10
votes
5answers
1k views
What are some strategies for helping children cope with divorce?
I have two young children and I'm going though a divorce. My daughter is 5, and my Son is 2.
I'm worried because my son and daughters behaviors has gone down hill. I was wondering if there was ...
10
votes
4answers
357 views
How do you investigate what's going on in the pre-kindergarten classroom?
For some, seeing the kindergarten teacher have such remarkable control over 20 children seems astonishing.
But she doesn't get that without doing something. And the children don't always tell you ...
10
votes
6answers
548 views
Is it normal for a six year old to say he's fallen in love?
Our 6.5 year old boy came home one day saying "there's something wrong with my mind", after some questioning he told my wife that he sometimes falls in love with girls and can't stop thinking about ...
10
votes
7answers
1k views
How do I cope with my toddler's jealousy towards her newborn brother and sister?
We had 2 adorable twins in January. Our older daughter is jealous of them and our life has become a nightmare. How can we address her jealousy and improve our situation?
10
votes
8answers
6k views
Is the “1 2 3 Magic” strategy for disciplining effective?
Has anyone had experience with the discipline strategies put forth in the book "1 2 3 Magic" by Thomas W Phelan?
"1-2-3 Magic" involves counting your child for bad behavior. For example, your ...
10
votes
4answers
611 views
When do you encourage your children to move out?
I recently met a guy, age 40, still living with his parents. In the gossip circuit this was considered inappropriate. But is it really? And if so, when does sharing a household with your grownup ...
10
votes
7answers
2k views
Plane activities for little ones
I am taking four children ages 2,3,4, and 8 on a 4+ hour plane ride. Ideas for entertaining them WITHOUT plugging them in for the entire time would be much appreciated. We have the basics, crayons, ...
10
votes
10answers
417 views
How can I help my pre-schooler to relax and fall asleep?
Our 5-year-old has trouble going to sleep at night. If we put her to bed at 8, she might not fall asleep until 10 or 11, then sleep in until 9 the next day. She'll lay in bed and try to go to sleep, ...
10
votes
5answers
6k views
How do I teach my child to speak in sentences?
My son is 2.3yrs. Right now we keep reading books for him. He pays attention only for some time. We also keep teaching letters and numbers during his bed time or during his bath. When asked he repeats ...
10
votes
7answers
180 views
How and when do I teach my son to use chopsticks?
Even though I live in the U.S., I find using a fork inefficient and clumsy. I'd like to teach my son how to use chopsticks as an alternative.
What is the best way to do this without interfering with ...
10
votes
2answers
274 views
Have studies shown whether toys that feature guns or other weapons prominently promote violent behavior?
Note: I am looking for referenced answers only! Answers citing one or more peer reviewed studies, or, better yet, a meta analysis of several such studies, would be ideal. Answers that reference ...
10
votes
7answers
6k views
How can I get my toddler to sleep later in the mornings?
My son, now 15 months old, was sleeping through the night, and waking up consistently at 6am. However, over the past few months he had been gradually waking up earlier. Now he wakes up consistently ...
10
votes
9answers
4k views
Baby breastfeeds for only 5 mins before sleeping again
My daughter is 2 months old and is exclusively breastfed. After drinking for only 5 mins she falls asleep again and wakes up crying again after 30 mins. We have tried different things like tickling ...
10
votes
5answers
1k views
How do I help a child overcome fear of ghosts?
About a month ago we got two foster children, ages 9 and 7. The younger one often has nightmares, and in the daytime has many fears. She won't take a bath by herself and she is afraid of mirrors. We ...
10
votes
1answer
460 views
What should I consider when deciding whether to homeschool my child?
This is an often-controversial topic, one where it's easy to find conflicting or misleading information. What are the important points to consider when making the decision to enroll in a mortar and ...
10
votes
5answers
2k views
When is the best time in a child's development to move to a different area?
We're thinking of switching to a different region at some point in the future. We're not sure when would be best with regards to our child's education and development needs? Would it be best to move ...
10
votes
3answers
151 views
2 week old baby is not interested in eating
My 2 week old baby girl is not nursing well. At each nursing, she eats 1 to 1.5 ounces in about 50 to 60 minutes. She often falls asleep immediately afterwards. If we let her, she will sleep for 3+ ...
10
votes
5answers
3k views
At what age do kids start sleeping through the night?
My son is now almost 12 months old and he still doesn't sleep through the night regularly. Maybe one night a month he will sleep from 7pm->6.30am without waking, and that's only if he's utterly ...
10
votes
7answers
3k views
How can I get my child to stop biting others?
How do I get my 5-year-old to stop biting his brother and classmates?
10
votes
11answers
310 views
What is a reasonable amount of time to wait before family visits your new baby?
My wife and I are preparing to negotiate with our families about visiting our first baby. We want to take some time to recover and feel like we have a comfortable routine before taking visitors. We ...
10
votes
6answers
281 views
When should kids get a cellphone?
It seems everybody and his cat has a smartphone today. (I'm guilty too.) My son will probably demand his own phone somewhere between the age of 7 and 12. I know I can't compare to when I was a kid ...
10
votes
6answers
1k views
Is the “cry it out” approach harmful?
We have several questions on this site that deal with infants and toddlers who cry a lot, for various reasons. Here is an example question and example answer, another answer. The topic was raised on ...
10
votes
4answers
1k views
How do I help my son with fine motor skills?
My son's first grade teacher called the other day and says that he has problems holding his pencil. I knew that he didn't like writing and pretty much refused to write his name on any of his work in ...
10
votes
3answers
248 views
How do we stop our child screeching?
Our 3 1/2 month old has just learned how to make an ear-piercing screech, which appears to either mean "happy" or "tired and grumpy".
How can we dissuade her from making this noise, without ...
10
votes
5answers
1k views
How do you explain World War II to young children?
My 7-year old son asks many questions about World War II. I have the habit not to hide anything, but concepts such as Nazism or the Holocaust are so inherently dreadful that he sometimes seems to ...
10
votes
4answers
2k views
What constitutes verbal abuse of one's child?
I frequently see parents engaging in behavior that I perceive to be verbal abuse. However, with so many parents falling in different places with regard to the strictness of their discipline, the ...
10
votes
7answers
328 views
One room for each son, or one bedroom and one play room?
My family just +1'd itself. The newborn sleeps with us in the master bedroom for now, but we will move him when he's a few months old and no longer requires attention several times each night.
Our ...
10
votes
3answers
204 views
Are employers required to accomodate pumping mothers?
It seems like I will be recalled to work after being laid off in the spring. I am a media specialist at an elementary school. The schedule I would be assigned has classes back to back all day other ...
10
votes
8answers
1k views
How do you stop a toddler from trying to get into bed with her parents in the middle of the night?
For a few weeks now my 2 year old daughter has woken up in the middle of the night crying for mom or dad. This started out when we took off her diaper and she would cry to go to the potty. She picked ...
10
votes
2answers
464 views
How can we teach a toddler to use first person and second person point of view in speech?
My 2y5m old daughter speaks rather well for her age, but she keeps using 3rd person in almost every situation. Whether she speaks about herself or people she addresses to, she uses third person: not ...
10
votes
5answers
455 views
How can I teach my child not to be greedy?
It seems that today's world has gone mad in consumerism and materialism. Parents give their kids presents on all kinds of occasions where presents didn't use to be given, like random holidays ...
10
votes
2answers
309 views
Should imaginary friends be accepted or discouraged?
As a professional working with families, I am often asked about imaginary friends. I never experienced this behavior with my own son so I have little personal information to share.
One child ...
10
votes
4answers
660 views
How can I stop my toddler from having nightmares about robots?
When my son was one-and-a-half, my sister gave us a Wall.e Robot toy; it talks when you push buttons and moves back and forth. He loved it.
But all of a sudden a year later he has become terrified of ...
10
votes
2answers
155 views
Physical affection around young children from previous relationship
How do you introduce young children from a previous relationship to the idea that you are becoming seriously involved with a new person.
I want to help my girlfriend with this because lately, as of ...
10
votes
2answers
532 views
Explaining to a toddler when masturbation is appropriate
Our toddler has discovered the joys of having her hand down the front of her panties. Frequently.
Now, we don't want to tell her that doing so is wrong, but we want to explain to her that there's an ...
10
votes
3answers
726 views
Are signs of early puberty in a primary-school aged child a cause for concern?
My son is less than 6 years old, and last week we discovered that he has grown a little bit of pubic hair. This seems way too soon for this to happen. My older son, who is 9 years old, only now ...
10
votes
3answers
270 views
Why does the baby consistently fuss at nightfall?
My daughter (2 months old) consistently fusses or screams around sundown/nightfall regardless of the sky is overcast, the lights in the house are on, or apparently any other factor.
Is this common, ...
10
votes
6answers
3k views
2 year old still does not (and has never) slept through the night
In his now 26 months of life, he has probably slept all the way through the night 15, maybe 20 times. They seemed to be an irregularity, never happened two nights in a row.
He is a easy as pie to ...
10
votes
5answers
331 views
How do you respond to a teenager who has started to smoke?
How can you best handle this? Coming off as too strong and authoritative might invite "rebellion". Too lenient makes it seem okay.
What is the best response for driving home the dangers and risks ...
10
votes
4answers
339 views
How should I react if another child “attacks” my son by doing something he does not like (but not especially dangerous)
Recently I was in the following situation:
I wanted to pick up my son (4.5 years old) in the kindergarten and another child was throwing bark mulch at him.
I don't consider this especially ...
10
votes
6answers
325 views
How do you address a 5 year old that has problems accepting corrections?
My 5 year old niece who is 'kind of' smart, (i.e. was playing solitaire online before her 3rd birthday and is now doing 4 digit addition/subtraction and multiplication up to 5's; and reads chapter ...
10
votes
2answers
5k views
How much noise does it take to negatively impact an infant's hearing?
In our apartment complex we have fire alarms that are outrageously loud. Last night, we woke at 4:30 am to the alarm going off all through the building. We got out as quickly as possible, but I'm ...
10
votes
3answers
555 views
How do you operate a successful “Star Chart”?
So, one of the techniques for improving behaviour that you often hear about is the "star chart". You put the focus on good behaviour by adding stars (I nearly said "badges") for the good stuff and ...
10
votes
8answers
4k views
How can I help a child who won't talk to anybody at school? Selective mutism
Although I am not a parent, I am interning in social work. I am currently working with a student in an elementary school who does not speak. The parents have explained that she does speak at home (I ...
10
votes
3answers
214 views
Finding Great Books at the Right Level
My daughter began reading at age three. When we enrolled in Kindergarten, she was tested and it was discovered that she could already read (and comprehend) at a fifth grade level at age five. She ...
10
votes
2answers
828 views
How do you respond when a child catches his parents having sex?
I ask this Question on behalf of my neighbor.
Their 12 year old son saw his parents having sex.
As there is only one room in their home we can't say its the parents' mistake... but now the question ...
10
votes
7answers
313 views
What should I look for in educational iPad apps for children?
What qualities should I look for in educational iPad apps for children?
10
votes
3answers
3k views
Why is my baby suddenly screaming in the bath?
My baby has always loved bath-time, almost since he was born. He learned to splash when he was only a couple of months old and loves to play around with the water, and over the past few weeks I've ...
10
votes
4answers
134 views
How do you keep playtime stimulating for an older sibling?
This is actually the opposite of a previously asked question
I'm doing fairly well with the 4 1/2 year old and the 20 month old sharing. But there are times that the older child wants to do things ...
10
votes
1answer
163 views
How to handle different rules about video games at friend's house?
My 8-year old son, like many boys his age, is obsessed with video games. We try to have a rule at our house where he's allowed to play certain games that are appropriate to his age, for only a ...
