Managing Time, Relationships in Busy Season -
SUSAN WALKER - assistant professor, family studies; State Family Life Specialist, Maryland Cooperative Extension and Department of Family Studies, University of Maryland.
EXPERTISE - child care, parenting education and at-risk families.Walker will discuss how families can manage their time and relationships over the holiday season. She also can talk about kids believing in Santa Claus. As an extension specialist, she has had a lot of experience talking to people about family and child issues.
Holidays Can Be Unnerving For Social Phobic Children
DEBORAH C. BEIDEL - co-director, Maryland Center for Anxiety Disorders, University of Maryland; professor of psychology, University of MarylandEXPERTISE - treatment of anxiety disorders in adults and childrenBEIDEL SAYS -
For children trapped by an intense fear of social contact - a condition known as social phobia - the holiday season can create unrelenting anxieties. "It's the reverse of the loneliness many people experience at this time of year," Beidel says. "These children can get physically ill if asked to talk to unfamiliar relatives, eat at a large family gathering, or perform in a holiday play." Beidel tells the story of a 7-year-old child who waited in line two hours to visit Santa. But as the moment approached, the girl began crying hysterically and uncontrollably. "She wanted to experience the holidays like other children, but it was just too terrifying. In less severe cases, Beidel suggests parents help their children face fears gradually: "If children won't come to a holiday dinner, try to get them to stay just five minutes and then let them go."
CREDENTIALS - Beidel and her colleagues have developed a behavioral treatment for severely affected children, reporting a 67 percent success rate. Now, with a $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
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