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Recently in: Pre-Schoolers
5 Ways to Spend Time With Your Child
By Rita Webb
Like adults, no two children are alike. Therefore, children need to be treated as individuals. With three children in our family, it is... Read more
Cleanup on Aisle Two
By Jenny Runkel
We've all been there. It usually occurs at the most inopportune moments and somehow, the room always quiets just before it happens. ... Read more
Into the Mouths of Babes-8 Easy Tips for Feeding Your Kids: the Medicine Mom
Dr. Tara Kompare, Pharm.D.
"I tell kids they should throw away the cereal and eat the box. At least they'd get some fiber."
-Richard Holstein, D.D.S-
T... Read more
Toddlers love to play with their pals, but as any parent who's refereed a preschool playdate knows, learning how to get along with each other isn't always fun and games. "Kids this age are the most energetic and impulsive that they're going to be their whole lives, and they have short attention spans," says Michele Borba, Ed. D., author of numerous parenting books, including Nobody Likes Me, Everybody Hates Me (Jossey-Bass). But this is the perfect time for tuned-in parents to teach toddlers the skills that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.
In the environment of openness and communication that is today's world it is strange that parents often have a knee-jerk reaction to their children's questions about sex. When my six-year old kid piped up from the back seat with, 'Mom, what is 'copulation?' I almost crashed the car! Having received my own sex education via the scare tactics of playground gossip I had vowed that things would be different for my own children. In this instance I resisted the temptation to say, 'Ask Dad,' and instead gave a simple and honest explanation. It really wasn't difficult as I had already dealt wi
... Continue reading How to Talk to Your Child About Sex.
Is My Kid Spoiled?
by Chris Grannis
The screaming child in the shopping cart grabs at the candy while his frazzled mother tries to unload the groceries at the checkout. Before she has the chance to react he rips off the wrapper and proceeds to cram the chocolate into his mouth. Does this sound all too familiar? Have you ever asked yourself the question, 'Is My Kid Spoiled?' Well, you are not alone. According to a recent study* 94% of parents believe that American children are spoiled. Deciding if your little angel is, in fact, a little devil is not rocket science. Thankfully, neither is the solution.
It might seem like kids' brains are now more stimulated than ever with all the media they're exposed to -- TV, the Internet, computer games, cell phones. But in fact, all that electronic input is actually eroding their sense of imagination, educators say. "When children are given images, they don't learn to form pictures in their mind's eye, which is the basis of creative imagination," says Elizabeth Rose, Ed.S., director of National Youth Storytelling Showcase, an organization that aims to get youth involved in storytelling.
Four-year-old Ryan McLynn of Hopewell Junction, N.Y., has no problem making friends. "Ryan will just go up to other kids on the playground and ask 'do you want to play with me?'" says mom Susan. But his sister, Kerry Ann, was always very cautious making social connections. "When Kerry Ann was a toddler, she would only be friends with kids who befriended her first -- and she definitely wouldn't initiate it."
Parents of shy, quiet or reserved toddlers worry that their kids may grow up to be loners or lack a social life. But it's important to remember that toddlers have dif
... Continue reading How Many Friends Are Enough?.
The Magic of Make Believe
By Aviva Patz
Parents have always wanted to provide their children with as much enrichment as they can. Today, that means even three- and four-year olds spend their days flitting from soccer to music to swim lessons with hardly a break in between. But the best research shows that what kids need most for optimum growth and development is good old-fashioned playtime, when they can use their blossoming imagination.
"Young children learn numerous skills through make-believe play," says Yale University child development expert Dorothy Singer, EdD, author of Make-Believe: Games & Activities for Im
... Continue reading The Magic of Make Believe.
Using Effective Time-Outs
By Jody Pawel
Many parents use the same type of discipline for every problem situation. One tool, however, is rarely effective for all situations. Plus, overusing one particular tool also reduces its usefulness. Timeout is just one tool -- and it really isn't a "discipline" tool; it's an effective anger-management tool. Since the purpose of a timeout is to help someone regain control, it is most appropriate to use when someone has lost self-control or there is extremely disruptive behavior.
Most adults have the mistaken idea that the whole point of sending children to timeout is to make the
... Continue reading Using Effective Time-Outs.
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