Emily Edlynn, Ph.D.

We all hope our children will be "more than siblings," and have true friendships. But there's only so much we can do. Parents.com's "Ask Your Mom" columnist, Emily Edlynn, Ph.D., says for young children with a baby sibling, they need plenty of time, attention, and connection to feel secure in their big sibling role.

What sounds like a suicidal statement by a young child may mean something very different, says Parents.com's "Ask Your Mom" columnist, Emily Edlynn, Ph.D. She shares how to help them manage their strong, difficult emotions and when to seek professional help.

Children's grief looks different from adults' grief. Parents.com's "Ask Your Mom" columnist, Emily Edlynn, Ph.D., says that understanding a child's grief, and responding in several key ways, can offer the love and support necessary for a child to cope the best they can.

It can feel impossible to find balance between parents, especially in the early years of raising children. Parents.com's "Ask Your Mom" columnist, Emily Edlynn, Ph.D., says the key is to keep communicating and make changes until you find a system that works for both of you, even if a truly equal 50/50 divide may never happen.

A mom turns to Reddit for advice on what sneaking food at a friend's house could imply. Parents.com's "Ask Your Mom" columnist, Emily Edlynn, Ph.D., says getting more information can help guide you to either offer healthy boundaries at your house or communicate concerns to the girl's parents that could end up getting her more needed support.

Life in a global pandemic has brought higher anxiety for all ages, including for many children. Fortunately, there are science-based strategies parents can use at home to help their children cope with transitioning back to more normal living.

Between the constant sibling rivalry for attention and young children's experimentation with lying, blaming a younger sibling for bad behavior is completely normal. Parents.com's "Ask Your Mom" columnist, Emily Edlynn, Ph.D., says you can help your child move through this phase and learn how to get his needs met in more positive ways.

Your child wants this party and it can be hard to know how to make a decision when what might be good for our child may not be good for us. Parents.com's "Ask Your Mom" columnist, Emily Edlynn, Ph.D., says that there is not a right or wrong choice as long as you are honest with your daughter and yourself.

Parents can support healthy self-esteem in children without falsely inflating self-confidence. Parents.com's "Ask Your Mom" columnist, Emily Edlynn, Ph.D., says you can focus on your child's love of the sport and allow other sources to give him the honest feedback.

Raising a child with special needs affects the whole family, and siblings often struggle with jealousy. Parents.com's "Ask Your Mom" columnist, Emily Edlynn, Ph.D., shares some simple strategies parents can follow to help a sibling feel important, connected, and their own unique brand of special.

Although adoption brings up unique parenting challenges, all parents struggle with balancing difficult emotions with our child's best interest. Processing strong emotions, connecting with our child's experience, and accessing support can help us keep our child's interest ahead of our own when that is indeed what is best for them.

It's important to keep up neighborly relationships, but setting boundaries firmly and kindly will help teach your child to do the same, making an uncomfortable situation now a lesson to last a lifetime.

Divorce is messy and complicated for everyone in the family it touches. Figuring out a new normal for you and your kids is part of the process of grieving the loss of family as you knew it, and everyone sacrifices. Keeping family connections is best, but it may have to look different, and change with time.

It is normal for teenagers to be embarrassed by their parents, but difficult feelings and behaviors need to be addressed within the context of a close relationship. Building and maintaining this closeness takes creativity and persistence, and often, our own self-awareness.

Social connection is important for a child's development. But what happens when a kid is being left out? Here's how to navigate this tricky situation and help your little one build a healthy social life.

You're not alone if you're worrying about what your kid is sharing on social media. Here's advice on how to talk to them about it.

As parents, we don't want to see our kids get hurt and sometimes that means from their social group. But should we tell them what to do when it comes to friendship? Here's the best way to approach this situation.

Any type of co-parenting takes communication and hard work, especially when one partner is the primary parent. But it can be tricky when one partner really doesn't agree with the other's way of doing things. Here's how to handle that.

Talking—even if it’s via video—is an incredibly helpful form of support for children. These are the ways I encourage parents to make virtual sessions most effective.

Children who struggle with confidence or have a passive style in social interactions can be at risk for being bullied. Parents can luckily help them through it and here's how.

A sense of humor serves a child well—but when pranks are misplaced, humor can go awry. Here's how to help their sense of humor shine while also teaching them how to behave in weightier moments, too.

Strong emotions can be a lot for young brains to handle, so we need to help our kids by staying in control of ours. Here's how to keep our own emotions in check while helping our little ones correct their behavior.

Kids are master mimics and it can be easy for them to pick up unpleasant behaviors, especially when others have them repeat them for laughs. Here are ways to navigate that tricky situation.

Living in blended families can bring a lot of challenges, including painful feelings that children may not know how to express. Luckily, there are ways to work together when they act out.

Teenagers are infamous for "bad attitudes," when often it's an outward sign of intense emotions they don't know how to handle. You can help your teenager and here's how.