Family Moves Double Teen Suicide Risk

Kids stress us out—but we still find them rewarding

(NEWSER) - Ask parents if their children make them happy and they’ll likely say yes. So why does almost every study on the subject show that having children tends to make people less happy—and that, in fact, many parents love their kids but hate parenting? In an extensive New York article , Jennifer Senior explores how parenting, and Americans’ reasons for having children, have changed over the decades. More»

Sufferers of Williams syndrome trust everyone

(NEWSER) - Imagine if your child trusted everyone, unconditionally. It sounds like fiction, but for parents of children with Williams syndrome, it can be a nightmare that demands eternal vigilance against a dangerous world. NPR profiles one family with a 9-year-old daughter, Isabelle, who has Williams and consequently feels no social fear. In a typical episode, Isabelle got into another family's car and buckled up after hearing the mother say they were going to Dairy Queen. More»

Forget about the Ramones education and teach manners instead

(NEWSER) - David Hochman tackles the question surely foremost on every parent’s mind: “Am I raising a douchebag?” Sure, you want your kid to be hip, and you might think it’s cute when your offspring “can tell which Ramone is Dee Dee and which one is Joey.” But beware: The signs of impending jerkishness may start small. An assessment of an 8th birthday party as “unbelievably lame,” for example, or a declaration that “these taquitos taste like turd,” he writes in Details . More»

Broad study finds children of all ages more likely to struggle

(NEWSER) - Kids whose parents are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan struggle with their emotions and responsibilities far more than children of civilians, a large new study reveals. Children of service members were twice as likely to report anxiety, emotional problems, and other symptoms of stress than their civilian counterparts. "Kids were reporting taking on more household responsibilities, such as taking care of siblings, and feeling like they were missing school activities," a researcher tells HealthDay News . More»

(NEWSER) - The latest trend in nomenclature rings false to at least one person who recently realized that "Mom" has become "the now generic name for every female parent in our country." Thinking it over, Anne Albeck dates the phenomenon to the early '90s, but familiarity—and overfamiliarity—really does breed contempt. "Being called Mom by everyone from the shoe store clerk to the pediatrician is a little too intimate for me," Albeck writes for the Chicago Tribune. More»