Learn about common behaviors and problem behaviors in teens.

When should you start toilet training your child? Your child must be both physically and emotionally ready for toilet training. Most children are ready to start when they are between 22 and 30 months of age, but every child is different. Toilet training usually becomes a long and frustrating process if you try to start...

Division of responsibility is a way of feeding children that takes the battle out of meal times and helps children stay in touch with their internal hunger gauge. From birth until your child is between 6 months and 1 year old: You are responsible for what your child eats. Your child is responsible for how much and how...

Weaning is the process of switching your baby from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding, or from a breast or bottle to a cup or solid foods. Weaning usually works best when it is done gradually over several weeks, months, or even longer. There is no right or wrong time to wean. It depends on how ready you and your baby are...

To build healthy self-esteem, all children need to feel that they can do at least one thing very well. Many times, though, a child's special talent is overlooked because it's not an area that is recognized at school or elsewhere. Parents can discover their children's special talents by providing varied experiences and...

What are temper tantrums? If you have a young child, you probably know what temper tantrums are. Experts define them as sudden, unplanned displays of anger or other emotions. During a tantrum, children often whine, cry, or scream. They may also swing their arms and legs wildly or hold their breath. Anyone can have...

What is an environmental illness? An environmental illness can occur when you are exposed to toxins or substances in the environment that make you sick. These health hazards may be found where you live, work, or play. Maybe you have headaches that only occur on weekends. Or maybe you began to feel sick and got a rash...

Cognition is the ability to think, learn, and remember. It develops as your baby grows. Your baby is born with around 100 billion brain cells (neurons). These cells form connections with each other called synapses. These connections carry messages...

Habits are hard to break. That's why the sooner in life we build good, healthy habits, the easier it is to keep them and stay as healthy as possible. And when good habits are in place, it's easier to resist bad ones. The most important thing to remember is that you are your child's role model. Your habits affect your...

Some premature babies can't be fed by mouth right after birth. If your baby was born before the gestational age of 32 to 34 weeks, he or she can't feed by mouth. The reasons are: Poor coordination (or lack) of sucking, swallowing, and gag reflex. Weakness of both the oral and stomach muscles. Small stomach capacity...

These Interactive Tools are easy-to-use personal calculators. Use any of them to start learning more about your health. Health and Fitness Tools Do Your BMI and Waist Size Increase Your Health Risks? How Bad Are Your Urinary Symptoms From Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)? How Many Calories Did You Burn? What Is Your...

You may choose to breastfeed and use a bottle for some of your baby's feedings. It is best to wait until your baby has been breastfeeding well for several weeks before you try feeding your baby from a bottle. Sometimes the shape of the nipple plays a part in how well your breastfed baby adjusts to bottle feedings. Many...