You’re trying to leave for work, a dental appointment, or an errand, but your child isn’t dressed. What to do about this procrastination? ⢠First, give your child ten minutes warning before departure. Use a kitchen timer and encourage her to beat the timer. Always praise her for being ready early or on time. ⢠[…]
Passive smoking refers to the smoke your child inhales by living in a household with people who smoke. If one parent smokes, that’s equivalent to your child smoking 30 or 40 cigarettes per year. Children of smokers have an elevated blood nicotine level. I’m sure you’re well aware of the fact that smokers cough and
Over eating and under exercising are habits that children pick up early in life. With each passing year they’re more difficult to change. The easiest years for helping a child maintain a healthy weight are during the first five years because you have almost complete control over his diet. First, keep snacks to two per
Feelings about nudity vary from family to family. Exposure to nudity with siblings or the parent of the same sex is fine and probably will continue indefinitely in locker rooms and so forth, but nudity with the parent or sibling of the opposite sex probably should be phased out between the ages of four and
Does your child dread going to the doctor’s office? If so, the following tips may make it easier: • First, schedule an appointment at a time your youngster won’t be needing a nap. Also, feed him beforehand so he won’t be hungry. • Second, bring a stuffed animal, security blanket, pacifier, or snack with you
We need to teach our children not to hurt other children. Hitting, slapping, pinching, scratching, shoving, knocking down, hair pulling and biting are all unacceptable behaviors. Clarify for your child, “We don’t hit. We don’t hurt people. Disagreements are settled by talking, not hitting.” If children do fight, respond swiftly: • First, intervene at the
Children of all ages and most adults have some food dislikes. If this is the case in your home consider the following: • First, most complaints are about vegetables such as spinach or broccoli. Vegetables are over rated. There are no essential foods, just essential food groups. Since fruits and vegetables are in the same
More than 30% of toddlers are still sucking their thumbs. Fortunately, thumb sucking is harmless until your child’s permanent teeth have erupted about age of six. Your main response to thumbsucking in the meantime should be to ignore it, especially when your child is tired. If it occurs when your child is bored, try to
Until 18 months of age most children are agreeable, even easy. From 18 months until four years of age, many of them become stubborn and resistant. We call this the “terrible twos”. What happens to toddlers at 18 months? They discover that they are individuals who have the power to refuse us or even to
We are a greatly overmedicated society both with prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Some people believe that every symptom needs a drug; I disagree. ⢠First, let’s set the record straight about antibiotics. Antibiotics only kill bacteria; they have no effect on viruses. Antibiotics can neither reduce symptoms nor shorten the course of viral illnesses. Since
