Welcome to BabyShrink
March 6, 2008 by Dr. Heather
Filed under BEST OF BABYSHRINK
I’m Dr. Heather. I’m a mom and a psychologist. I specialize in the development of babies, toddlers, and parents. I am a “BabyShrink”.
I created this site to give parents a place where they can better understand the minds of their babies and toddlers. See, babies do weird things. Toddlers do, too. And sometimes that freaks parents out. But you know what? A lot of the weird things kids do are normal. I hope to help you decide what to relax about…and sometimes, when you need to get help. The subject matter we discuss on BabyShrink.com is not the same stuff you read about in baby development books, and not the stuff your (probably overworked) pediatrician might not have time for.
Some examples of what parents like you ask me all the time in my work:
I feel so guilty about going back to work! Is it really ok?
Will my toddler ever stop embarrassing me by biting my friends’ kids?
How can I keep my cool when I haven’t slept since last week Tuesday?
Am I “giving” my child ADHD by letting her watch a Baby Einstein DVD?
What about a Dad’s perspective in all of this?
And your more serious questions:
What about this increase in autism? What’s causing it, and should I worry?
We’re having marital problems. Will this affect the baby?
My baby is developing differently than my friends’ babies. Is something wrong?
I feel down and depressed. Do I have post-partum depression?
We’ll be talking about all these topics and more on BabyShrink. You’re here because you know that taking an active role in your kids’ psychological development can mean all the difference in how she or he turns out. And it’s not always easy to figure out what’s going on in those little minds.Parenting is the most difficult job in the world,but it’s the hardest job you’ll ever love. It will make you feel desperate. It will make you wonder if the latest thing they’re doing is “normal”. We will ask ourselves if we’re screwing them up, despite all our best efforts. And then, in the blink of an eye, those kids will cause our hearts to explode with pride and joy.
You’re here at this site because you care so much about those little munchkins, and you want them to be happy, productive, and well-adjusted. So do I. (My own kids are 6, 4, and 1. I’m living it, right along with you!)
A Pop-Psych-Free Zone
Although we will be discussing some intense issues, I’ll try to keep things light; a little humor can work wonders. You have my word that I’ll endeavor to avoid dry, clinical, confusing “pop-psych” gibberish. We’re all about keeping it real here. I hope to show you how a real person, a real shrink, thinks, lives and works; struggles with family, career and everything else. I hope I can share with you the amazing and interesting lessons that my clients, my kids, and my own hubby-shrink have taught me. (Yes, I know. In our family, we’re two shrinks, raising kids. What pressure, not to mess them up!)
I earned my doctorate in clinical psychology and have been licensed as a psychologist since 1996. I’ve seen thousands of families so far, and I continue to see clients every week.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
This site is not in any way meant to be a substitute for professional evaluation, therapy, treatment, or medical advice. I hope it is entertaining and informative, but I must insist that any significant questions or concerns you have about your kids, your family or yourself be directed to your health care professional.
Let’s get this thing rolling. What questions do you have for me? Click the “Ask Dr. Heather” button at the top of this page to send me your questions!
Aloha,
Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink
Hmmmmmmmmmmm, do you any teenshrink.coms?
Or Middleagedmombackincollege.com?
Or married21years.com?
OrIlostmyyoungestchild12yearsagoandcanstillgetknockedtomykneesonceinawhile.com? (My shrink(who single w/no kids do I feel he has no authority on this subject)told me I should have been totally over it at 2 years post death.)
Nice to meet you.
Great idea – I will be back often as I have a baby – but now I also will be needing preschoolershrink.com too – because she’s not only INSANE, but she’s driving me there too
TO JANICE NW:
Thanks for coming over to see me! I will be writing lots more articles soon.
TO DAWN@COMING TO A NURSERY NEAR YOU:
I love preschoolers! And yet they drive me insane as well! Send me your questions and we’ll have some fun (at their expense!) Thanks for your nice comment.
Why does my just 4yo always copy what the rest of us do. I’ll know his preference is for X but if his 7yo brother picks Y he’ll quickly change his mind. Then back. Then back again. Then back still once more. Are all 4yo’s fickle copycats?
Here from DGM- my laugh a day
HI J!
Yeah, all 4-year-olds are MAJOR copy-cats. They are doing a mini-adolescence, trying other personalities and characteristics on for size. All you can do is understand that fact, and try not to let it make you crazy. Eventually he will settle on what HIS preference is…and you can make a big deal out of supporting that, when you know it’s really HIM.
Thanks for coming over to see BabyShrink! Lots more soon!
Oh a brave babyshrink you are! I am impressed. I didn’t even cause you an anxiety attack. Being a person who LOVES psych esp. developmental, I’ll keep reading whether directly related to my life or not.
LOL.
HI JANICE NW:
I can take it! I have a lot of support — and my OWN shrink to thank for that!
Keep reading, I’m glad you’re interested! More good stuff soon.
I’ll put in a vote for teenshrink.com too. Can we have that?
How about middle-child-adolescent-pot-stirrer-shrink.com? I totally need that. Seriously, I loved your interview with Dad Gone Mad, I do stalk his blog once in while. He seems like a good guy. This sounds like a great idea for parents of babies and toddlers. I may be back to read, I was a psych major myself, so this stuff is interesting!
TO SHELLEY:
So far I have lots of votes for preschoolers. We’ll take it from there!
I’d love to expand the site!
Thanks for coming over to take a look…Danny truly is awesome, by the way. Look for more amazing stuff from him soon.
OMG, this is so GREAT! I caught wind (ha) of your site on Danny’s site (Dad Gone Mad, duh), and I am so excited! I know that if you are friends with Danny and you can find ways to help HIM, you might be able to help me. HA! Actually, it’s just that you seem like a good shrink for those of us that aren’t perfect and don’t mind trying to get help along the way. WE are the normal ones, not the peeps that do it all “by the book.”
I look forward to picking your brain on a regular basis.
HI KATIE KAT:
Welcome! I join you in your imperfection! Someone just emailed me a question about this, so look for a post on this soon; about how being a CONSISTENT parent does not mean being an INFLEXIBLE parent who needs to be pefect for their kids. In fact, there’s evidence that presenting a “perfect” front to your kids does more harm than good — it’s shows them it’s NOT OK to make mistakes, change your mind, or adapt to new situations. And they can never live up to that standard, and feel like a failure in comparison.
It’s great to have you join in the conversation and I look forward to my brain being picked!