New parents feel a combination of excitement and fear once their child is approaching school age. Stressing over the first days of school can be handled by either parent. When this happens, the child will likely feel some of this anxiety. When parents focus on the things that could go wrong instead of the growth [...]
Even before social distancing measures brought about by the coronavirus outbreak, loneliness from not having meaningful social relationships and independent living were felt by individuals worldwide, young and old. According to a report in 2017, nearly one out of three older Americans live alone, and experts say that the lack of connection can have life-threatening [...]
Companies, charities, and international organizations take advantage of World Earth Day to raise awareness of environmental issues. On the one hand, it’s one day every year that the media and the rest of the world will talk about the earth’s challenges. On the other hand, shouldn’t we be doing much more than one public celebration [...]
Raising awareness of animal cruelty on farms is closely linked to the massive livestock production industry. Advocates have called for better conditions in factory farms, but the reality is that few laws exist to protect animals. At the same time, laws exist to protect the interests of agricultural companies, making the fight for animal welfare [...]
Global environmental change is taking a toll on the mental health of children and young people. Impact studies of the climate crises have included psychological manifestations, and public health experts call it ecological anxiety. While not an actual health diagnosis, “eco-anxiety” is a well-known condition to describe a chronic fear of environmental doom. Planetary health [...]
Explaining healthy eating to children forms lasting habits and increases their understanding of nutrition. With information found online and more books published about research on specific diets, it can be challenging to filter which should be taught to our kids. While younger children first learn about healthy balanced diets through the MyPlate food groups, it [...]
Nations around the world are facing food shortage problems. At the same time, food wastage is a growing issue within cities and highly developed countries. This contradiction points to a broken system of distribution and access. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 3 billion people have no access to healthy diets due to the [...]
Sleep is as important as eating, breathing, and detoxing. Scientists have revealed the relationship between sleep and overall health in various studies. Still, changes in our environment can lead to stressors we may not be aware of. We might know how much sleep we are getting, but it’s possible to feel tired and unmotivated even [...]
Promoting animal welfare and conservation advocacies are often at odds regarding sustainability. The UN Sustainable Development Goals encourage everyone to create a world where “humanity lives in harmony with nature and wildlife and other living species are protected.” However, there are gaps in our understanding of the links between animal suffering and environmental harm. Conservation [...]
Why do parents often fear rough and tumble play? Aside from the physical worry that we might injure our child, there is that nagging feeling that rough play might decrease our child’s body boundaries. However, children are remarkably resilient, and as long as we set clear rules and practice safe play, we can reap all [...]