Peter Stavinoha, Ph.D., is a Clinical Neuropsychologist in the Center for Pediatric Psychiatry at Children's Medical Center of Dallas and Associate Professor in Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Stavinoha completed a residency in Clinical Neuropsychology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Stavinoha was named a University of Notre Dame Scholar and was awarded a University of Texas Fellowship. He was named Distinguished Psychologist for 2005 by the Dallas Psychological Association. Dr. Stavinoha specializes in the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional aspects of developmental disabilities and acquired brain injury in children. He is also an expert in general parenting, and is a regular guest on WFAA-TV's Good Morning Texas where he gives parenting advice about common issues facing children and families. Dr. Stavinoha has particular expertise in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and he has presented research findings as well as practical workshops on children with ADHD at the state, national, and international level. Dr. Stavinoha has lectured extensively on topics including ADHD, dyslexia, learning disabilities, autism and pervasive developmental disorder, traumatic brain injury, the effects of childhood cancer on learning and behavior, the effects of epilepsy on learning and behavior, brain development in children, and general parenting. Dr. Stavinoha is a member of the American Psychological Association, the International Neuropsychological Society, and the National Academy of Neuropsychology.

For more information check out his website, www.dfwdrpete.com

Dealing with Holiday Stress:

While the holidays can be a wonderful and exciting time for many people, the season also comes with its share of stress. Our children are often facing final exams, there are holiday band and choir concerts to rehearse for, families may be traveling, families may be hosting out-of-town guests, there are holiday parties to attend, last minute shopping, and everyday schedules often go out the window. During this busy time, there are a number of steps families can take to help keep a lid on the amount of stress affecting the family.

Signs of family stress/schedule overload include:

Irritability in parents/children

More "should do’s" than "want to do’s"

Parents only discuss scheduling and kids

Sleep disturbance, complaints of not feeling well

Tension in family as result of jammed schedules

Methods for dealing with holiday stress:

There are some children who can manage a great number of demands on their time, so it is important that parents take their cues from their children to know when to limit activities.

It is also important to remember that holiday stress affects parents as well as children, and this can limit a parent’s ability to be a good parent.

FUNJET VACATIONS

www.funjet.com/gmt

HOLLY STELL

www.hollystell.com

Holly Stell is an inspiring 15 year-old opera prodigy who released her new Christmas cd "Holly's Christmas" just last month.  Dubbed "Petit Pavarotti" by Entertainment Tonight, Holly's first album was released in 2005 and featured a duet with Andrea Bocelli. Since then, she has been featured on OPRAH, The Today Show, and CNN Showbiz Tonight.

Last week Holly performed at the National Tree lightening in Washington D.C. which was attended by President Bush.

KEVIN LENNOX/ FORMER GLAMOUR MAGAZING GIFT GUIDE EDITOR