When we are children, sibling relationships can be full of rivalry, and parents can mitigate this.

Efforts to ban smart phones in classrooms are well intentioned and seek to support youth, but research supporting these practices is still unsettled.

Being able to recognize and respond to a child’s needs is about being attentive and caring for the child, and this can be achieved by any caregiver.

Attachment theory is the notion that in the first year of life, the ways in which a parent and caregiver respond to a child’s needs shape a child’s expectation of relationships across their lifespan.

Parents and other supportive adults can learn to recognize young people’s symptoms of disordered eating, which is a spectrum of unhealthy eating patterns and behaviour.

Researchers with expertise in parent-child relationships and child development offer 5 tips about how parents or caregivers can find a balance between children’s structured and unstructured time.

Parenting with ADHD presents unique challenges but also strengths. By using strategies for managing ADHD, and seeking resources when needed, parents can create a positive and fulfilling family life.

The tragic case of a 12-year-old boy who experienced sextortion highlights the importance of practical advice for parents on having conversations about sex, sextortion and healthy device habits.

Parents or caregivers who a child can return to in times of distress to receive comfort or protection provide a secure base for the child from which they feel safe to explore the world.

Any activity that you and your child enjoy can be educational, sometimes with just small tweaks.

With child and adolescent mental health problems on the rise, here is a step-by-step guide for caregivers for recognizing signs of mental distress and responding with support and resources.

The rate of suicide attempts in children and adolescents increased by 22 per cent during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic.

Given the clear importance of language skills for lifelong outcomes, it is critical to set children up early for language success.

The transition to a new school year will be an important time for students to focus on strategies for fostering positive mental health and well-being, and recognizing signs that help may be needed.

How to have important conversations with kids about world events like those taking place in Ukraine, and how to tailor them based on age and maturity levels — from child psychologists.

When you layer a pandemic on top of back-to-school, many children may struggle with separation anxiety. Here are some strategies parents can use to help reduce anxiety in their children.

New research shows the dire effects of the pandemic on the mental health of children and youth, with as many as 25 per cent of young people affected. Immediate action can help address this distress.

Mothers’ well-being is crucial for children to flourish, but maternal mental health has suffered during COVID-19. Successful pandemic recovery for mothers and families depends on four factors.

Whether you decide to allow your child to trick-or-treat or not, it’s important to plan out how you will talk to them about this decision. Drawing on our expertise in child development and infectious disease, we’re here to help make an informed decision about Halloween this year and provide some tips for communicating your decision to your child effectively. Check out the tips here. 

Every fall, parents are tasked with managing back-to-school transitions. But with COVID-19, the start of this school year feels very different. Our research shows that due to COVID-19, parents and children are experiencing greater levels of anxiety and stress. While levels of anxiety and stress may be high, parents play an influential role in helping children cope, encouraging a positive back-to-school transition and helping to reduce children’s anxiety and worries. Here are some helpful tips! 

Learning to read is one of the most important developmental achievements of childhood, and it sets the stage for later school and life success. 

Parents can play a key role in supporting the development of children’s early language skills and fostering a love of reading. 

Read more about how parents can help kids learn and love to read. 

“How was your day at school?”

“Fine.”

Does this sound familiar? Read some useful tips and tricks to engage with your child and talk about their school experiences in this article by Jessy Cooke, MSc, and Dr. Madigan.

New research from the DCD Lab in collaboration with Dr. Jeff Temple has found that one in seven teens are sexting and that a link exists between sexting and sexual behaviour, drug use, and poor mental health. What does this mean for education and how can you know the risks for your teen? Read more in this article by Camille Mori, Dr. Temple, and Dr. Madigan. 

With recent news of the college cheating scandal in which parents allegedly paid for their children to gain entrance to post-secondary in the United states, increased attention has been placed on the extreme and even illegal measures parents will take to ensure their children are successful. But does protecting children from failure really benefit them? Read more about this as well as tips on how to build resilience in your child.

Many siblings, when they get together as adults, joke about which child was loved the most. But is it really a joke or is there an edge of truth that still rankles us? Read more about the impact of playing favourites and some tips for being a fairer parent.

Researchers, doctors, public health officials and parents are all trying to make sense of the impact of screen time on children. In a study published today in JAMA Pediatrics, we find a measurable association between how much young children are using screens and how well they are meeting their developmental milestones. Read more from Dr. Dillon Browne, Dr. Nicole Racine, and Dr. Sheri Madigan.

“Technoference,” or the intrusions and interruptions of digital devices during social interactions, has important implications for parenting today. It is next to impossible to simultaneously text while also engaging and responding consistently and sensitively to your child’s needs. Read about technoference and some tips to disconnect from devices from Dr. Sheri Madigan, Dr. Dillon Browne, and Rachel Eirich.

Research has shown that a parent's level of generosity and charitable behaviour is linked with their child’s display of the same behaviours. With Christmas fast approaching, it is the perfect time to learn about ways to foster generosity and gratitude in children. Read advice from Dr. Sheri Madigan in this article.

Sexting is emerging as a modern component of youth sexual development. Read about why sexting should be incorporated into the current sexual education curriculum from Dr. Madigan, Dr. Temple, and graduate student, Camille Mori.

How do we keep children safe from online sexual encounters when technology is used so often today? Read advice from Dr. Madigan, Dr. Dimitropoulos, and lab member, Nina Anderson. 

One in five youth are exposed to unwanted sexual content online. Read more from Dr. Madigan and Dr. Dimitropoulos. 

Read how compassion can triumph over experiences of childhood trauma in this recent article from Dr. Madigan, Dr. Racine, and Dr. Tough. 

Read about recent research from Dr. Madigan and Dr. Temple on common sexting behaviours teens are engaging in and how parents can proactively discuss health and safety behaviours with their teens. 

Read about research from Dr. Madigan, Dr. Jambon, and Dr. Jenkins that shows how having a sibling can make you more empathic toward others. 

Dr. Madigan, Dr. Jambon, and Dr. Jenkins provide three tips for how to promote empathy in children.