Tag Archives: stages

The Ups and Downs of Toddler Development

If you think that life with your toddler seems to be full of ups and downs, you are right. Children actually pass through cycles of equilibrium and disequilibrium, changing from one to the other about every six months. I wish that I had learned about this a lot sooner, because understanding the cycle of equilibrium and disequilibrium has given me a new perspective on toddler behavior that just might help me to have a little more patience with my boys. When a child is in disequilibrium, he is actively growing, changing, and learning new skills. Intense behavioral changes are also … 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 →

Moving On to Different Stages

I realized the other day that I have been operating my home business for over two years. If I throw in the 3 years a half-decade ago when I ran my own consulting firm out of my home as well, I really cannot consider myself a beginner. That came as a bit of a surprise to me—I think it can be pretty common for us to get “stuck” in a certain stage with our businesses and not realize when it is time to move on… When does our business go from a struggling start-up to an adolescent company? How do … Continue reading →

What Do I Say When People Ask Me About Teenagers?

Fairly regularly, people ask me what it is REALLY like living with three high-school age teenagers? Friends and acquaintances will want to know if it is as “horrible” as they have heard? If it is all sex, drugs, and bad behavior? Someone will watch a television program or read a newspaper headline and they will want to know firsthand, what teenagers are like “now days.” Well, all I can do is answer the truth as I know it… As many of you know, I actually LIKE my kids and I enjoy the teenage phase. In reality, there have been such … Continue reading →

Meeting Them Where They Are

In my role as a single parent, I have had a tendency to treat my kids the way I WISH they would be, or expect them to be further along in terms of development than they are. I also have a tendency to panic and assume that if they haven’t reached a certain developmental stage “by now” they might not EVER get there. I imagine that I might be this way if I wasn’t a single parent, but I do think that the fact that I feel like I must expect more from my kids probably exacerbates the situation. Over … Continue reading →

It’s All New to Them

Over the years, I have been inclined to occasionally forget that what is old hat, or an old lesson to me—is still all new to my kids. I know that this is the very reason many people love to be around young children, it is a chance to see an old world through fresh eyes and to get a renewed version of the world. But, as a parent, I sometimes forget that what I’ve grown weary of is all new to my children. I find with teenagers, that so much of what they are doing is very reminiscent to me … Continue reading →

Don’t Just Rely on Age as Indicator

Developmental stages and age charts are just one way of evaluating whether or not a child is on track or in a “developmentally appropriate” stage. Most parents learn that age cannot be the only indicator of whether a child is capable of handling increased responsibilities, more complicated toys, special activities, etc. Our child and the same-age neighbor may be in completely different developmental stages. It is easy to find charts that tell you what the “average” 10-year-old or 5-year-old or even 16-year-old should be doing. Many parents will also set benchmarks like “no make-up until you’re 13” or “no dating … Continue reading →

The “Joke” Stage

The other day, I heard two young children talking on the bus—they were taking turns telling each other jokes that they appeared to be making up on the spot. While I didn’t exactly understand the humor behind each joke they told, they certainly were tickled with themselves and each other and it reminded me of when my own children were going through the “joke” stage. It was all about trying to make up and tell silly and amusing jokes. Story-telling and jokes become great fun for children around the time they enter elementary school. 5-8 year-olds are prime members of … Continue reading →

Children’s Taste in Popular Music Starts Young

If you thought that your child wouldn’t become interested in popular music (rock, rap, hip-hop, or whatever) until he or she was a teenager, it may come as a rude awakening when your first grader starts singing the annoying hit of the day! Music companies and marketers understand that the market demographic for popular music is getting younger and younger, so parents benefit from getting a grasp on this developmental stage as well. Interest in popular music really isn’t new. It is completely normal and developmentally appropriate for children to start to notice and respond to music heard on the … Continue reading →

Fun With Stats and Facts

Do you remember the little boy in the movie “Jerry McGuire” who was constantly sharing obscure facts and stats? Part of what made this character so endearing and fun was how accurate and typical it is. Sometime around the early elementary-school years, many children develop a fascination with records, statistics, and facts—they love to acquire and learn them, but the really love to share them with whoever will listen! As annoying as your little “know-it-all” can seem at times—this really is a huge developmental leap and a way of learning that should be encouraged. By reading, sorting, categorizing and memorizing—children … Continue reading →