This is unquestionably one of the most important issues you as a parent will navigate while your children are growing up. While a lot of the information I’m about to share is sobering (and I won’t sugarcoat the realities of what your kids are facing), you better believe I am going to encourage you because the biggest influence on your child’s mental health is YOU.
In an age of rising depression and anxiety in teens, the last thing they need is to be told that their problems can be resolved by becoming the opposite sex.
Expert Erica Komisar shares how to avoid overmedicating our children for ADHD, anxiety, and depression in this society full of medical “solutions”.
Substance abuse and mental health issues go hand-in-hand. If your teen is struggling with one, she is likely struggling with the other.
Use Mental Health Awareness month to become aware of your child’s mental health. It has likely suffered during Covid.
Mother’s Day triggers complicated emotions for many of us. This is why I started celebrating it in a different way.
You can’t “snap out of” postpartum depression. This is a life-threatening illness that must be treated accordingly.
From puberty to identity-forming and finding a place in our ever-changing world, adolescence is traumatic even under healthy circumstances.
Isolation may affect kids even more than adults, causing depression and mental health issues.
Having experienced the loss of their own son, Drs. David and Donna Lane, a husband-wife counseling duo, share tips to provide support for those who are grieving.
Returning to “normal” after Covid can cause a lot of anxiety for parents. Here’s how to cope.
With COVID-19, the holidays look a little different this year. Many of us are grieving our gatherings, but there is hope even when the holidays hurt.
One of the best things you can do to fight off depression and anxiety is to practice gratitude. Try this 14-day gratitude challenge with the whole family!
Dr. Meg offers 4 mental health remedies to reduce anxiety and overwhelm amid pandemic parenting.
Suicide is the second-highest cause of death among ages 10 to 24 — take it seriously. Dr. Meg shares the warning signs all parents should look out for.
When you’re a parent, a loss feels harder because you have to grieve personally and then figure out how to help your kids when you are hurting.
Stress management during this time is very important. Use this month to take inventory of your stress level and how you’re managing this transition.
If you’re a parent of a daughter, you are probably aware of the alarming statistics that show growing anxiety in teen girls.
The holiday season can difficult. While the holidays are joyful, if you’re grieving a loss, the holidays can hurt. You can feel hope along with your pain.
Dr. Meg shares how to navigate treatment for your ADHD child, and when a medical reassessment is necessary.
The statistics are nuts, social media is causing serious mental illness in teens. Here are clinically approved recommendations to limit screen time.
Here are five things everyone must understand about mental health, whether you are suffering yourself or know someone who is:
If you’re unsure what postpartum depression is, if you’re wondering if you have it or if a friend of yours does, here is what you need to know.
At a time when anxiety and depression in kids are on the rise and too many kids commit suicide, parents must be on the lookout. Here are guidelines to help.
In this quick post, Dr. Meg responds to a concerned mother about her 10-year-old daughter and offers advice on how to treat various symptoms.
For World Mental Health Day, Dr. Meg goes over some of the early depression signs in children and for new parents.
Letting your kids out into the big, scary world is daunting for any parent. Here are the highlights you should know before you set your daughter free.
After Bereaved Parents Awareness Month, I wanted to send a hopeful message. Here are some motivational and hopeful words for grieving parents.
Your child’s feelings are real, and how they deal with them has a lasting impact. Try these three tips to model and teach emotional intelligence.
When depression looks like normal teenage behavior, it can be easy to ignore. But depression poses a real risk to your child’s life; now let’s step up.
Childbirth can affect mothers in negative (but normal) ways. Supporting partners with postpartum depression requires patience and a professional.
Every parent wants their children to trust them with their secret struggles. But what’s most important is ensuring their safety, at all costs.
Trauma is a sad reality in our world, but it doesn’t have to control us. Here’s the secret to supporting loved ones who have experienced abuse.
Bullying is an epidemic but not a hopeless one. Your child is counting on you to be their advocate. Use these resources for support.
A child that is promiscuous is crying for help. Parents, you need to answer this plea before your child further hurts her character and body. Here’s how.
Depression in teens is very common, but it can’t be ignored. Dr. Meg Meeker offers actionable tips to a distressed mother whose daughter is struggling.
The death of Robin Williams and many others to suicide is a powerful reminder that the early warning signs of depression must be taken seriously.
Help. I’m afraid my husband is harming my children with his cruel words.
It’s time we stop letting bad things happen to us. This week Dr. Meg challenges you to say NO to something you don’t deserve.
Making big life changes can be scary, but they can also be rewarding. Here’s Dr. Meg’s input on an abusive ex.
It’s easy to pin yourself as the bad guy. In this quickie, Dr. Meg will walk through pointing the finger at the world, not yourself.
Noticing and understanding your teenager’s behavior is important. Here’s how to recognize the signs of early depression in your child.
You and I possess the power to change our moods and perspective. How? By changing the way we speak.
“Recently, my sister, her husband and their 2 young teenage children moved closer to my parents’ home. (They used to live out of state.)”
Most mothers (and fathers) struggle with a sense that they’re not getting things right when it comes to parenting. But we don’t stop there.
We are never, ever too old to heal from the pain our own parents caused. Dr. Meg comforts a concerned brother.
No matter our troubles in life, we all deserve love, kindness, and forgiveness. Most importantly, you deserve to forgive YOURSELF.
Dr. Meg helps a teenager in a mental health crisis in this edition of a family makeover. Parents, here’s how to cutting and depression in a young teen.
God is with us in even the darkest moments of despair— He will never forsake us, for this very important reason.
Dr. Meg offers five tips to a survivor of sexual assault so she can heal from her trauma and live a life of fulfillment and joy.
Parents of divorce, it’s never too late to rekindle the relationship with your children. Divorce is tough on kids, but life after divorce is possible.
Grandparents, you have more power over your children than you think. This is what you need to do to protect your family.
If I can teach you one thing, it’s this: never, ever give up on yourself. Dr. Meg consoles a very lost woman on her road to recovery.
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
As a doctor, I can probe, culture, prescribe antibiotics, and aggressively treat and track contagious STDs. But depression is different.
The Mendability Sensory Enrichment program was co-founded by Eyal Aranoff, whose own daughter was diagnosed with autism.
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Many of you dads feel estranged, intimidated and lost when it comes to your kids. I have good news for you: it’s never too late to make amends with your kids.
I was compelled to write because, as I told her many times over the past ten years, she was my hero. Here’s why.
ADHD can provide a daunting situation, but remember that you are in charge. You can give medication or not, depending on your comfort level.
I wanted to give a quick follow-up to last week’s post about the cause of autism. Many of you responded here and on Facebook with comments and questions.
A new study published online in Pediatrics, a journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, suggests that we may be closer to finding the real cause of autism:
Thanks to all of you for reading my books and supporting my message. I am delighted to share with you another way to get the word out:
Mothers are keen to help their children combat bullying, but we mustn’t forget that bullies aren’t always packaged in school kids’ bodies. Adults bully, too.
Solitude strengthens our relationships with loved ones and it helps us stay centered and sane in the midst of “choice overload,”.
The older we get, the simpler life becomes. A close loved one of mine recently found out she has stage 3 cancer.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention just released a startling new statistic on autism: 1 in 88 kids in the US have it.
USA Today recently reported that antidepressant use in women has increased a whopping 400% in the past two decades.
Most of you know how I feel about media and kids: it has little, if any, value in their lives.
I’ll be the first to admit it: I am a recovering, albeit slowly recovering, obsessive worrier. When moms have nothing to worry about, we sometimes make stuff up
It is hard to laugh without feeling pleasure or enjoyment. Believe it or not, many mothers subconsciously refuse to let themselves feel pleasure.
Let us not be so fooled. We need other women if we are to work more efficiently, worry less and stay healthier.
When you walk into a room your son changes immediately, he relaxes because you are there and life is safe again.
The teenage brain is the 8th wonder of the world. As a pediatrician who gets to talk to a lot of teens, I enjoy pulling back the sheet which cover their brains.
CBS ran a story this week on kids and technology. It is great to see that someone is paying attention to what is going on with our kids and I applaud that.
Dr. Meg Meeker is a global leading authority in child-father relationships. She has over 30 years of experience as a pediatrician; is the author of the bestselling book and now movie, Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters; host of the popular parenting podcast, Parenting Great Kids; TEDTalk and international speaker; and father-inclusive advocate. As an expert in the field, Dr. Meg equips dads (and those who love them) with tools and training based on extensive practical experience and research.
