Mental Health

small child watering indoor plants
How can my kids experience nature during lockdown?
How can my kids experience nature during lockdown? 1024 443 Mediatrics

Q: I live in a high-rise apartment and am the father of two girls, ages 4 and 7. Before living in lockdown due to COVID-19, the girls and I would play outside nearly every day at a local park, and often go on nature adventures on weekends. The lockdown was recently extended and I worry that…

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Dad working from home with toddler
I’m parenting 4 kids of different ages during the pandemic. How do I help my family balance media-use healthfully in lockdown?
I’m parenting 4 kids of different ages during the pandemic. How do I help my family balance media-use healthfully in lockdown? 1024 462 Mediatrics

Q: My partner and I are parenting three children (ages 3.5, 6 and 10) while staying with my sister and her family, which includes a 19-year-old college student. We’re all in lockdown as my sister is high-risk for coronavirus. The adults are working from home, and some of the kids are remote learning. There are…

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13 Reasons Why Season 2
Is it ok to let my child watch the second season of 13 Reasons Why?
Is it ok to let my child watch the second season of 13 Reasons Why? 750 315 Mediatrics

Q: My fourteen-year-old wants to watch the new season of 13 Reasons Why. Although she read the book, I didn’t allow her to watch the first season, given the controversy surrounding its depiction of suicide. I’m thinking that it might be ok for her to watch now that she is in high school and because…

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Woman texting over coffee
Can my teen be charged for a crime based on what she texts to her friends?
Can my teen be charged for a crime based on what she texts to her friends? 750 315 Mediatrics

Es En Espanol Q: I recently read that a young woman was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for texting a friend to kill himself.  I find this case incredibly concerning because the girl who was convicted was only 17 at the time and my own teens text each other in ways that could be easily misinterpreted. For example,…

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Thirteen Reasons Why Netflix
Should I let my child watch the Netflix show, 13 Reasons Why?
Should I let my child watch the Netflix show, 13 Reasons Why? 750 300 Mediatrics

Es En Espanol Q: My daughter is 13 and an eighth grader in middle school. Her friends have recently become obsessed with the Netflix show, 13 Reasons Why. I haven’t read the book or watched the show, but have been seeing a few news articles that worry that the show may be dangerous for kids to watch…

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A teen patient texted her friends about suicidal thoughts, and her stepmother found out. How should I counsel them?
A teen patient texted her friends about suicidal thoughts, and her stepmother found out. How should I counsel them? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: A teen female patient of mine texted several of her friends disclosing that she felt suicidal. She did not disclose a plan, nor was there a suicide pact for her group of friends. Her stepmother found out about this text message several days later, and felt obligated to call the parents of all the friends…

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My 16-year-old son is addicted to Internet role-playing games–how can I help him?
My 16-year-old son is addicted to Internet role-playing games–how can I help him? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: Over the past year, my 16-year-old son has become more and more addicted to Internet role playing sites. My son has ADHD and has always had a hyper focusing problem, but not on anything that would prevent him from his school work. He started out playing the games casually, but over time they have become…

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My 10-year-old-daughter was frightened by a pornographic video, what do I do now?
My 10-year-old-daughter was frightened by a pornographic video, what do I do now? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 10-year-old daughter had a sleepover with 3 friends. It turns out that one of the girls brought a smartphone and pulled up some porn. My daughter is still quite traumatized by what she saw, and my husband and I are trying to figure out how to counsel her. The girls saw three explicitly pornographic…

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Am I limiting my child’s chances of success in today’s economy by trying to limit his screen time?
Am I limiting my child’s chances of success in today’s economy by trying to limit his screen time? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 11-year-old son spends every free minute in front of his computer—doing homework (he really does, thank goodness), social networking, playing games, and now creating his own games. Concerned that, one by one, he has dropped sports, playing with friends, getting outdoors, and, frankly, spending time with the family, I have struggled (and been…

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How important is outdoor recess for children in elementary school?
How important is outdoor recess for children in elementary school? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: Hi, I am a parent of a first grader who attends public elementary school. Her school offers the option of having an outdoor recess period after lunch or an indoor free-time in the school’s media center (essentially an extension of the library, featuring several computers, tablets, and eReaders). When I first heard about this…

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