How to raise a summer reader

When the lazy days of summer arrive and the schedule is packed with swimming, camp, and family vacations, it can be a challenge to find time for learning.

But kids' reading skills don't have to grow cold once school's out. Here are some ways to make reading a natural part of their summer fun:

Explore your library. Visit your local library to check out books and magazines that your kids haven't seen before. Many libraries have summer reading programs, book clubs, and reading contests for even the youngest borrowers. With a new library card, a child will feel extra grown-up checking out books.

Read on the road. Going on a long car trip? Make sure the back seat is stocked with favorite reads. When you're not at the wheel, read the books aloud. Get some audiobooks (many libraries have large selections) and listen to them together during drive time.

Make your own books. Pick one of your family's favorite parts of summer — whether it's baseball, ice cream, or the pool — and have your child draw pictures of it or cut out pictures from magazines and catalogs. Paste the pictures onto paper to make a booklet and write text for it. When you're done, read the book together. Reread it whenever you need to fend off the cold-weather blahs!

Keep in touch. Kids don't have to go away to write about summer vacation. Even if your family stays home, they can send postcards to tell friends and relatives about their adventures. Ask a relative to be your child's pen pal and encourage them to write each week.

Keep up the reading rituals. Even if everything else changes during the summer, keep up the reading routines around your house. Read with your kids every day — whether it's just before bedtime or under a shady tree on a lazy afternoon. And don't forget to take a book to the beach! Just brush the sand off the pages — it's no sweat!

Reviewed by: Laura L. Bailet, PhD
Date reviewed: February 2010

Tips for Keeping our Kids Learning in the Summer

Summer Learning for Kids
By Wes Fessler

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Idle minds forget. Help them remember with a good summer learning activity.

It’s summertime and the fun has just begun. The kids are out of school and ready for a break. Does this mean they should take a break from studying too? This is the question parents must face every year. When the regular school schedule comes to a close, it is up to parents to pick up where the teachers left off, or allow the kids to have a break until school starts again. Idle Minds Forget The time off between school years gives children time for relaxation and fun, but it also causes a lull in learning that allows them to forget a significant portion of what they have learned. A lack of educational reinforcement during this period makes it necessary to spend time catching up by reviewing previous instruction when school reconvenes. This method of learning is inefficient and deprives children of advantages that would have been available through continuous learning during the summer. Parents as Teachers Parents are left the sole responsibility for instructing their children until school begins again. Little direction is given to parents on how or even if they should proceed with instructing their children during the summer. Parents who understand the importance of summer instruction, however, feel responsible for helping their children to retain what they have learned in the previous year. With the understanding that children need education during the summer, the question becomes one of how to provide the instruction and make it fun. This is their summer after all. It is a time they look forward to as being a break from the schoolwork that has kept them busy in the previous school year. How Much is Enough? To help children obtain the intended benefit of summer instruction, it should not be turned into a burdensome task that consumes all of their free time. The goal is to get them to use their knowledge enough to retain it through the summer. This can be accomplished with various schedules and methods. It is up to parents to decide how much learning is enough for their children. Quality is as important as quantity when it comes to summer learning. Many summer learning activities such as daily workbook pages can be accomplished in an hour or less. The relevancy of the material to a child’s grade level is equally as important as the amount of time a child spends studying. Subjects to Focus On Studies have shown that certain academic subjects are easier for children to forget than others. Math skills suffer the worst because the home environment generally does not provide many opportunities to make calculations as in the classroom. An average of over two and a half months worth of math skills are lost over the summer months. A decline in reading skills has also been demonstrated, although the loss is not as severe as in math. These facts indicate that summer studies should place particular emphasis on math and reading in addition to other subjects. Getting it Done No summer learning plan is worth anything without supervision. Don’t assume that your children will consider their work to be important unless you do. It is not necessary to stand over your children while they do their work, but you should check periodically to see that they are getting it done. It can also be helpful to correct their work when possible to help them identify mistakes they are making. This helps them to avoid future mistakes and shows that you care about what they are doing. Fun Summer Learning Ideas and Activities There are many ideas and activities that can be used to provide summer learning for kids. Providing variety in what children learn can give them additional perspectives and make the experience more fun. Use different educational tools and media to keep learning interesting. Arrange some of your summer activities to include learning opportunities at places of historical and literary value. Use creativity in teaching your children and you may find that education seems less like work and more like fun. The following are some suggestions for summer learning ideas and activities: Educational workbooks and work pages Workbooks are available for children with daily activities that correspond to their grade level. These books can either provide a broad spectrum of academic subjects or specific subjects in which your child may need improvement. Many of these workbooks have daily assignments that can be completed in an hour or less. These books are an excellent starting point for summer learning. They are available at local bookstores or online book dealers. Alternatively you can try our FREE Summer Learning Activities. Call the school for guidance. Get a head start by talking to your calling the office at the school or talking to one of the teachers for your child’s next grade. You can get valuable information about the curriculum for the coming year and textbooks that may be used. This information can give you an understanding of what to prepare for and how to tie previous learning into the coming year. Visit a library Take several trips to the library during the summer. Any topic that interests your child will help build and maintain reading skills. Encourage your child to read in leisure time. If you are able to find topics that will be studied in the coming year, reading will be even more productive. Explore Safe Web Sites There are many good educational web sites on the internet. Help your child to explore safe web sites with good educational content. Many sites have games, stories, and other fun activities that make learning seem like play. Museums, zoos, and historical sites. Add an educational twist to summer trips by visiting museums, zoos, and historical sites. This offers kids a chance to learn about history and a little bit about the world they live in. Play number and word games. Number and word games can help children to form relationships to reading and math. Younger children can get practice with building words and spelling. When possible, turn off the video games and get the kids to play some of these. Educational Camps or Tutors Children who need a little extra help can take advantage of specific academic camps or tutoring. This kind of help provides added attention and helps children to develop in areas where they may be struggling. These resources can also be used when a child has a particular interest and would like to explore specific subjects in greater detail. Summer time learning is a good idea for any student. It is an opportunity to reinforce recently learned material and to prepare for the school year to come. It is important for parents to recognize the need for learning in the summer and to be involved as much as possible. A summer learning program should consist of a variety of educational and fun activities. With a little creativity, parents can make summer learning as much fun as it is educational.

Working Family Resource Center

Check out the website below for the Working Family Resource Center.  WFRC offers support to families through webinars, podcasts and programs such as Parent to Parent Liva and Mom Enough.  These resources are free and can be viewed live or archived to watch in your convenience.

 

 

http://www.workingfam.org/

12 Ways Libraries Are Good for the Country

12 Ways Libraries Are Good for the Country | Reading Topics A-Z | Reading Rockets

STEM Tools at Home

Many of the "tools" needed for science, math, and engineering exploration are right inside your home! Here are five ideas for putting everyday tools to work for some everyday fun:
STEM Tools at Home | Reading Topics A-Z | Reading Rockets

Help Your Child Get Organized

http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/learning/child_organized.html#

Listen

Most kids generate a little chaos and disorganization. Yours might flit from one thing to the next — forgetting books at school, leaving towels on the floor, and failing to finish projects once started.

You'd like them to be more organized and to stay focused on tasks, such as homework. Is it possible?

Yes! A few kids seem naturally organized, but for the rest, organization is a skill learned over time. With help and some practice, kids can develop an effective approach to getting stuff done.

And you're the perfect person to teach your child, even if you don't feel all that organized yourself!

Easy as 1-2-3

For kids, all tasks can be broken down into a 1-2-3 process.

1. Getting organized means a kid gets where he or she needs to be and gathers the supplies needed to complete the task.

2. Staying focused means sticking with the task and learning to say "no" to distractions.

3. Getting it done means finishing up, checking your work, and putting on the finishing touches, like remembering to put a homework paper in the right folder and putting the folder inside the backpack so it's ready for the next day.

Once kids know these steps — and how to apply them — they can start tackling tasks more independently. That means homework, chores, and other tasks will get done with increasing consistency and efficiency. Of course, kids will still need parental help and guidance, but you probably won't have to nag as much.

Not only is it practical to teach these skills, but knowing how to get stuff done will help your child feel more competent and effective. Kids feel self-confident and proud when they're able to accomplish their tasks and responsibilities. They're also sure to be pleased when they find they have some extra free time to do what they'd like to do.

From Teeth Brushing to Book Reports

To get started, introduce the 1-2-3 method and help your child practice it in daily life. Even something as simple as brushing teeth requires this approach, so you might use this example when introducing the concept:

1. Getting organized: Go to the bathroom and get out your toothbrush and toothpaste. Turn on the water.
2. Staying focused: Dentists say to brush for 3 minutes, so that means keep brushing, even if you hear a really good song on the radio or you remember that you wanted to call your friend. Concentrate and remember what the dentist told you about brushing away from your gums.
3. Getting it done: If you do steps 1 and 2, step 3 almost takes care of itself. Hurray, your 3 minutes are up and your teeth are clean! Getting it done means finishing up and putting on the finishing touches. With teeth brushing, that would be stuff like turning off the water, putting away the toothbrush and paste, and making sure there's no toothpaste foam on your face!

Continue

1 • 2 • 3 • 4

Be Positive!

Instead of telling your kids what not to do, try telling them what they should do. Negative messages such as "don't" and "no" tend to break down self-esteem. Try to ask your child to "Please do" instead. Don't forget YOUR manners!

6 Easy Ways for Kids to Learn

(1) Music. Kids like songs and catchy tunes. Think about how many times you've been unable to shake a song from your mind. Kids learn great lessons and ways of doing things such as learning your address, phone number, how to brush your teeth, state capitals, or even how to spell their names.

(2) Repetition. Hearing and seeing something enough times helps a child learn. It starts to stick to them like glue so having them repeat their verb conjugation of the word "to be" in Spanish or what

(3) Exposure. If your middle school kid has a science test on photosynthesis or the parts of the heart, post the photos and information they learn from class around the house. In the bathroom (they look at it while they brush their teeth), in their room where they study, in the kitchen on the wall where they can see it while they eat. Repeated exposure to educational tools is important. Think how you posted the alphabet in your toddlers room so they could see the letters everyday. The same holds true with an older child.

(4) Involvement. Nothing helps a child learn quite like an involved parent, but it doesn't mean you have to grill your child on their spelling words for hours at a time. Approach it differently, ask them to explain it to you. Such as "Pretend I don't know who Thomas Jefferson is. Tell me what you've learned about him" then simply listen. See how the child gets excited about telling you something they've learned.

(5) Routine. Having an established after school routine helps a child get their homework done without the chaos of trying to finish a forgotten assignment at midnight the night before its due. This can work even with after school activities. Have your child empty their homework at the same place everyday and ask them what's due, when and ask how you can help. The child should do their homework in the same place and put it in their backpack as soon as it's completed. Again, no scrambling for it the next morning or worse, leaving it at home. Nothing is more discouraging that doing the homework perfectly, only to leave it on your kitchen table.

(6) Environment. Make sure where the child does his homework is productive for that child's learning. Is the TV blaring, the radio on, you're cooking dinner and the child is sitting at the kitchen table stuck on problem #1? Maybe the environment is too chaotic for him. Find a quiet, simple place for the child to work by turning off the TV until all homework and chores are done. (The chores thing is really to help out parents.) That way you can offer a productive environment for the child and are able to stay involved in their progress. Limited distraction is important when learning new things or figuring out problems.

http://parent.lifetips.com/cat/2432/education/index.html

Brain and Learning

Recent advances in brain imaging measures provide us with new information about the reading processes taking place within the brain.
Brain and Learning | Reading Topics A-Z | Reading Rockets

I love my newborn...but I feel sad...why?

Listen

I have a newborn who I love more than life itself! My daughter is the joy of my life. Still, I feel sad sometimes, and I'm not sure why. What's wrong with me?
- Lyda

The transition from pregnancy to parenthood is a major life adjustment — both physically and emotionally. During your baby's first few days of life, it's normal to feel emotional highs and lows, something commonly referred to as the "baby blues."

With the baby blues, you might feel happy one minute and tearful or overwhelmed the next. You might find yourself feeling angry, sad, irritable, or discouraged. Feeling this way doesn't mean that you're a "bad" mother or that you don't love your baby.

These mood swings are believed to be caused by hormone changes that occur in a woman's body after she gives birth. Levels of estrogen and progesterone needed during pregnancy suddenly drop, causing shifts in mood. Other factors — like fatigue and sleep deprivation, for example — also can contribute to these feelings.

Fortunately, the baby blues usually only last for a few days or weeks, and typically resolve on their own without medical treatment.

If you have a case of the baby blues, try to take care of yourself as much as possible. Eat a healthy diet and get as much rest as you can, especially since exhaustion and sleep deprivation can reinforce and fuel feelings of sadness.

Here are some other things that can help you feel better:

• Accept help, especially in the first days and weeks after labor and delivery.
• Let family and friends help with errands, food shopping, household chores, or childcare.
• Let someone prepare a meal or watch your baby while you relax with a shower, bath, or a nap.
• Get plenty of rest and eat nutritious foods.
• Talk to loved ones or other new mothers who can help you feel supported and remind you that you're not alone.

If the baby blues last longer than a week or two, or if symptoms become worse, talk to your doctor to discuss whether postpartum depression may be the cause of your emotional lows.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD, and Vanessa Ann Vigilante, PhD
Date reviewed: May 2011

Grocery Shopping -In the eyes of a Child

Grocery Shopping

Question

One of the most common questions I hear from parents of young children is how to get through the grocery store without hassles. For all of you parents who have found yourself ready to tear your hair out in the frozen food section, let's take a look at this situation through the eyes of the child:

Answer

Dear Mommy and Daddy,

Well, here we go off to the grocery store, that wild and crazy place with all those tasty treats that seem to be just begging me to take them home. I know that sometimes grocery shopping seems to wear you out and make you grouchy. You know what? It wears me out too! There I am, stuck in that cart where I can't get out and can't even grab all those things that look so good. And when I point to something I want-or yes, I admit it, sometimes whine and fuss-you almost always say, "No, that's not what we're here for." (Of course, sometimes if I fuss long enough, you do give in. So, I'm a little confused about what you really mean!) Anyway, by the time we get to the checkout line, my stomach is churning and I'm ready to scream, "Get me outta here!" And you look like you feel the same way.

I've got some ideas though about how we might get through this adventure without getting so upset. First of all, it really helps when we go to the store after my nap instead of before. When I'm tired already, that trip to the store really does me in. It also helps if you give me a little snack so I'm not so hungry and tempted by all that good stuff to eat. Even better, it helps if the minute we get to the store, you let me choose one tasty treat that I can eat while we cruise the aisles. (Animal crackers are one of my favorites!) Then, maybe when I'm done with my snack, we could make a game out of shopping. Like, now that I know my colors, how about a contest to see how many green boxes we can spot on the shelves? Or maybe a race to see who's the first one to find a man in a red shirt? Also, I love to be helpful, so maybe you could give me some coupons and let me watch for those items as we roll down the aisles. One last thing, Mom and Dad, it helps to know before we even get to the store what's OK and what's not OK for me to get. It's great if you let me know that I can choose one kind of cereal (I know...NOT the chocolate kind!) and one kind of juice. And then, even if I fuss and beg, you calmly stick to your rules. Even though I might not like it right now, it's a lot less confusing for me. And you know, when we get this grocery shopping thing figured out, just think how much more time and energy we'll have to play when we're all done!

A question-and-answer column with Dr. Martha Farrell Erickson of the University of Minnesota

Helping Kids Handle Anger

Award-winning author, Michele Borba, EdD, recently appeared as a guest on Parents.com Community boards to offer practical advice on children's behavior and violence prevention. This sought-after, motivational speaker has presented workshops to more than one million participants throughout North American, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific, and has served as an educational consultant to hundreds of schools. She currently serves on Parents magazine's advisory board. The following is her advice on how to help children handle anger.

By Michele Borba, EdD

In my work as an educational consultant in schools, one of the biggest trends I'm seeing with all kids is an increase in aggression and anger. Whether we care to admit it or not, the steady onslaught of violent images on television, video games, the Internet, movies, music lyrics, and in our newspapers are hurting our children. The result: too many kids are becoming desensitized to violence, and have learned that anger is the only way to solve a problem.

While that's the bad news, there is some good news: violence is learned, but so is calmness! I've included six secrets to help teach your kids calmer, more constructive ways to express their anger. These ideas have been presented to hundreds of parents in my workshops and the feedback has been positive: they're simple techniques and when used consistently they will work. Teaching them to our kids is one of the best ways we can prevent the development of aggressive behavior that is tormenting too many kids today. Here are six ideas to get you started.

1. Model calmness. The best way to teach kids how to deal with anger constructively is by showing them through your example! After all, you don't learn how to calm down by reading about it in a book, but by seeing someone do it. So use those frustrating experiences as "on-the-spot lessons" to your child of ways to calm down.

Here's an example: Suppose you get a phone call from the auto shop saying your car estimate has now doubled. You're furious, and standing nearby is your child now watching you very closely. Muster every ounce of calmness and use it as an instant anger control lesson for your child: "I am so angry right now" you calmly tell your child. "The auto shop just doubled the price for fixing my car." Then offer a calm-down solution: "I'm going on a quick walk so I can get back in control." Your example is what your child will copy.

2. Exit and calm down. One of the toughest parts of parenting is when children address their anger towards us. If you're not careful, you find their anger fueling emotions in you that you never realized were in you. Beware: anger is contagious. It's best to make a rule in your home from the start: "In this house we solve problems when we're calm and in control." And then consistently reinforce the rule.

Here's an example of how you might use it. The next time your child is angry and wants a quick solution, you might say, "I need a time out. Let's talk about this later," and then, exit calmly and don't answer back. I had one mom tell me her only escape was to lock herself in the bathroom. The child continued kicking and screaming, but she would not come out until he was calm. It took a few "locked up times" for the child to realize she meant business. And from then on the child knew that Mom would only talk about the problem when he was in calm and in control.

3. Develop a feeling vocabulary. Many kids display anger because they simply don't know how to express their frustrations any other way. Kicking, screaming, swearing, hitting, or throwing things may be the only way they know how to show their feelings. Asking this kid to "tell me how you feel" is unrealistic, because he may not have learned the words to tell you how he is feeling! To help him express his anger, create a feeling word poster together saying: "Let's think of all the words we could use that tell others we're really angry" then list his ideas.

Here's a few: angry, mad, frustrated, furious, irritated, ticked off, irate, and incensed. Write them on a chart, hang it up, and practice using them often. When your child is angry, use the words so he can apply them to real life: "Looks like you're really angry. Want to talk about it?" or "You seem really irritated. Do you need to walk it off?" Then keep adding new emotion words to the list whenever new ones come up in those great "teachable moments" opportunities throughout the day.

4. Create a calm-down poster. There are dozens of ways to help kids calm down when they first start to get angry. Unfortunately, many kids have never been given the opportunity to think of those other possibilities. So they keep getting into trouble because the only behavior they know is inappropriate ways to express their anger. So talk with your child about more acceptable "replacer" behaviors. You might want to make a big poster listing them. Here's a few ideas a group of fourth-graders thought of: walk away, think of a peaceful place, run a lap, listen to music, hit a pillow, shoot baskets, draw pictures, talk to someone, or sing a song. Once the child chooses his "calm down" technique, encourage him to use the same strategy each time he starts to get angry.

5. Develop an awareness of early warning signs. Explain to your child that we all have little signs that warn us when we're getting angry. We should listen to them because they can help us stay out of trouble. Next, help your child recognize what specific warning signs she may have that tells her she's starting to get upset such as, "I talk louder, my cheeks get flushed, I clench my fists, my heart pounds, my mouth gets dry, and I breathe faster." Once she's aware of them, start pointing them out to her whenever she first starts to get frustrated. "Looks like you're starting to get out of control." or "Your hands are in a fist now. Do you feel yourself starting to get angry?" The more we help kids recognize those early angry warning signs when their anger is first triggered, the better they will be able to calm themselves down. It's also the time when anger management strategies are most effective. Anger escalates very quickly, and waiting until a child is already in "melt down" to try to get her back into control is usually too late.

6. Teach anger control strategies. A very effective strategy for helping kids to calm down is called "3 + 10." You might want to print the formula on large pieces of paper and hang them all around your house. Then tell the child how to use the formula: "As soon as you feel your body sending you a warning sign that says you're losing control, do two things. First, take three deep slow breaths from your tummy." (Model this with your child. Show her how to take a deep breath then tell her to pretend she's riding an escalator. Start at the bottom step and as you take the breath, ride up the escalator slowly. Hold it! Now ride slowly down the escalator releasing your breath steadily at the same time). "That's 3. Now count slowly to 10 inside your head. That's 10. Put them all together, it is 3 + 10, and it helps you calm down."

Teaching children a new way to deal with their anger constructively is not easy -- especially if they have only practiced aggressive ways to deal with their frustrations. Research tells us learning new behaviors take a minimum of 21 days of repetition. So here's my recommendation: Choose one skill your child needs to be more successful and emphasize the same skill a few minutes every day for at least 21 days! Besides, the possibility your child will really learn the new skill will be much stronger, because he's been practicing the same technique over and over, and that's exactly the way you learn any new skill. It's also the best way to stem the onslaught of violence and help our kids lead more successful, peaceful lives.

Dr. Borba is the author of 20 books including 12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know: Getting Back to Basics and Raising Happy Kids (Jossey-Bass-Wiley 2006); Nobody Likes Me, Everybody Hates Me: The Top 25 Friendship Problems and How to Solve Them; No More Misbehavin': 38 Difficult Behaviors and How to Stop Them; Don't Give Me That Attitude!: 24 Rude, Selfish Insensitive Things Kids Do and How to Stop Them, and Building Moral Intelligence, cited by Publishers' Weekly as "among the most noteworthy of 2001"; Parents Do Make a Difference, selected by Child magazine as "Outstanding Parenting Book of 1999"; and Esteem Builders, used by 1.5 million students worldwide. For more information, visit www.simplemommysecrets.com.

10 Things You Can Do to Raise a Reader

10 Things You Can Do to Raise a Reader | Reading Topics A-Z | Reading Rockets

Parent Involvement Checklist

One way to start improving your school's parent-school partnerships is by assessing present practices. The following questions can help you evaluate how well your school is reaching out to parents.
Parent Involvement Checklist | Reading Topics A-Z | Reading Rockets

Raising Readers: a Lileracy Guide for Parents

Tuesday ~ Feb 9th 2012
6:00pm-8:00pm
ISD 318 Administrative Building (820 NW 1st Ave Grand Rapids)

Are you a parent of a student who is struggling to read? Does your child dislike reading or do you have an infant or toddler and want to learn more about literacy now? If so, join us as we discuss why reading aloud to kids every day is important to their development and literacy skills later in life. Develop your expertise as a parent reading aloud to your children while increasing your knowledge of current trends in the literacy field. Explore activities and games meant to ignite your child's love of reading and create a lasting love of books and the written word. Take home literacy activities and games for every grade level from 0-3rd grade, strategies for working with a struggling reader, a list of great children's books and a knowledge of Internet resources written by parents and teachers.

FREE Webinar!!

Literacy Begins at Home
2/8/2012 : 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Early literacy is developed when we sing a lullaby, listen and respond to a baby’s babbling, say a mealtime prayer, read the directions for making pancakes, or write an email to grandma. All of these meaningful activities help children learn language, vocabulary, and the purpose of print. These are the skills they need to be good readers. Participate in this webinar to find out more about family literacy, consider what you are already doing and learn new ideas. The presenter is Angèle Sancho Passe, author of Is Everybody Ready for Kindergarten? A toolkit for preparing children and families (Redleaf Press, 2010)
Cost: FREE
Register today at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/735804090 . View this and all Working Family Resource Center's events at www.workingfam.org.

Study Shows Impact of Fathers' Depression on Children's Emotional Development

Dad's Depression May Raise Kids' Risk of Emotional Problems

By Denise Mann

WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Nov. 7, 2011 -- Children of depressed dads are more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems, compared with kids whose dads are not depressed, according to a new study.

Much has been written about how a mother's depression can affect her children. But less is known about how depression in dads affects a child's emotional development.

The new study looked at more than 22,000 children from two-parent homes. It showed that depression in dads increases kids' risk for emotional problems.

The researchers measured depression and more general mental health problems among parents using two standardized tools.

The study appears in the December 2011 issue of Pediatrics.

According to the findings, a child's risk for emotional or behavioral problems was still much greater if their mothers, rather than fathers, were depressed or had other emotional problems (19% vs. 11%, respectively).

Children were even more likely to display emotional or behavioral problems if both parents were depressed. One-quarter of children with two depressed parents had emotional or behavioral problems.

Study researcher Michael Weitzman, MD, breaks it down this way: "There is a doubling of the risk if the father alone is depressed, a tripling of the risk if the mother alone is depressed, and the risk increases fourfold if kids have a depressed mom and dad."

Weitzman is a professor of pediatrics at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City. "This is huge," he says.

Depressed parents parent differently, he says. "How people parent influences every aspect of child development," he says. For example, "if a parent is depressed, the normal things that might excite him or her can be an irritant," he says.

Treating Depression in Dads

R. Neal Davis, MD, a pediatrician at Intermountain Healthcare in Murray, Utah, agrees. Parents who are depressed engage in less positive parenting behaviors and more negative ones, he says. For example, they may be less likely to read to their children and more likely to spank them.

"Depression in parents affects children, and it is our job to encourage parents to get care, as this will have spillover benefits on their kids," he says.

Davis has seen firsthand how identifying and treating depression in moms and dads can have positive effects on their children's development.

"The earlier we can catch the depression, the better it is for all involved," says James F. Paulson, PhD. He is an associate professor of psychology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.

He says that these new findings may encourage depressed dads to seek help, and that is a very good thing. This is the first large-scale study in the U.S. that documents the association between depression in fathers and a child's emotional and behavioral problems, he says. "For dads who may feel uncertain about seeking help, remember this isn't just about you, this is about your kid and even if you are not willing to get help for yourself, do it for your child."

The study did not get into the specifics of the children's emotional and behavioral issues. Paulson tells WebMD that some of the problems that these children could face will vary based on their age.

"Toddlers may show more difficulty regulating their emotions, have more ups and downs in their moods, and may tend to be more aggressive or react more explosively," he says.

School-aged children, however, are more likely to be diagnosed with psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Signs of Depression

Alan Manevitz, MD, a psychiatrist at New York City's Lenox Hill Hospital, says the new findings "make total sense."

"In general, the psychologic well-being of the father will impact on children as it does with moms," he says. "It also makes total sense that depression in moms has a higher percent of impact on kids because moms traditionally are the chief operating officer of home life."

Knowing the signs and symptoms of depression can help you catch it early, Manevitz says. Men and women may express their emotions differently. Women traditionally have been more open to admitting they are sad, but men suffer quietly and don't share as much, Manevitz says. "Men may get angry and or drink more alcohol," he says.

That said, some signs of depression are similar among men and women.

These include:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Fatigue and decreased energy
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Changes in appetite
• No longer taking pleasure in things they used to find enjoyable
• Decreased sex drive

"Treatment is available, and can help the whole family," Manevitz says.

Study Shows an Increase in Text-Related Bullying by Kids

Texting May Be New Arena for Bullies

By Denise Mann

WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Nov. 21, 2011 -- Texting among U.S. children is increasing in popularity, and as a result, more kids may be harassed or bullied via text messages, a new study finds.

The study included 1,588 young people aged 10 to 15 who answered questions online in 2006, 2007, and 2008 as part of the Growing Up with Media survey.

While there was not an increase in exposure to violent material, harassment, bullying, or unwanted sexual encounters on the Internet during this time frame, there was an uptick in texting-related bullying or harassment.

The study is published in Pediatrics.

Texting on the Rise

Rates of text messaging among adolescents increased from 59% in 2008 to 72% in 2009, while rates of Internet use remained stable at 93% from 2006 to 2008.

It is too early to say why harassment and unwanted sexual communication is increasing among adolescent texters, but not Internet users.

"It may be because aggressive behavior is shifting from online to text messaging or it may be because text messaging is relatively new and we're all figuring out how to communicate well using it; in this case, rates should stabilize as we become more familiar with it," says study researcher Michele Ybarra MPH, PhD, of Internet Solutions for Kids, Inc. in San Clemente, Calif.

Parents can also use filtering software to prevent children from accessing inappropriate web sites, but no such technology is available for cell phone texting yet, she says.

In the study, children were asked if or how often they visited violent sites, such as one showing images of war, death, or terrorism. They were also asked if they had been cyberbullied online or via text. Those who said they had been targeted were asked how they felt after their worst experience.

The online world may be becoming safer for children, Ybarra says. "Rates of violent exposures and experiences online do not seem to be increasing; nor do rates of distress."

The majority of young people are not harassed, bullied, or targets of unwanted sexual communication online or via text messaging, and most of those who are do not report extreme distress even by their most serious experience. "For most young people, navigating technology-infused relationships is generally OK," Ybarra says.

Still one in four children who are harassed or bullied online or via text are "strongly and negatively" affected by the experience.

"We need to do a better job of identifying these kids, and getting them the support and help that they need," Ybarra says.

Role of Parents

Some of the onus falls on parents. "Talk to your kids about your values and how you want and expect them to treat others," Ybarra says. "Give concrete examples across modes."

At core, these are relationship and communication issues. "Parents can help their children by talking to them about healthy relationships, how to communicate assertively but healthfully when their children are unhappy with others," she says.

"View technology as an additional space that you can help your child learn to navigate safely and independently," Ybarra says via email. "Work with your children to go online and use text messaging safely."

Victor Strasburger, MD, says the most important step parents can take is to take control of their children's media exposure.

"That means setting limits, leaving the cell phone in a basket in the kitchen at bedtime and reporting hostile texts," says Strasburger, professor of pediatrics at the University of New Mexico. "Any technology in the bedroom means that parents will be absolutely unable to control what their children are exposed to."

SOURCES:

Michele Ybarra, MPH, PhD, Internet Solutions for Kids, Inc., San Clemente, Calif.

Ybarra, M.L. Pediatrics, 2011.

Victor Strasburger, MD, professor of pediatrics, University of New Mexico.

© 2011 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

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