A mother in the northeast wrote to me recently lamenting the fact that she and her son were growing apart due to his involvement in football and her genuine lack of knowledge about the sport. She was seeking advice on regaining the level of closeness that she and her son had once enjoyed. Learn more […]
Children don’t just tattle for attention; they do it because they feel smart and important when they observe something and report it to you. When the “reports” are always negative, it is annoying and unproductive. However, there is a way to change or stop this kind of tattling. Look at it this way. When children
Children are like emotional sponges. They will pick up on your tension and anxiety, even if you say nothing. In many cases this can cause more stress than would the truth, because they may imagine far bigger problems than you have, or may think they are the cause of the tension. Many parents feel uncomfortable
Last month you gave advice to parents who had just decided to divorce. How about tips for those of us who have to deal with problems after the divorce? I often encounter stress when my 13-year-old visits her father, my ex-husband. It just seems to be such a hassle. — G.A., McAllen, Texas Your daughter
Why is it so important that your unborn baby be active? You should begin to feel some fetal movement as early as 16 weeks pregnant. The exact timing will vary depending on the individual. When the baby becomes viable then your perception of the quality of the fetal movement becomes very important. This is your
Many expectant and new parents are worried and believe that they will not be able to learn to recognize why their babies are crying. Believe me, if you put your mind to it, within a very short period of time, usually no longer than a week or two, you will usually be able to recognize
In Grandma’s day it wasn’t unusual to hear that the right hand was the “angel’s hand” and the left, the “devil’s hand”. Few people today are so thoughtless, but right-handed parents might look closely at such tools as ladles, butter knives and can openers and even certain toys before they label left-handed children awkward. A
Does your child refuse to go to bed or to stay in the bedroom? Does he prolong the bedtime interaction with never ending questions, unreasonable requests, protests, and tantrums? If so, you’re dealing with bedtime refusal, a common way for young children to postpone bedtime and stay up with you. To deal with this delaying
I have yet to figure to how to “get” a child to outgrow anything. They seem to do it on their own timetable. Between 2 and 3 biting, unfortunately, is a common occurrence because children lack the verbal skills to convey their feelings. Biting gets an immediate effect. While vigilance must be your main response,
Children at two years of age are egocentric, and you can’t teach them to say “I’m sorry” or not to say “No.” They are practicing their newly discovered independence. They don’t call them the “Terrible Twos” for nothing! It’s important to monitor toddlers’ play, and be one step ahead with things to keep them busy
