Give Your Kids Reasons

Children by nature are impulsive. They rarely think before acting. They do not understand the cause and effect relationship and as a result are often surprised that their actions may result in discipline. Young children are also extremely self-centered usually not thinking beyond what they want. They do not realize how their actions can affect someone else. So as a parent it is important that you teach your children why things do and do not happen. They also need to know how their actions impact themselves and others. The best way to teach your children about the why’s in life … Continue reading →

Who’s Easier—Boys or Girls?

Let’s face it, parenting is tough. Whether you’re parenting boys or girls, you’re going to be met with challenges and joys. Whether boys or girls are easier to parent depends upon a number of factors. The personality of the parent and child is a major determinant. If you’re a high strung parent, your children will likely be high strung as well. If you’re a snuggler, your children will likely be snuggle bugs too, unless of course your spouse is not, in which case it could go either way. It also depends upon the inherent personality of the child. In my … Continue reading →

Look Out—We’ve Got a Climber!

I’m sure many of you will be able to relate to this story. My son, who will be six on Saturday, was a calm baby. He craved to be held, didn’t want to walk or crawl until he was darn good and ready, and was content to watch a movie—a whole movie—at a very young age. Then my daughter was born. She was a pistol from the start, crawling and walking earlier, talking up a storm…and into everything. The other day, she (who is now two-and-a-half) managed to get herself on top of the counter—by sharp objects. Having never had … Continue reading →

A Sleep Later Strategy for Your Preschooler

Our four-year old son has been an early riser basically since birth. He started sleeping through the night at ten weeks old, but would always wake for a morning bottle at 5:00 in the morning and not go back to sleep. We then had our second son who sleeps like his momma; he sleeps in until around 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning most days. Of course, my husband and I had already been up for a few hours with our first son by the time our second son woke up. Needless to say, it often left us dreaming of … Continue reading →

Parenting Predicament: Kissing and Your Preschooler

My parenting skills were put to the test last night in a bit of an unexpected way. My very smart four year old (and I do not say this to brag, I say it because he is actually very smart) caused me to second-guess myself after a small incident. Did I handle it correctly? I would love your input. I was tucking my son in for bed last night like I do every night. We were lying on his bed doing our nightly routine of him telling me his full name, his address, his phone number, what city and state … Continue reading →

Score One For MAMA! I Survived a Movie With My Two-Year-Old

I didn’t think it could be done. If you’d asked me three months ago if I’d ever consider taking my two-year-old to a movie again within the next ten years, I’d have sworn the answer was “nu-uh, not in this lifetime.” Our first movie experience didn’t go well. She was up, she was down, she was everywhere! We had to leave the theater mid-movie to avoid both a meltdown and parental insanity. But today—she sat. Today—she watched. Today, I declared a day of movie-going victory. I took my kids to see Rugrats in Paris. The theater by me is offering … Continue reading →

Oh Those Terrible Two’s

My daughter is two. She’s two-and-a-half really. And yes, that’s different than just being two. When she was two she was busy. She was a daredevil. She did new things each day. But now that she’s two-and-a-half, a whole new world has opened up. And suddenly, emotions are pouring out of her like the Hoover Dam. I thought for a while that my daughter wouldn’t be quite as sensitive as my son. He has always been more sensitive than most. But lately, if my voice rises slightly above normal, it’s enough to send her into an all out meltdown on … Continue reading →

Speech: Three to Four Years

At age three your child should have a vocabulary of 300-500 words. He’ll be speaking in complete sentences of five to six words. You’ll find that he uses voice inflection and imitates adult speech. Children at this age are often chatterboxes. But don’t discourage their use of speech they are practicing and learning. You’ll often hear your pet phrases coming out of their mouths or comments that you don’t want repeated. So it is important to watch what you say as a parent. A stranger should be able to understand most of what your child says. But up to half … Continue reading →

Chasing Away Monster Fears

“There’s a monster under my bed,” is a phrase that parents often hear from their young child. But how seriously should parents take this fear. Dr. Richard Sherman, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles says, “Monster fear is real. This is a very common problem among children between the ages 3 and 6.” Children in this age group have very active imaginations. Along with imaginary friends and play they often create imaginary monsters that seem real to them. Distinguishing between imagination and reality can be difficult. Dr. Sherman advises, “Parents need to take these concerns seriously rather than simply telling … Continue reading →

Boys & Guns

I have boys. A lot of boys. I am a girl. A girly-girl. I like dolls and make-up and doing hair and nails. I’m not just a girly-girl, I’m a pacifist girly-girl! I’m a boy-child’s worst nightmare! So of course, I was blessed with many boys. I believed in nurture over nature with all of my heart. When I had my boys I knew that they would not be bound by conventional gender restrictions during their play. I bought dollhouse, baby dolls, and play kitchens. One thing I did not buy was guns. Guns – the ultimate Boy Toy – … Continue reading →