Tag Archives: child development

Really, They Can Feed Themselves

Recently, a mom of a nearly 2-year-old child was lamenting that she just couldn’t get her child to sit still and let her feed him–baby food! I remembered seeing a family with a child about that age in a restaurant many years ago trying to do the same thing and as I looked at my own self-sufficient toddler eaters, I rummaged my mind for reasons why a parent might still be trying to feed a toddler–control, not knowing better, wanting to avoid the mess, intolerance at the child’s imperfection, efficiency. I have a very different philosophy about young children’s eating … Continue reading →

Is it Too Late for a Child Development Class?

The most recent course curriculum guide for our local community college arrived in the mail the other day and as I was casually flipping through the newsprint pages, my eyes were drawn to a list of classes on parenting and child development. I remember taking a couple of these classes before becoming a parent and when I had very young children, but I hadn’t thought of taking a class in years (decades, really.) I started to think about how helpful it would actually be and wondered how many other parents out there assume that since we have come this far, … Continue reading →

Staying with Kids at Parties

With toddlers and preschoolers, parents generally seem pretty clear on the concept that if their child is invited to a birthday party, they are supposed to stay with the child to help and supervise. But, what about elementary-aged children? How old does a child need to be before a parent stops going along? Can a parent go even if other parents don’t and how old is too old to have mom or dad tagging along? I know that some of you would like hard and fast rules, or at least a page from Emily Post offering the suggested age range … Continue reading →

“Tweens”—Are They BIG “Little Kids” or Mini-teenagers?

This term “Tween” is relatively new—I think it started as a marketing term for those pre-teenagers who are considered such a huge target market for everything from Mary Kate and Ashley videos to Hannah Montana concerts. But, for a parent, are there special considerations that come with parenting teens. Should they be treated like big “little kids” or more like little teenagers? For many of us who have been through it, it usually seems like a little of both… For me, it seemed like things started getting a little kooky at the age of 9—looking back, that was when I … Continue reading →

Interruptions in Child Development

Most of us parents have witnessed as our children started out on a new developmental stage—either in a burst of new skills or gradually learning something new to add to their repertoire. What can be disconcerting for a parent, however, is when a child starts out on a new developmental stage and then stops or regresses. Most of us cannot help but wonder if something is wrong… I have heard more parents tell tales of toilet-training, for example, that starts out fabulously and then the child loses interest, regresses or it becomes necessary to start all over. For some reason, … Continue reading →

How Do Little Kids Think About All This?

A while back, MJ wrote a blog about her son asking her whose tummy she (MJ) had grown in. I had the same experience very recently, not with my four-year-old but with my seven-year-old. I’m sure I had told her before that I grew inside Grandma Jo, but I am learning the truth that young children may tell their adoption story flawlessly without really understanding it. Children are also self-centered (that’s not a negative judgment, just a developmental stage) and assume others are, or should be, like them. When Meg asked me again, “Whose tummy did you grow in?” and … Continue reading →

It‘s Not a Race

When I was a new parent, I was terribly concerned about developmental stages and where my kids “fit“ in terms of percentiles and development charts. Over the years, however, I have learned how to relax on all of these “stages” and “phases” and I’ve realized that it isn’t a race. There is no finish line where my child needs to cross ahead of everyone else and even if it sometimes seems this way, I don’t have to choose to participate in that sort of competitive child development. Now, I am not saying that it is easy not to give in … Continue reading →

Developmental Vs. Chronological Age

One thing parents should keep in mind is that a child’s developmental age may not be the same as his/her chronological age. This may happen more often with children who are adopted as they may have lacked the stimulation to reach developmental milestones, psychological stages of development may be interrupted by a move, or the child may be busy adjusting to a new environment, schedule and parents rather than using that energy to progress in development. It is even psychologically healthy, adoption counselors say, for children to repeat some of the stages of development with their new parents. For example, … Continue reading →

Teaching your Child to Stay in Bed

Being a single parent probably means that you arrive home after a day of work only to find the kids need supper, baths, homework needs to be done, the house needs to be picked up, and the list goes on. Therefore, once you get the children in bed, you want them to stay there. However, many children will go to bed but then find getting up is more fun. I think every parent has dealt with this issue. You get through dinner, bath time, stories have been read, songs have been sung, and a sip of water has been provided. … Continue reading →

Dealing with Children’s Emotions

As your baby moves into the toddler age, then on into adolescence he or she will experience bouts of anger. The bottom line is that different children handle change and stress in a unique way. During more stressful times, one child may become quiet and withdrawn while another child explodes in fits of anger. As a single parent, you have the responsibility of teaching your child that being upset is normal but with boundaries. Reacting to your child who is in a fit of anger with your own anger will only escalate the situation. Instead, react with a calm voice … Continue reading →