Fair and Square
By Patricia Berry
Luca Campbell, age four, didn't want to give up his bedroom to a visitor. Who could blame him? He'd worked hard helping his mom Alison, of Allentown, Pa. set up his space just the way he liked it. Now, Grandma was moving in for a few days -- and Luca was moving out. Eventually, he helped get the room ready, making space in his closet and putting out the guest towels, but it was a big step for him.
Misgivings about sharing among toddlers and preschoolers aren't just predictable -- they're perfectly natural. At this age, a child's instincts are to horde and protect what he thinks of as h
... Continue reading Fair and Square.
The Positive Power of "No"
By Patricia Berry
Linda Eschenbaum's daughter, Jane, was supposed to be a flower girl in her aunt's wedding, but the two-year-old was having no part of it. Away from her Rice Lake, Wis., home and her normal routine, Jane was in a less-than-festive mood. As her mom attempted to put her in the pretty party gown bought especially for the occasion, Jane made her feelings known in a word: "No!"
Her behavior may have frustrated her mother, but Jane was doing exactly what she should be doing developmentally, according to Martha Erickson, Ph.D., director of the Harris Programs (Center for Early Education and De
... Continue reading The Positive Power of "No".
Tips for Toilet Training
By Cindy Schweich Handler
The old adage that "no one ever graduated from college wearing diapers" may be true, but parents struggling through potty-training may wonder if their child will be the first. Below, moms and dads from around the country share their own creative -- and successful -- strategies for toilet teaching.
A manly man's M.O. "While my wife was away on a well-deserved extended weekend with friends, I covered the couch and chairs with plastic, then went to the store with my son to buy "manly-man" underwear just like Dad's. We went home and gave the pull-ups to the garbage man so he could
... Continue reading Tips for Toilet Training.
Understanding Early Sexual Development
To parents of infants and toddlers, their children's sexual development may seem a long way off. But actually, sexual development begins in a child's very first years. Infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and even young school-aged kids develop an emotional and physical foundation for sexuality in many subtle ways as they grow.
Just as they reach important physical and emotional milestones, like learning to walk or learning to recognize mom or dad, young kids hit important milestones in how they recognize, experience, and feel about their bodies, and how they form attachments to others. The attachments established in thes
... Continue reading Understanding Early Sexual Development.
