3 Going On 13: Raising Threenagers

Any parent who has raised a toddler knows the deal here, especially during a pandemic. And if you don’t have a toddler yet, listen up! Dr. Terri Bacow specializes in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety, mood disorders and ADHD. She joins us today to discuss the topic of Threenagers. Threenagers are 3-year-olds who appear to have the hormonal rollercoaster of a teenager. However, the reason for the tantrums and emotional ups and downs are due to an excessive number of brain cells that overwhelms the 3-year-old. As we age, these nerve cells become more efficient and our prefrontal lobes develop to reduce impulsivity, the need for instant gratification, and complete irrationality. Dr. Bacow discusses the unique difficulty of “pandemic parenting” and offers nuggets of wisdom that parents can implement right away to handle their child’s temper tantrums.Dr. Bacow serves as the Director of Training at the Hallowell Center, a clinic known as an epicenter for the treatment of ADD and related disorders. In addition, she is a Clinical Instructor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and an Adjunct Instructor in Applied Psychology at New York University’s Center for Counseling and Community Wellbeing. She has authored several peer reviewed papers based on her research and sees clients in her private practice on the Upper West Side. Dr. Bacow is uniquely interested in helping clients with transitional stages of life, including adjustment to college and new parenting, and enjoys writing and speaking about these topics. Please be on the lookout for her new book, Goodbye Anxiety, coming out in September 2021 and published by Penguin Random House.Connect with her at https://www.drterribacow.com/