Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple

These past months and weeks have put tremendous stress on families across the country, on top of the daily challenges we were already navigating. And under tremendous stress, it can become even harde…

Many kids and teens are growing more worried about climate change. Scary predictions about the future and lack of government action can make them feel the crisis is out of their control. How can pare…

When teens leave home for college, it’s natural for both parents and young adults to adjust to new lifestyles and living apart. But many college students unexpectedly returned home due to the coronav…

If you do an online search for the words “parenting” and “autism,” most of the results will be about parents who don’t have autism raising children who do. But what if you’re a parent on the autism s…

Life as we know it has changed since our last episode. Disruptions, anxiety, and uncertainty surrounding the new coronavirus disease have affected us all. While we can’t immediately change this publi…

We're taking a short break, but we've got a great line up of topics and guests for the spring. A sample of what's to come:

• Surviving a Screw Up
• Growing Up With a Parent With Autism
• Climate Change Anxie…

Peers can be an excellent source of social support, and it’s great that more young people today talk to friends about their emotional challenges. But for every teen who shares, there’s another teen a…

Seasons change, and so do podcast co-hosts. Since the beginning, Shrinking It Down has been co-hosted by child psychiatrists Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Steven Schlozman. But alas, Steve is moving on to…

Many parents worry that their own or a family member’s mental health disorder destine their children to struggle in the same way. But, while many psychiatric disorders do run in families to some exte…

When “extra time” on tests first began decades ago, the goal was to level the playing field for students with learning disabilities by allotting them the same amount of time that everyone else had. T…

Today’s kids and teens are increasingly under surveillance, including by their own schools and parents. In some ways this is nothing new. Adults have always monitored kids for risk. But in today’s di…

Did you know? According to a recent Clay Center survey, six out of 10 parents encourage their kids to adopt New Year’s resolutions. To bring in the new year (and decade!), we’re dedicating this episo…

There are many emotional benefits that come from connecting over a family dinner. But with the competing demands of reality, like busy schedules, technology, and picky eaters, this simple idea isn’t …

One of the most common questions Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Steve Schlozman hear from parents, as adolescent psychiatrists, is: “How can I tell if my kid is struggling with a mental health issue?” All …

Data suggest that Generation Z, the teens and young adults coming of age right now, feels lonelier than any other age group. But we don’t know why. Is it a symptom of digital and social media or the …

How can we guide children to healthfully navigate food, fitness, sleep, and more (especially when Takis® taste so much better than eggs for breakfast)? These aren’t just important for physical health…

If you’re a parent, you’ve likely spent time thinking about your child’s future after age 18. Whether it’s going to college, finding a job, finding an apartment – taking that first step towards indep…

As the summer fades and we move into Autumn, activities in our lives start to build up and so can the stress. Perhaps this is one reason that September is national Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.…

We shouldn’t need science to tell us that getting together with other people is beneficial. Still, the science is pretty fascinating, and in the data-driven age in which we live, knowledge is power! …