What to Expect When Your Kid Becomes a Tween

You may have been warned that your darling baby will become a teenager some day. There is plenty of advice out there about how to parent a teen. What appears to be lacking is the advice for parents whose children have suddenly become tweens. Here are some things to expect. What is a tween? In general, a tween is a person who is not a little kid anymore and who is not technically old enough to be an actual teenager. Teens are people who are 13 through 17. There is debate over whether an 18 or 19 year old is … Continue reading →

Mastering the Fine Art of Delayed Gratification

My 8-year-old has the patience of… well, an 8-year-old. Actually, on many days her ability to wait without whining or complaining is more on par with a 4-year-old. She’d kill me if she knew I was comparing her to a preschooler. Then again, I’ll probably die first from having to tolerate her incessant bellyaching each time she is asked to keep her composure while waiting for whatever it is she wants right NOW! And by now, she means the millisecond her request leaves her lips. During my daughter’s last well child check-up I discussed the issue of delayed gratification with … Continue reading →

Do You Think Your Kid’s a Brat?

After witnessing a child nearly topple a toy display at Target yesterday because his mother refused to purchase him the LEGO set he wanted, then looking on in horror as another little rugrat tore into an unpaid box of Fruit Roll-Ups at the grocery store, and proceed to punch and kick his mother because he couldn’t get past the treat’s shiny plastic packaging, I would definitely say there is no shortage of bratty kids in the world. However, you might be surprised by how the parents of said brats respond when asked about their children’s behavior. According to a new … Continue reading →

What’s Your Breaking Point?

Yesterday in the check-out line at Target I stood behind a mother and her tweenage son during what could only be described as an extremely tense moment. From what I gathered the son wanted to leave Target and meet his friends at the mall’s food court. Unfortunately for the kid, his mother had other plans for him. Long story short the son began throwing a temper tantrum as we slowly crept closer to the cashier. He started with a barrage of insults. First, loudly accusing his mother of being addicted to cigarettes, caffeine, and her Blackberry, then he tried grabbing … Continue reading →

Disciplining other People’s Teens

Mary Ann Romans recently wrote about Disciplining Other People’s Kids and I have to say I agree with every word she wrote. As I finished reading it however my first though was, “but my kids are older, and that is not a problem anymore…”, then I thought again. When your kids are little, like in Mary Ann’s case, then you have to deal with little kid type discipline. When your kids are teens, you have to deal with teen type discipline. If you are not firm at this stage and set limits, you are in for a world of hurt. … Continue reading →

Southerners Spank Their Kids More

Do you spank your kids as a means of discipline? According to a new study, if you live in the southern portion of the United States, then you probably answered the aforementioned question with a hearty: “Yee-haw!” or “Yes, Ma’m.” Seriously, some company paid to conduct a poll regarding the make-up of spank-happy parents. The result: Sixty-two percent of folks, who live below the Mason-Dixon Line, admit to slapping their kids on their backsides when they don’t mind their manners. The poll also revealed that Yankees are really not that cranky (or at least they don’t pop their kids on … Continue reading →

Do You Fight in Front of Your Kids?

How often do you quarrel in front of your children? If you follow old-school parental advice your answer would be: Never. But, this is the 21st century and these days child psychologists are singing a different tune when it comes to arguing in front of your kids. According to a new study, most children won’t experience serious psychological harm if they witness their parents fighting. In fact, the study, which was recently published in the Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychology, suggests that children might actually benefit from watching their parents resolve problems. The reason, according to experts: Conflict happens … Continue reading →

How Often Do You Yell at Your Kids?

Unlike some other parents, one of my best friends from grade school, who mothers a rambunctious 9-year-old, has no qualms admitting that she yells at her son. “If it were not so darn effective, I wouldn’t do it,” she reminds me on a regular basis. I couldn’t help but think of my BFF, when reading the tsunami of comments generated by a single New York Times blog post. In it the writer, a mother of three young boys, details a moment when caves to fatigue and frustration and completely melts down in front of her sons. Crayons fly, along with … Continue reading →

A Stress/Anxiety Stomach Ache

Stress and anxiety in children can manifest itself in some pretty interesting ways. Some children might have tantrums or cry or be very obvious when they are stressed or anxious about something, but others may not be as open about their worries. Physical manifestations of stress are fairly common, however, and if you are a parent of a child who often gets headaches or stomach aches, it might be due to stress and/or anxiety. I am someone who has a tendency to get a stomach ache when I am worried or stressed. As a stoic child who was either trained … Continue reading →

The Constantly “Fussy” Child

Different children have different temperaments. Most of us parents discover quickly that our children do not arrive as cherubic blank slates after all, but come with at least the basics of their own unique personalities. Some children are easy going and pleasant, while others seem to be continually in a bad mood. For the parent of the constantly “fussy” child, the fussiness does not end when the diapers do. Coping with that child who seems to be forever unsettled, grumbly and frustrated can be a big challenge. For a child whose temperament is just “fussy” and you have determined there … Continue reading →