50 votes
Accepted

Convince my wife that the flu vaccine is good for our child

It's possible your wife is mixing the Hygiene Hypothesis with vaccinations. They're unrelated; the Hygiene Hypothesis is related specifically to children getting a particular virus (RSV) before they ...
Joe's user avatar
  • 62.7k
28 votes

Limit access to screens (phone, computer) to my kids, whereas I benefitted from "no limit" during my own childhood

My situation is very similar to what you describe: we have multiple kids — one of whom is 9, one slightly older, and one slight younger — I grew up with mostly "unlimited" computer access (...
Solomon Rutzky's user avatar
22 votes

Limit access to screens (phone, computer) to my kids, whereas I benefitted from "no limit" during my own childhood

In addition to all the other answers, I'd like to concentrate on the addictive behavior you described. Gaming addiction is just as real as drug addiction and very dangerous because many games, ...
Elmy's user avatar
  • 521
19 votes

Limit access to screens (phone, computer) to my kids, whereas I benefitted from "no limit" during my own childhood

The screen is not the problem. I believe we're dealing with a XY problem here. Surely screens are damaging our children irreparably. Breathe. Relax. Grab a cup of tea and consult the wikipedia list ...
loopbackbee's user avatar
13 votes

Limit access to screens (phone, computer) to my kids, whereas I benefitted from "no limit" during my own childhood

As you say in your question, the beneficial part of your access to computers was your early exposure to programming and other productive computer skills, and the part that you are concerned about is ...
Kevin's user avatar
  • 229
13 votes
Accepted

What professional helps teach parents how to parent?

Mother in law? More seriously, a parent coach is what you’re looking for. There are also more specific roles, such as a lactation consultant, who would help with specific things, but parent coach is ...
Joe's user avatar
  • 62.7k
12 votes

Convince my wife that the flu vaccine is good for our child

and thus make their immune system stronger But that's exactly what vaccination does! It injects (weakened) viruses together with an adjuvant (which puts the immune system on high alert) to trigger an ...
meriton's user avatar
  • 221
10 votes
Accepted

Is there such a thing as too much machine time?

I don't think you'll find studies on this unfortunately, but the concern with screen time is a very different thing than the concern might be with the Roomba or whatnot. From the American Academy of ...
Joe's user avatar
  • 62.7k
10 votes

After divorce: alternating parents in the kids' home or alternating kids in parents' houses?

I think that as a practical matter it would be easier on the kids to stay in the same home, but I think it would be a strain on the parents and not necessarily effective in the long term. Sharing a ...
Joe's user avatar
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8 votes

How to help a teen that wants to learn productive skills, but has entertainment addiction?

I have experienced something similar to your son (although a lot milder I suspect), however I am a professional software engineer and in my very limited free time I make games. Something I've always ...
Kyyshak's user avatar
  • 777
8 votes

All-or-nothing thinking

One of the key terms you should add to your vocabulary is growth mindset. A growth mindset means you believe you are capable of growth, and approach problems that way. Rather than "I can't do ...
Joe's user avatar
  • 62.7k
7 votes

After divorce: alternating parents in the kids' home or alternating kids in parents' houses?

Speaking as a child of divorce, I can tell you: it was inconvenient to keep my belongings in two houses, but it was never alienating. When you and your former spouse split time with the kids, you'll ...
Eikre's user avatar
  • 171
6 votes

Kid genius help

Just to add to Timur Shtatlands great advice; Try to get gifted children to explore things which they normally would not try, for example, if the child really likes science, it is beneficial to ...
B-K's user avatar
  • 170
6 votes

Convince my wife that the flu vaccine is good for our child

I have family members that are also against vaccines. I've seen some answers counteract her concern with facts. But sometime people can be less worried about technical details and more weary of the ...
stan's user avatar
  • 2,646
5 votes

What professional helps teach parents how to parent?

Child psychologists and child development experts are among the professionals who teach parenting skills. EXAMPLES: Coursera class "Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing" is taught ...
Timur Shtatland's user avatar
5 votes
Accepted

Five Year old structured playing

I don't know if what you describe is normal for your child's age, and I would beware of any advice you get on the internet about "normal" diagnosis based on the online post. I recommend ...
Timur Shtatland's user avatar
4 votes

How to help a teen that wants to learn productive skills, but has entertainment addiction?

You describe a very problematic situation, not only because it is frustrating for your son and yourself, but because he is at risk of learning that wholesome success is unattainable for him (despite ...
Arno's user avatar
  • 3,040
4 votes
Accepted

How to encourage 9 year old boy to start learning new skill

This is something we struggle with as well, at a similar age. What works best for us, though not perfectly, is rather than force him to do it, incent him to do it. Provide some reward for ...
Joe's user avatar
  • 62.7k
4 votes

What are some of the risks to a child of a divorce going to trial?

However you settle differences, be it through courts, mediation, handshake over coffee, the impacts to the child are mostly around a) how they see the parents interact, and b) if they get caught in ...
Michael Broughton's user avatar
4 votes

After divorce: alternating parents in the kids' home or alternating kids in parents' houses?

We choose two homes within close proximity. Our daughter goes to the same school all the time, but sleeps at either home depending on need. Usually it it is a full week, but if one adult needs to ...
WRX's user avatar
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4 votes

Limit access to screens (phone, computer) to my kids, whereas I benefitted from "no limit" during my own childhood

Like others in this thread I had a similar upbringing to you. When I was younger (say early primary school), I had unrestricted use on the (only) computer in the house. There was a slow and ...
David_G's user avatar
  • 141
3 votes
Accepted

Kid genius help

You could be dealing with a gifted child, perhaps even a so-called "twice exceptional" child. See, for example, the book: Jan Davidson, Bob Davidson, and Laura Vanderkam (2005) "Genius Denied": https:/...
Timur Shtatland's user avatar
3 votes

How to encourage 9 year old boy to start learning new skill

The hard part is not only to encourage the child to try something new once, but to stick to it and give the new skill a really good try. It may require trying something a number of times. Encourage ...
Timur Shtatland's user avatar
3 votes

Limit access to screens (phone, computer) to my kids, whereas I benefitted from "no limit" during my own childhood

The benefit you got from screens was from using hackable systems; most screens I got most of the same benefit without 'net access, and with only 30 minutes access a week (later, a day), because I just ...
wizzwizz4's user avatar
  • 131
3 votes

What are the psychological impacts of a split-religion household?

My view, for what it's worth: I don't know how the last four years have panned out for you, but everyone has missed the most important point. It's not so important which religious view you "teach" ...
user24000's user avatar
  • 131
3 votes

Our seven year old son has trouble responding to certain kinds of adult interactions

How is it going? is a very difficult question, and I'm completely unsurprised that a 7 year old struggles with it. It can mean a lot of different things depending on the context and the relationship ...
Arno's user avatar
  • 3,040
3 votes

All-or-nothing thinking

Too long answer (longer than I wanted it to be), because @dhx covered the more important stuff so well. This is just another tool for the kit. I suggest you start teaching the child the subject ...
anongoodnurse's user avatar
3 votes

Should I reveal the truth about Santa?

My son is eight and I need to remind people not to talk too honestly about Christmas when he is around. Because most people assume him to know that Santa is not real. But he believes and I would never ...
Allerleirauh's user avatar

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