Category Archives: ACA Blog

Got a skinny kid? If so, then you know that underweight children are often overlooked in a society where obesity is considered an American epidemic. Story after story appears on the media about the dangers of overeating, but very little coverage is given to the troubles of chronically underweight children. Parents of Slim Jims are […]

On a school morning, when you’re coaxing your child out of bed, nagging him to get dressed, to comb his hair, to pack his backpack, and to find his shoes, you’re likely feeling pretty good if you can also coerce him to wolf down a slice of toast before you’re all late for school. Add […]

There may never be a better way to encourage your child to read than by snuggling up with a big, colorful board book for a nighttime story. Yet the new millennium has brought technology into every aspect of our lives. While we may hope that nothing will ever take the place of fuzzy slippers, warm […]

No one knows and understands their children better than the parents who love them. You feed them, bathe them, and read to them from a very young age in the hopes of developing their minds as well as their bodies. That’s why there’s no better monitor of a child’s strengths and weaknesses than a parent. […]

While you’re watching your toddler poke a chubby finger up her own nose as she pushes another toddler out of the sandbox, teaching social graces may be the last thing on your mind. But manners, according to Emily Post, are nothing more than “a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others.” Teaching a child to […]

Every parent has heard the news: The tech boom of the last two decades has produced industries hungry for employees with strong math and science skills. And yet, while standardized math scores for U.S. students are higher than they were decades ago, they’re still lagging behind nearly three dozen countries in international rankings. Uncle Sam […]

If you’re a new parent of a growing toddler, you may wonder what happened to your cherubic child. One day she’s looking up at you adoringly, following you everywhere, and doing exactly what you ask . . . and then, suddenly, she turns into a red-cheeked, screaming bundle of fighting defiance. Congratulations, you’re now experiencing […]

A long, uninterrupted sleep is vital for both children and parents, yet when kids are young it is one of the rarest of gifts. Every parent learns the tricks to lull babies into sleep. Some use white noise machines, others electronic rockers, and many salt the crib with pacifiers. As those babies become toddlers, parents […]

When your child first introduces her imaginary friend, the horror movie aficionado within you may feel an eerie tingling. After all, innocent children with creepy invisible companions are a staple of scream cinema. As a parent, however, your concerns will soon turn to wondering why your child has glommed onto this curious, rainbow-unicorn alter-ego with […]

When a twelve-year-old in a Southborough, Massachusetts, boarding school began to experience rashes, headaches, nausea, nosebleeds, heart palpitations, and other odd symptoms, naturally his parents sought medical help. Their doctor, Dr. Jeanne Hubbuch, diagnosed him with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Syndrome (EHS), a condition based on the concept that some individuals have a particularly heightened sensitivity to […]