Why do we dream in the first place? Dreams help the mind process complicated information and events from our daily lives. Nightmares are scary dreams that awaken a child from sleep. Occasional bad dreams are normal at all ages. Since people average four dreams a night, they can’t all be good ones. Nightmares are a […]
Motion sickness – a common, lifelong problem starting at childhood. If your child gets dizzy and nauseated in the car, he is also likely to become sea sick, train sick, air sick, and have a miserable time at the amusement park. This problem is due to an inherited sensitivity of the equilibrium center. Keep in
If you’re going through a divorce, I’m sure you’re trying to keep your child’s life as constant as possible with his friends, at school, and on teams, and I’m also sure you’re helping him talk about his many hurtful feelings, but are you addressing the issue that will have the greatest impact on his long-term
Halloween is one of the favorite holidays of all children. Help your child enjoy it. First, young children need you to buy or put together their costume. Try to get it ready in advance. If you attend one Halloween party or parade at school you’ll have more costume ideas that you can ever use. Second,
“Growing pains” is a term we use for low grade muscle pains that we can’t otherwise explain. They occur in about 10% of school age children. They occur in the muscles of the thigh or the lower leg, not the joints. They tend to be worse in the evening, but don’t awaken a child from
When young children are angry, they scream or throw a tantrum. As they get older they say hurtful things like “I hate you!”. When they’re mad, they go right for the jugular. How should you respond? First, respect your child’s need to express angry feelings. Don’t take these exaggerated comments personally. You can reply, “Well,
If your child awakens before you do, you can be sure he’ll come and wake you up. He’s excited about the new day and he wants to share it with you. If you’d like to add a few precious minutes of sleep to your morning, here are some steps you can take: • First, be
Children should not be allowed to interrupt brief visits by your friends. After an initial greeting and some brief attention, your child should not be allowed to crawl on guests, or to interrupt the adult conversation. Your friends will appreciate your taking a stand about this. • First, clarify your expectation for your child. “Please
A spoiled child makes unfair demands on others, doesn’t respond to “no”, and constantly wants an adult to entertain him. The spoiled child gets his way with whining and tantrums. Spoiled children aren’t happy because they don’t get along well with age mates or grown-ups. The main cause is leniency and giving in. The opposite
Don’t be afraid to say “no” to your child. Children need limits. If you don’t make the rules, your child will. Left to their own devices, most children will spoil themselves, so start rules to protect your sanity by four months of age. Have rules for safety by eight months of age. Gradually add rules
