Is My Child Ok? : When Behavior Is a Problem, When It's Not, and When to Seek Help

My kindergartner insists on wearing the same dress day after day.  What should I do?
My twelve-year-old is a target of the class bully.  Should I intervene?  
My four-year-old is coming home with other kids' toys in his pocket.  Should I be concerned?

Is my child normal? Every parent has asked the question at one time or another. Now this wise and compassionate guide, written by an expert in children's mental health, offers reassuring words for worried parents--plus concrete ways to spot the difference between a normal stage of development...and a true problem. In most cases, childhood problems will clear up with a healthy dose of common sense and loving parental attention. But sometimes professional help or medication is needed. This one-stop reference book--organized by symptom and covering everything from tantrums to learning disorders--tells parents what's "normal," what's not, how best to help your child through a rocky period, and when to get an expert's help.
Discover:
How much fighting between siblings is "normal" (page 94)
What to do if your child is the class bully--or the victim of a bully (page 89)
How to determine if your child has ADD--or if he's just a little more active and a little less patient (page 106)
Tough questions parents must ask themselves when they're dealing with chronic separation anxiety (page 37)
How to help a child who suddenly refuses to go to school (page 124)
The growing concern surrounding childhood eating disorders (page 172)
And much more

Henry A. Paul, M.D., is a psychiatrist, educator, and author who has helped thousands of children and their parents for over twenty-five years. In addition to being in private practice, he is also the executive director of the Karen Horney Clinic in New York City and the president of the American Institute for Psychoanalysis. He is on the faculties of the Mount Sinai Medical Center and Columbia University, and he appears regularly on national television and radio programs. Dr. Paul is also a consultant to the New York City Administration for Children's Services and other child welfare organizations. He is the author of When Kids Are Mad, Not Bad.