Though technology can be helpful for children, too much screen time can be a problem for some families. However, it can be difficult to get your child to reduce their screen time to create more positive childhood experiences. One of the best ways to do this is to entice kids with more exciting opportunities. Provide your children with indoor and outdoor activities that interest and engage them. This fosters creative play, which in turn helps children develop coping skills that will serve...

Children who grow up in a polluted area are at serious risk of developing long-term health conditions later in life. This sentiment is echoed by UNESCO research , which shows air pollution is associated with 1 in 10 under-five deaths. Exposure also increases the risk of heart disease, respiratory illnesses, and stroke. Unfortunately, children are more likely to breathe polluted air today than ever before. That’s because the majority of the population now live in urban areas where traffic...

Teaching kids who have been through adverse childhood experiences vital safety skills is crucial for their development. Regularly practicing home safety skills can increase their confidence, reduce the risk of accidents, and help kids feel more secure. However, most kids will mentally check out if you didactically tell them what they should not do. This is understandable, as no one enjoys extended safety lectures. Instead, try to utilize novel safety strategies to engage kids and help them...

Our world is full of challenges and issues that demand our attention. Whether it's poverty, climate change, discrimination, or mental health, there are countless global issues that require a lot of attention. We may feel overwhelmed and find ourselves grappling with how to channel our energies for positive change. Fortunately, one important avenue is open to all of us: volunteering. Volunteering means offering one's time, skills, and resources selflessly without expecting monetary...

Over recent years, there has been greater recognition of the impact Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) can have. This can only be a positive thing, as it can prompt organizations and agencies to take decisive action to address the causes and symptoms. However, this isn’t to say that adults with ACEs are always able to access the nuanced resources that can make a difference throughout their lives. This is where grassroots community action can be a vital resource. One of the most important...

Folks who live through adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may not want to talk openly about their history. This is entirely understandable: silence can be powerful and many people who value privacy would rather work through their ACEs in a confidential setting. However, the global stigma that surrounds ACEs can derail efforts to end childhood trauma and censor those who have been through an adverse experience. Breaking the silence is an important mission for all who want to live in a more...

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (SAMHSA), two-thirds of 16-year-olds reported experiencing at least one traumatic experience in their lifetime. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) corroborates this fact with more specific statistics — 1 in 7 children experienced abuse or neglect in the year leading up to their findings. However, traumatic events aren’t necessarily limited to physical abuse. The children in these studies also considered traumatic events such...

Living with adverse childhood experiences (ACE) is not just challenging due to the direct impact of trauma. It can also be quite isolating, particularly if there are no other children or adults around that have navigated similar situations or know how to provide effective support. One of the most valuable ways to help children with ACEs thrive is to build more resilient and trauma-informed communities. Trauma itself can be a complex condition and what one child may find helpful may not be...

Members of the LGBTQ community often must overcome much and regularly face many unique challenges that can impact mental health. Things like discrimination, social isolation, and the stress of navigating everything from personal identities to relationships can truly take a toll. However, there are several things those in the community can do to foster better mental health and take care of themselves every day. Many of these “tips” are more practical than you might think. By taking small...

Outdoor play is key to the health and well-being of children. Getting muddy and staying out till sunset is great for children’s development and can help them refine their motor coordination skills. Kids who play outdoors have improved cognitive skills, too. A recent systematic review found that children who have regular access to green spaces show improved “mental well-being, overall health, and cognitive development.” Children who play outside also had better self-discipline and showed...

All children need a secure, safe, and stable environment as they grow up. Young kids must have the care and support they need to aid in their development. But children with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are especially prone to struggling as they age if they don’t have stability. While stability and support can come from a child’s housing situation and those who raise them, they also need quality care from the doctors in their lives. A lack of secure, safe, and stable healthcare for...

Young children need much support as they grow up and learn about the evolving world that seems so big when we’re small. We know that many factors can negatively affect our child’s mental health and well-being. Still, many don’t always consider the impression that unstable and unhealthy housing can create on a child. When your kids have lived in a place with unpredictability and high tension, they may experience issues later in life. Today, we will discuss how housing can create adverse...

Almost everyone has adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) of some kind. However, for some, these adverse experiences are severe enough to leave a mark that lasts decades. Unfortunately, many ACEs come with unexpected financial costs. Families that experience trauma or distress may be hit with unaffordable healthcare costs and typically require extra support from medical professionals and therapists. Many who experience difficulties early in life have difficulty with money and may enter a...

Children living with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) face a variety of challenges. Some of these may be developmental, such as building social skills. They may also be at greater risk of mental health problems or substance abuse later in life. This is why it is so important to establish methods to help your child to gain the resilience that empowers them to navigate past or ongoing trauma. This is, of course, a relatively complex matter. A child with ACEs is likely to need a range of...

The healthcare gap between rural and urban patients is finally beginning to close. Remote technology like video conferencing can help patients connect with doctors all over the country, and doctors can use the Internet of Things (IoT) to assess patients’ biometrics remotely. Despite these recent advancements, the disparity between rural and urban healthcare is significant. The age-adjusted death rate in rural areas is 7% higher than in urban areas and folks who live in a rural area are more...

As children, we can face many negative situations and traumatic experiences, and if we don’t get the care that we need as youngsters, then it could be detrimental to our health as adults. That is why, as time goes on, we tend to hear more about children with ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) and the efforts that experts are suggesting to help kids learn resilience, get past their previous trauma, and grow up as healthy adults. Animal therapy, however, has risen as an effective method to...

Life is hard. None of us makes it through unscathed. Unfortunately, though, some of us have a much tougher journey on this planet than others. Most distressingly of all, children and babies are by no means immune from the wounds that this world all too often inflicts. Indeed, for many children, trauma is not a future threat but a present reality. And these adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have a devastating long-term impact across all domains of a child’s life. This includes...

School should be a place of exploration and discovery — a place of opportunity and promise. For students with learning difficulties, however, life in the classroom is anything but hopeful and exciting. Indeed, children with learning challenges often find themselves marginalized, misjudged, and demoralized. As a result, they are at increased risk not only for poor performance and low education attainment, but also for behavioral and mental health issues. Fortunately, though, there is hope,...

Our culture likes to idolize childhood. All imagine it as a time of perfect innocence, of uninterrupted joy. For many of us, however, the reality of childhood was far different. Indeed, in a 2019 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) of 144,000 American adults, it was found that more than 61% had suffered at least one traumatic event in their childhood . These traumas, which psychologists refer to as adverse childhood events (ACE), may include anything from parental...

An adverse childhood experience (ACE) is an event that causes toxic stress between the ages of 0 and 17. They're incredibly common, considering many circumstances can cause a child toxic stress. ACEs can stem from the abuse of any kind, family financial struggles, family members’ substance use, and many other issues. A single child can even experience multiple ACEs before becoming an adult. ACEs can rock a child’s foundation, disrupting their physical, mental, and emotional development. But...