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The Most Powerful Family Ritual? The Bedtime Story There is simply nothing more powerful than the bedtime story—especially in this age of continuous screen time. The bedtime story is the perfect ending to the day. So let’s rethink and reclaim this special decompression time for both parent and child. It is not just something we […]
“You are so good at that!” you announce to the child, firmly believing that this warm praise is going to boost the child’s self-esteem and… increase performance. But in study after study, and book after book, the widely accepted consensus is that complimenting your kids can cause lifelong problems and actually decrease performance, especially if you
What’s better than baking cookies? Eating cookies other people have baked! This year organize a cookie swap. To keep it pandemic proof, consider a couple of alternatives to the in-person exchange. Have everyone participating bake on a specific weekend, and then pick a time to drop the cookies off at respective houses, or find
Just in time for all the holiday meals coming up, we’ve got 39 table talk questions that will be sure to invoke giggles, guffaws, and gasps. We recommend slipping these wacky dinner conversation starters into your next family gathering to slip into the dinner conversation—everyone will learn some fascinating facts about the ones they
The great thing about the holidays is having the chance to spend time with loved ones and create family traditions together. But this time of year can also get busy and go by fast, so to make sure we really enjoy the holidays and have lots of family fun, we suggest making a list of ideas
Once your child is born, you can expect major changes in your life. Your focus goes from your own life to the life of your son or daughter, and that alone can be enough to scare parents. What many new parents don’t expect are some of the smaller, more subtle changes that are associated with
Is your teenager depressed? The symptoms may be harder to spot than obvious blues. The following are some of the signs of teenage depression, and are most significant when they occur in combination and over a period lasting more than two weeks. • First, sadness, anxiety and hopelessness. • Second, lack of interest in food
The cold is a viral infection of the nose and throat. It usually passes in three or four day unless your child develops a complication. Call your child’s doctor if any of the following happens. – First, the eyelids develop a yellow drainage or are stuck together after a nap. This means your child needs
Adults often ask me, “What question do you hear most from teens?” The most frequent concern that teens have, and the one most often voiced by patients, and in letters from readers of our books is, “Am I normal?” This question can be asked in many different ways. One teen might say, “I’m fourteen, but
The prospect for seeking professional help from a family counselor, a psychologist, or psychiatrist can be a painful one. But your teen or your family may need professional help in the following instances: One, if you’re caught up in hurtful patterns of behavior that create and perpetuate tension within the family. Two, if your teen
During the first year of life, a baby goes through a series of stages of physical coordination that won’t be repeated. It is fascinating to watch this human development, this urge to be upright, to stand, to walk. It is a strong and exciting human urge that defies almost any attempt to stop it. •
Finding good places to eat with little ones can be difficult when traveling. You might even want to consider choosing a drive-in if you’re traveling with a very fussy baby. Or at least pick a noisy restaurant where you won’t be that noticed. • You can ask any restaurant to fill your thermos with hot
It’s not harmful for your children to sleep with you, but don’t start until you have all the facts. – First, your child does not need this arrangement to be secure and happy. – Second, this is not quality time. If your child is asleep, it is neutral time, and if your child is keeping
Weaning from the bottle to the cup should always be done gradually. Trying to wean fast will make your child angry, clinging, and miserable. ⢠First, reduce bottle feedings to three or four per day, and don’t allow your child to carry a bottle around during the day. After you cut back on the number
Yes, infants like to be in a walker, but is it worth it? Over 40 per cent of children who use walkers have an accident requiring medical attention. They get skull fractures, concussions, dental injuries, and lacerations. There have even been some deaths. ⢠Most of the serious walker injuries occur from falling down a
A fat baby is not necessarily a healthy baby. From the beginning, try to teach your child to stop eating before she reaches a point of satiation. By that I mean a sense of complete fullness and reluctance to eat another bite. If your family has a problem with easy weight gain, you can try
Breath holding spells occur in some children who are able to hold their breath long enough to actually pass out. Only five per cent of children have this abnormal reflex. They are healthy in every other way. Following a triggering event, such as being frustrated or falling down, your child cries once, holds his breath,
Babies are simply miserable when they have a cold. If their nose is blocked up, they can’t nurse or suck on a bottle. Here’s how we open that nose: ⢠First, if there’s a watery discharge, just remove it with a soft rubber suction bulb. ⢠Second, if the nose is stuffy with little or
Bottle fed babies don’t need solids until four months of age and breast fed babies are fine until six months. Introducing strained foods earlier just makes feeding more complicated without helping your baby in any way. • Between four and eight months of age introduce your baby to most of the strained foods and cereals.
If you see that your toddler is gaining weight too fast, especially with a family history of obesity, it’s time to act. The longer your child remains fat, the greater the chance she’ll always be fat. Remember, during these years fat cells are multiplying and exercise habits are being established. It only takes small changes
