Development

Child Development 101: Meeting Milestones

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:29:14 +0100

How is your baby developing? As a parent, you may begin to worry about how babies develop. If you’re following your child’s progress month by month, Baby will display signs to you about what he’s capable of. Questions like “Is baby sitting up?”, “Is baby talking?”, “Is baby walking?” and more will arise. There are six important areas of child development to examine in order to determine whether a child is progressing at a normal pace. In most instances, par...

Raising a Girl

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:23:24 +0100

Mother to Daughter or Dad and Daughters ... talking and really listening to your girl as she grows is key to her feeling close to you. When I had my daughter, I didn’t think for an instant about how I would raise her in this world full of confusing messages and images. The raising of a healthy, involved girl places her mother front and center in the role model position. That’s huge. her body By the time a girl enters elementary school, messages from Mom about how she views her body and m...

handling your child’s first CRUSH

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:00:50 +0100

It’s just a little crush, or is it? Learn how to navigate your child’s heart strings WHEN CUPID STRIKES. “Oh, how cute.” That’s what crossed my mind when a boy from summer camp called and asked my eldest daughter, who was in fourth grade at the time, to go to the movies. (She said, “No!” then ran from the phone.) But as I witnessed, a first crush — whether it’s initiated by your child or she’s on the receiving end of the romantic attention — is definitely anything but adora...

life skills for can-do kids

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:50:32 +0100

All kids, no matter their age, want to be independent. Good! You need them to be ... and as soon as possible, too. The best way to encourage your child’s independence is to give them the skills they need for it. But easy does it. First efforts and big-kid things require a lot of parental encouragement and participation. Children need to be able to take risks without feeling that their parents will criticize or correct them for doing something wrong. A child’s resiliency grows its deepest roo...

Reality Check: At What Age a Cell Phone

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:09:56 +0100

Don’t put a cell phone under the tree for your child without a clear-cut plan of action in the works. Surprise! Your fifth grader wants a cell phone! But unlike getting the keys to the car when she turns 16, getting a cell phone in hand at age 11 is getting immediate, un-parented freedom ... that is, unless you do the right thing and set up the parameters properly. But parents were caught off guard when cell phone popularity surged, and parents everywhere today struggle to keep up with th...

How to Bully Proof Your Child

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:45:26 +0100

From education.com, the next time you become concerned about something you’re hearing from school, remember these four Rs. They can make all the difference. RECOGNIZE what’s happening. Maybe your child is being teased or physically attacked; or perhaps just repeatedly shut out of a group. Your first step — after getting your breath back, of course — is to listen to the facts, all of them. Don’t flinch. When you listen, you take a crucial first step in help...

Bullies and The Bullied

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:24:14 +0100

There’s more awareness of bullying than ever before, but the psycho-social games continue in school hallways, locker rooms, on buses and on playgrounds. Different programs are in place, but a new one may bring about a solution. “My son was in tears. He said this boy was kicking him in class. This was the same boy we thought was his new friend — who attended his birthday party, went to the movies with him, played at our house,” says Kim of Brentwood, recalling the bullying of her son at m...

kids & understanding differences

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:13:44 +0100

When children get curious about another child’s uniqueness, be prepared to answer their questions. Do you remember the time your child asked, “Mommy, what’s wrong with that boy?” as you pushed your buggy down the aisle of the grocery store? Young children innocently point, ask questions out loud and continually challenge their parents as they grow up for answers to many of life’s most delicate subjects, but questions about a child’s noticeable disability are always difficult for pare...

Raise a "Love to Learn" Child

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 05:19:56 +0100

Your preschooler’s mind is like a sponge, eager to explore and understand. Take advantage of this time in your child’s life to give him a thirst for life-long learning. “Look, Mommy! Come see what I made!” says 4-year-old Connor, running toward his mother and sliding in his socks on the hardwood floor. He’s busting to share his accomplishment — and there’s a lot of that these days. In his room, Connor has assembled a giant fire engine floor puzzle, and ...

How Technology Can Keep Kids Reading

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:25:51 +0100

Developing a love of reading in my four children is of paramount importance to me and is critical to most parents. But “how to” is very elusive. Why doesn’t my second child love to read when it seems everyone else’s children are avid and engaged readers? When my son was 2, he would grab his favorite book (We’re Going on a Bear Hunt) and jump on my lap. We’d read it in silly voices and never skipped a word or missed a page. But when he went to kindergarten and was asked to read every n...

MORNING REDUX

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:10:46 +0100

Punctuality is important in the real working world, and while I tried to instill that value into my children, nothing worked. The more I pestered them, the slower they’d move. Brenda Hill, an occupational therapist, recommended that I try a reusable checklist for last year’s start to school. She told me that the basic learning styles — kinesthetic, auditory and visual — could be combined to reach most kids, but that I’d be most efficient and successful by creating something I kne...

Jitter Jangle

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 19:59:23 +0100

PREPARE YOUR KIDS with tips for ridding school jitters and teach them how to do it yourself in the mornings! New teachers, new friends and new routines: the first day of school is loaded with fresh experiences, and for some children, anxiety, particularly for young kids or those transitioning to a new school. Children who feel uneasy about school may be reluctant to attend, or they might display their worries by acting out. Fortunately, you can help ease first-day-of-school jitters for your ch...

Eye To Eye: Teaching Kids to Talk to Adults

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:34:56 +0100

Thereâ€™s something wonderful about the child who knows how to talk to her parentsâ€™ friends. Socializing children is not just about kids her own age.

Back to School Bits

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:32:44 +0100

Does Your Child Trust You with His Secrets?

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:28:11 +0100

When Your Child's Bad Day Stretches Over Weeks, Get Help!

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:25:59 +0100

Brain-Boosting Web Sites For Kids

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:24:28 +0100

You've heard the worries about young children and too much TV, but what about the Internet?

Class Act: Quantum Learning at Work

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:22:43 +0100

Kids CAN Mind Their Manners

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:19:33 +0100

Raising Readers in the Digital Age

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:17:35 +0100

Say "Bye" to Shy

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:15:31 +0100

The Littlest Social Networkers

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:13:57 +0100

Everyone knows teens are preoccupied with Web sites like MySpace and Facebook, but now children as young as 5 have social networking Web sites just for them.

What It's Like to Raise a Special Needs Child

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:11:32 +0100

Emotions in Motion

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:09:14 +0100

Your guide to the funny, exasperating, adorable behaviors children display.

A Parent's Role in a Child's Self-Esteem

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:01:31 +0100

According to Kirby Pate, M.D., Psychiatric Consultants partner and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Vanderbilt, "You simply cannot have self-esteem without feeling confident of yourself and your ability to solve problems. Self-esteem, to a certain extent, is earned, whereas confidence is learned." Here is some additional insight Pate has to offer: What are some warning signs that your child's self-esteem may be suffering? "The most reliable indication of self-esteem is a ch...

A Teacher's Wish List

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:59:17 +0100

Teachers receive numerous requests from parents. "Can you please move Billy's seat away from Nick's?" "Could you please remind Abby to wear her glasses?" "Please excuse Missy from homework on Wednesdays because she goes to her father's house."

Are You Teaching Your Kids to Lie?

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:57:37 +0100

The Unintentional Mishaps of Moms and Dads. We lie to avoid punishment or embarrassment, to increase or preserve our status, to maintain privacy and to protect ourselves or someone else from harm. Just be careful what you're modeling for your kids.

Battling Against Bullying

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:55:15 +0100

Today, bullying is more prevalent than ever. And because it's so difficult to escape, parents need to talk to kids so they'll know how to handle a bully if faced with one. Discuss problems before they escalate.

Breaking the Silence: Getting Kids to Talk Through Divorce

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:51:47 +0100

Sharon Fields of Bellevue says the most difficult aspect of divorce isnâ€™t the actual divorce itself, but rather, how it can shut down childrenâ€™s abilities to communicate openly with parents. Her two kids are 11 and 9.

Building Character

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:48:48 +0100

How to help when your child encounters a character-defining moment

Character Counts: Instilling Values in Your Children

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:47:04 +0100

You've heard it said by your grandparents, or someone else's - kids today just don't have any respect for authority.

Coddling

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:45:03 +0100

When a beautiful child is brought into the world, helpless and searching his motherâ€™s eyes for comfort and guidance, the bonding process begins.

Comic Relief: How Humor Helps Your Kids

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:43:27 +0100

We all know the parents - the ones who push, push, push their children to strive for more, more, more.

Communication is Key

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:40:21 +0100

"Stop, drop and roll if your clothes catch fire." "Dial 911 for an emergency." Fire fighters visit preschools to teach young children these sayings. It's rare to meet a first grader who doesn't know what to do in an emergency -- the directions are so clear a child can easily remember what to do.

Cultivating Companionship Between Kids and Dogs

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:32:51 +0100

I grew up with Bullmastiffs. So when the opportunity arose to adopt a 4-month-old female, my husband and I jumped at the chance.

Encouraging Gentleness in Boys

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:22:07 +0100

Instead of trying to stifle a boy's natural propensity for competition and aggression, parents should make every effort to channel them. Boys are the future men of the world. They need to be handled with care.

Encouraging Your Children

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:21:04 +0100

Children come to us the way they are: easy going or high spirited, friendly or timid.

Gift of Grace

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:18:34 +0100

Pray as if everything depended on God. Act as if everything depended on you. The one who rises from prayer a better person, that prayer has been answered. â€” The Gates of Prayer for the Sabbath, a Jewish prayer book

Gratitude Begins at Home

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:15:26 +0100

Christmas morning! Our house is bursting with excitement. Three of my four children are giddy with happiness, each one opening the treasures that Santa has left for them. As I scan the room, I notice a look of bewilderment on the face of my 8-year-old son. Plopping down next to him, I ask if everything's all right. He hesitates and then replies, "Well, I was just wondering ... Is this all I get this year?" After the initial shock wears off and the urge to return every one of his gifts subs...

Growing up Online: Tiny Techies

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:10:28 +0100

A computer in every crib!

Happy Helpers

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:07:50 +0100

Keeping a clean house is important to me. I like things tidy, but I don't want to be the only one pitching in.

Helicopter Parenting

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:54:04 +0100

Amanda Bartlettâ€™s 9-year-old daughter, Abby, gets frustrated with her mother frequently. â€œShe tells me to back off,â€ the Whites Creek mom says. â€œI realize itâ€™s my fault. I tend to â€˜mother herâ€™ and hover over her more than I should ... but itâ€™s hard not to,â€ she adds. Bartlett is not alone. Many parents just canâ€™t help it. Itâ€™s instinctive to involve yourself in your childâ€™s life. Whether you want to help your c...

Holiday Websites for Kids

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:52:48 +0100

Whether games, history or a sophisticated Santa tracking system, kids can have lots of holiday fun on the Web.

Kid-Friendly in the Kitchen

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:51:06 +0100

With the holidays fast approaching, kids can have fun â€” and learn â€” with cooking.

Learning to Manage Parenting Differences

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:49:12 +0100

Let's Be Friends

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:45:35 +0100

Nothing brings more fun to a simple bike ride or a rambunctious game of tag than the friends you do it with.

Nurturing Your Exceptional Child

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:43:08 +0100

When your child shows academic promise, the best thing you can do is challenge her.

Overcoming Underachieving

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:27:09 +0100

Few things are as gut-wrenching for parents as watching their capable children fail to achieve their potential.

Playground Politics

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:22:43 +0100

Please Don't Interrupt Me!

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:20:30 +0100

How often are you on the phone, engrossed in conversation, when a tug at your arm or a voice of desperation pleads for your attention?

Q&A with Michael Thompson

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:17:15 +0100

If given the choice to have lunch with any man on the planet, whom would you choose? George Clooney? Kenny Chesney? Maybe Eddie George? For me, the choice would be between guys like Ross Green, Robert Brooks and Michael Thompson. Who are they you ask? Authors of some of my favorite books on the emotional health of children.

Raising Respectful Kids

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:15:20 +0100

Scaredy Cat!

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:12:15 +0100

Help for the Over-Anxious Child

Speaking the Unspeakable

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:05:53 +0100

How to talk to children about what even we don't understand

Take Me to the Well: Developing Children's Spirituality

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:02:56 +0100

We influence our children's decisions on everything from the food they eat to the movies they see â€” but now more than ever, it's their spirits we need to nurture.

Talk to Me!

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:58:34 +0100

When their daughter Makena was born four years ago, first-time parents Karlee and Dave McCarroll did all the right things to encourage her language development.

The Serious Business of Play

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:55:44 +0100

"I do everything I can to help my child learn," says the mother of a little girl who recently turned 3. "Ever since she was 2, we have worked every day with flashcards -- first with letters and colors, then progressing to words. I buy her all the educational and developmental playthings on the market, and I make sure that her time isn't wasted -- that it's spent learning. I love my child and want her to have every advantage by the time she gets to kindergarten." Another mother looks out th...

The Stress of Growing Up

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:51:59 +0100

Some children may glide through their preteen and teen years effortlessly. However, for most the transition from childhood to adulthood is like crossing a mountain range -- filled with high peaks and low valleys. Regardless of the age of your child, how you relate to her now will affect the way she copes with the peaks and valleys to come.

The True-to-Life Drama of Kids

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:50:12 +0100

One mom's story of a child's overwhelming concern.

The Truth About Honesty

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:46:59 +0100

Learn to deal with lying in a constructive way.

Twins, Triplets or More?

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:44:52 +0100

If it seems you're seeing double or triple more often these days, it's not because you're having vision problems; it's because twins, triplets and even larger numbers of multiple births happen more and more often. Yet that doesn't dampen our fascination with them.

United We Stand

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:42:34 +0100

While it's important for parents to maintain a united front when disciplining their children, it can also be beneficial for kids to know that differences of opinion will occur.

Yes I Can! Coaching Your Child to Counter Self-Defeating Thinking

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:39:07 +0100

Encourage your child in new ways to neutralize confrontation and doubt.

"What's a Recession, Mom?"

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:36:55 +0100

American families have experienced an average 25 percent decline in their net worth, and the economy's in the tank. What can you teach your kids about it?

Handwriting: Learning to Write Right

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:35:14 +0100

Help your child shape letters correctly, then move onto cursive with handy tips from a leading hand-writing expert.

Raising Info-Literate Kids in an Online World

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:33:19 +0100

With tons of information in cyberspace, and much of it coming from unreliable sources, hereâ€™s help for teaching your child how to decipher whatâ€™s true and whatâ€™s bogus online.

I Think I Can: Raising Optimistic Kids

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:27:34 +0100

While genetics DO play a role in determining kidsâ€™ attitudes, there is good evidence that we can help kids look on the bright side more often.