Your Child: What Every Parent Needs to Know

What does a typical three-year-old feel and think about? What can you anticipate from your six-year-old as he begins school, or if there is a death in the family? How will your ten-year-old respond to the news that her parents are divorcing? What does it mean that your eight-year-old seems to lie regularly?

By describing the developmental milestones of childhood, discussing specific questions and concerns and examining more troublesome problems, this invaluable book is designed to provide guidance for your day-to-day interactions with your child. It covers a range of practical issues, from choosing your baby's doctor to dealing with sleep problems, from bolstering a child's self-esteem to helping a child manage school difficulties, from selecting age-appropriate toys to helping your child cope with divorce, death, or other circumstances disrupting family life.

Your Child also moves beyond the day-to-day quandaries and concerns to those that represent more serious obstacles to a child's development and family life. The latter sections of the book provide extensive discussion of the developmental problems that usually require professional intervention, including emotional disorders, disruptive behavior disorders, persistent sleep difficulties, and psychotic disorders. The information provided in these sections will help you to recognize and understand these serious disorders and offers practical advice and useful information to guide you through the who, where, when, and why of getting help for your child.

Written by members of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the leading national association of physicians dedicated to the healthy mental development of children and adolescents, Your Child is the only reference to offer comprehensive and accessible information for parents on the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development of children from infancy through the preadolescent years. No other book offers such thorough information on:

• Understanding your child's developmental achievements in the day-to-day challenges of growing up

• Determining when your child's behavior is normal and when it's a signal for professional help

• Getting help for your child--including practical and reassuring advice on the many aspects of mental health treatment and the professions involved