Learning Years – A Fond FarewellJanuary 28, 2022 By Dr. Pat Blackwell I began writing my Learning Years column in NOLA Baby (as the magazine was originally called) very near the start of the whole thing. Over lunch with Ann Herren in 2006...
Learning Years – The Dangers of Obsessive Worrying About Your Child’s FutureOctober 1, 2021 A baby is born, and suddenly, parents are responsible for keeping this precious human alive. Anxiety is a common aspect of caregiving during infancy because it is adaptive. Worrying keeps par...
Learning Years – Helping Kids Make Smooth Transitions Steps to successfully conquer your child’s transitional stress. Our days are made up of transitions from one activity to the next. Most children and adults ride the daily waves of shifts, adjustments, and cha...
Learning Years – Poop WithholdingApril 1, 2021 What To Do When Your Child Refuses To Go Every parent will agree that toilet learning is best when it is a natural process. A child will observe and do it when they are old enough and emotional...
Learning Years: An Optimist’s Reflections on 2020January 1, 2021 Thoughts on being hopeful in 2021 Thankfully this monster of a year is finally in the rearview mirror. Disruption came in various forms, including a global pandemic, epic political conflict, h...
Learning Years: Helping Your Child Appreciate Disappointment and DefeatNovember 1, 2020 Helping your child build a growth mindset with the “power of yet” In the movie Talladega Nights, arrogant race car driver Ricky Bobby said, "If you ain’t first, you're last." This statement ...
Learning to Cope with UncertaintySeptember 1, 2020 Learning Years: Dealing with life's stressors takes effort and practice Some people are natural risk-takers who are nimble and can pivot when encountering the unexpected. None of them are re...
Help Young Children Understand Coronavirus (COVID-19)March 20, 2020 During stressful times children want to know two things: will I be safe, and who will take care of me? Parents should discuss the Coronavirus in a way that kids can understand but without spre...
Learning Years: Escape the Moody CycleNovember 18, 2019 Learn clues and strategies to recognize and disrupt moody breakdowns and blow-ups. Sudden escalation of anger in response to small incidents is a common trait of moodiness at any age. Excess...
Learning Years: Raising Indecisive KidsSeptember 26, 2019 Good enough is sometimes good enough when it comes to anxious children. Childhood anxiety is on the rise. A constant companion of this tormentor is childhood indecisiveness, which has becom...
