The following article is really exciting for me to read.  Right after college, I taught in a preschool.  It was an amazing experience and really helped me understand what development looked like in the real world as opposed to the textbooks that I had read in college. The kids and their families were fantastic.  Really sweet, really active, and really curious. Of course, there were also some challenges and some of which centered around social-emotional issues. Social-emotional issues, just like any other areas of development, can spiral out of control if they are not addressed-and addressed early. In my work with older school-aged children, adolescents, and young adults they often mention that their social-emotional difficulties started when they were very young. When asked about how long they have had a particular difficulty, a common answer is "as long as I can remember." I know that this is an anecdote, but there is research to support the importance of early social-emotional development. This article focuses on the importance of this for kids living in poverty, but it is true for all children.

If a child has a hard time understanding that he should not knock over his friend's block creation (a form of empathy), this can lead to rejection. Probably not the first time it happens, but if it happens repeatedly, the other kids in the class are going to be wary of building or creating things when that child is near. This may lead other kids in the class to reject the building-destroyer and rejection is hard on kids.  I know that it may seem like I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. After all, most kids who unwittingly bulldoze other kids' masterpieces will learn not to do it anymore. However, if a child takes too long to internalize this knowledge, they may be known as the kid who plays too rough and his classmates may have already learned to avoid him. Kids pick up on rejection much earlier than we think and it can really be painful-especially the ones who struggle with their emotions in general. Of course, there are things that parents can do at home to help facilitate this emotional understanding, but school can play a part as well. Once the child goes off to school, it is important to continue these lessons with both explicit and more implicit/authentic teaching of social-emotional development. I applaud these researchers and Head Start for integrating this into the classroom and professional development curriculum. In my opinion, all programs working with preschool children should include a social-emotional component. Check out the article and let me know what you think in the comments:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/07/14/330761945/teaching-four-year-olds-to-feel-better?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20140714

How can these social-emotional skills be sustained? There is no easy answer, but I think that it can start with what parents do at home. Maximizing your child's social-emotional skills is one of the greatest gifts that a parent can give a child-and one of the most difficult. I would love to hear from parents about how they build their children's social-emotional skills. What is most challenging about this? What areas do parents feel that they need support? Put your answers in the comments, tweet me at @fpschDrSweeney, or email me at [email protected].

July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month!  To me, this is all encompassing.  It means raising awareness of mental health barriers for racial and ethnic minorities, as well as sexual and religious minorities.  So many people experience these barriers.  While it is not vital for all people to find a mental health professional who is just like them culturally, it is important to find someone who understands minority issues and how they may or may not contribute to the presenting mental health issues.  No person is an island and we are all influenced by societal, political, and cultural factors.  While no mental health professional is going to know everything about every culture, those who have training and interest in minority mental health are certainly out there. 

Visit http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Multicultural_Support&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=157438 for more information.  

I would love to start a conversation about minority mental health.  Comment on some of the barriers that you see in your communities.  Talk about your own struggles with finding appropriate minority mental health care.  Offer some suggestions for how we can improve minority mental health access and services.  Comment on this blog, tweet me @fpschDrSweeney and use the hashtag #minoritymentalhealth, or email me directly at [email protected].

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Many teenagers I have worked with are in a serious hurry to grow up.  They want to do all the things that adults do.  They want to be able to smoke, drink, have sex, and go to parties.  However, it looks like research has shown that engaging in these behaviors without the accompanying responsibilities is not just bad for kids in the short run, it has long-term consequences.  This article outlines some of those potential consequences.  I have always told the kids that I work with that they do NOT want to peak in middle/high school.  You do not want those years to be the best time of your life because that means that at 18 your life just goes downhill.  I'm not saying that you want middle and high school to be miserable, but it looks like waiting to become an adult until you are really ready has its benefits.  So enjoy middle and high school, but recognize that your best years are still ahead of you.

Enjoy the article!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/23/cool-at-13-adrift-at-23/?_php=true&_&_r=0

Cutting is a scary trend that has, unfortunately, been on the upswing.  It has been an issue in the schools that I have worked in and according to my colleagues it is an issue in other schools as well.  We often think of a person who cuts as a teenage girl who seems sad and perhaps depressed.  This girl is often portrayed as Caucasian, middle-class, and attending a suburban school.  We think that she is probably suicidal.  While this stereotype certainly exists, there are many other faces of cutting.  It is not just girls-many boys also cut.  It is not just teenagers-the scary truth is that many middle school and even some elementary school-aged children cut.  It is not just Caucasian, middle-class, suburban girls-more and more children and teens of color and in urban areas are also engaging in this behavior.  The news that is often surprising is that it does NOT necessarily mean that the child is suicidal.  That is certainly a possibility, but not the case all of the time.  Regardless of the intention, it MUST be taken seriously.  The emotions underlying the behavior are usually quite treatable.  Please read this article and browse through this site if you have concerns that your child or a child you know might be cutting.  http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/cutting.html?tracking=T_RelatedArticle  
The most important thing if you do suspect cutting is to SEEK HELP!!!  It can be from a mental health professional, a hospital, or a pediatrician, but don't ignore the behavior or assume it will remit on its own. 

When parents start talking about their toddlers, the subject of development often comes up.  Frequently, we talk about what are children are doing physically (When did he walk?  When did she throw a ball?  Is he running yet?).  We also talk about language (When did she say her first word?  Is he using sentences yet?  Does she say no all the time like my kid?)  We feel comfortable talking to our pediatricians about these subjects as well-in fact we expect them to ask about this type of development.  The subject of emotional development comes up less frequently, but it is just as crucial.  People are emotional beings.  The ability to modulate one's emotions in a variety of environments is vital to so many things: making friends, persevering through a difficult assignment in school, not allowing your latest break-up to affect you at work.  While for most parents of toddlers, those last two scenarios are a long way off, it's important to start looking at how your children are developing their emotional selves.  Keep in mind that at this time frequent and intense ups and downs are completely normal.  The more you know about your child's emotional development as a toddler, the more you will know how to support him as he grows.  The following is a great article about what emotional development might look like for toddlers.  Enjoy and tell me what you think in the comments!

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/Pages/Emotional-Development-2-Year-Olds.aspx