Seeking Attention

Q

Our 11-year-old son has suddenly taken to telling fanciful, exaggerated stories about himself, usually highlighting his athletic prowess. The stories seem to come out of nowhere, and he tells them only to me — never to his father. Could this be a sign that he’s looking for more attention from Mom?

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Learning Difficulty

Q

My 9-year-old son has trouble comprehending the material he’s being taught at school. His teachers say he’s not focused and loses concentration easily. We’ve tested his vision and hearing, and also did an auditory-processing test; everything has come back fine. I feel helpless. Do you have any advice?

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Stealing

Q

Lately, my seven-year-old has been taking money from my wallet and loose change he finds around the house. I’ve told him it’s stealing and not to do it anymore, but it’s still going on. How can I get him to stop?

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Stage Fright

Q

My 2½-year-old recently heard a new song that he insisted we dance to over and over again. A few days later, I tried to show my parents how much he loves it, but when I turned it on, he burst into tears and insisted I turn the song off. What happened?

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Rejecting Praise

Q

We’re accustomed to our seven-year-old daughter’s difficulty accepting praise, but her recent reaction was the worst yet. When we told her how proud we were when she was chosen to read the morning announcements at school, she got very angry, yelled at us to stop talking about it and began to cry. My husband says these “moments” are normal. Is he right?

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Postpartum Depression

Q

My husband shows no interest or initiative in helping with our newborn, and it’s making me really sad and upset. I’ve even had suicidal thoughts because of this.

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Losing Friends

Q

My six-year-old son recently “broke up” with his best friend. He’s taking the separation quite hard. How can I help him through this?

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