefits when it comes to antidepressant use. In 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned against antidepressant use for children after studies found increased suicide risk among young users of the drugs. In one study, children were found to be at double the risk of aggression and suicide with antidepressant use.

On the contrary, cognitive behavioral therapy, or "Talk Therapy" has been shown to be more effective at treating depression in teens than drugs.

In addition, recent research shows that support from family and friends is helpful in preventing depression in teenagers.

These findings suggesting that supportive friends and family environments help enhance children's ability to cope with adverse situations by improving their self-esteem and offering stress-relief, showing just how important it is that children and teenagers have strong support from their family and friends.  

Regardless of how it may seem, teens need and want their parents involved in their lives. For helpful parenting information to share with patients or add to your practice website, view the following: Lead Your Child to Good Health, Connected Parenting
Music and Intelligence #WeeklyBlogPost
Many parents believe that children can get smarter just by listening to Mozart.  However,
research suggests that the link between music and   intelligence has more to do with 
playing music than listening to it. 

For more on music and intelligence research,  click here  and leave a comment. We love to hear from you!

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Don't hesitate to contact us with your questions and comments. We look forward to hearing from you.
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