My preschool-age twin boys and I were wearing masks recently as we exited a beach-access stairway. One of my sons asked a stranger walking ahead of us: “Why aren’t you wearing a mask? You’re going to make us sick!”

On our way to the car, a couple, who weren’t wearing masks, gawked at us and made comments to each other. I quickened my pace and ushered the kids into the car.

When most people think of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) they likely picture an adult who has been in combat, a serious accident or experienced violence. Children can also have PTSD either from experiencing trauma directly or witnessing it.

You’re standing in the checkout line at the store when your son grabs a “Frozen 2” stuffed animal. “Mommy, can I get this Olaf doll? I really, really want it!”

When you tell him no, he yells “I hate you!” loud enough for everyone to hear before launching into one of his regular fits: kicking, screaming, crying. People are glaring at you, and you know what’s going through their minds: “Wow, what a spoiled brat.”

As a therapist, I’m often asked to explain why depression and anxiety are so common among children and adolescents. One of the most important explanations—and perhaps the most neglected—is declining interest in religion. This cultural shift already has proved disastrous for millions of vulnerable young people.

t’s Sunday night and it's chaos. Your youngest forgot to mention their spelling test on Tuesday. Your eldest hasn’t finished their report on the Second World War — and it’s due tomorrow.

As you enter a screaming match and then attempt to scramble something together, you can’t help but wonder: is homework really worth it?

On Sept. 24-25, world leaders attended a United Nations summit in New York to review progress toward the U.N.’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This was the first U.N. summit on the SDGs since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in September 2015. Since then, we have collectively made progress toward a more peaceful, safer, healthier and more prosperous world. Sadly, however, we are currently on track to miss most of the SDGs and targets related to children - without which the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda can remain only a distant dream.

With a record number of women running for president in the U.S., it’s no surprise that the concerns of working parents are on the 2020 agenda. Elizabeth Warren unveiled a plan for universal childcare, Kamala Harris is a co-sponsor of the Child Care for Working Families Act, and several other candidates have voiced support for similar policies.

A 26-year-old man from Baltimore was recently convicted in the United States on federal charges of trafficking two girls, aged 15 and 16, and then posting advertisements on a website offering them as prostitutes. The man had stayed with the 16-year-old girl in a motel room, along with a woman whom he was also prostituting, and would leave the room when men came to have sex with the girl. One of her customers returned the following day to rescue her and took her to live in another city with his sister.

At the World Health Assembly in May, we made the case for why governments and United Nations agencies need to spend more on measures to prevent noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), injury and violence against children. One of us - Zoleka Mandela - spoke of losing her 13-year-old daughter to a drunk driver, and of suffering sexual violence as a child at the hands of adults who should have been taking care of her. “It was an abuse of power, and it was a violation of trust,” she told the assembly. “It left me emotionally and mentally scarred.

Teaching our children about consent needs to be an ongoing conversation that evolves as your child grows.

To start, call private parts what they are — penis, vagina, butt. Using different words can make it taboo or confusing if there is a problem.

Talking about touch and consent can initially be intimidating and uncomfortable — take a breath and allow it to be a natural conversation. The most ideal time is when they are already naked, like in the bath.