125
votes
How to deal with a 6 year old who was "caught" cheating?
You may not like this answer, but bear with me for a moment, please.
So first, let’s recap what happened. Your son checked the answers for a test, during the test, in order to correct possible ...
- 18.3k
81
votes
Toddler made "incorrect" animal identification that is actually correct. Better to correct her or not?
At most ages your best bet is to agree that it is a kitty, as they are the same - but stress that it is a big kitty; the lion kind of kitty. It is a much more positive learning experience to be able ...
- 26.7k
63
votes
Are boys generally "lazy" in their early teens?
Everybody is different. Perhaps your son is "lazy" because he's not being challenged, so he doesn't want to do his homework because he views it as a waste of time. Maybe he's "lazy"...
- 973
55
votes
Accepted
Toddler made "incorrect" animal identification that is actually correct. Better to correct her or not?
Overextension is normal
Overextension and related phenomena (including the opposite, underextension) are very common, even expected phases in language acquisition.
Some children call all four-legged ...
- 1,549
52
votes
Does toddler keep hands around private parts?
Although it is always wise to be cautious about the safety of your young child, in general it is developmentally normal and natural (and not at all sexual in the adult sense) for a three year old to ...
- 7,894
49
votes
Why do I have negative feelings about my mother?
I don't think you hate your Mother as strongly as you think you do. We always get angry with those that are near us. It seems to be the easiest way to vent.
I remember being 16 and the reason why is ...
- 2,090
37
votes
How can I begin exposing my children to world news?
My personal opinion is that there are no sites I would consider appropriately curated.
This is something you should watch with them, discuss with them, and if needed, change channel.
I don't know ...
- 26.7k
35
votes
Is it normal for a child just turned 3 to be able to read and how do I develop and nurture his intelligence?
Speaking from experience1, your child is advanced, very likely gifted - but it happens. Remember that “normal” is just a statistical distribution and doesn’t imply any value or sense of wrong or right....
- 18.3k
30
votes
How to deal with a 6 year old who was "caught" cheating?
I was furious, so I called the vice-principal and asked why a 6-year-old was shamed and that child doesn't know the concept of cheating. The VP told me that he was not shamed in front of the class but ...
- 733
27
votes
My 5 year old successfully built a Lego set Porsche made for 18+ completely by himself, What can I do to use his gift in some way? What does this mean
As someone who grew up on Lego sets, and eventually became an engineer, I have a few thoughts.
Who chose the set? You or your child? If your child shows interest in things that you as parents choose, ...
- 415
23
votes
Does toddler keep hands around private parts?
A young child touching their privates is normal behavior.
This paper from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that children become increasingly sexual up to age 5
It goes on to state that self ...
- 331
21
votes
Is yelling often at kids equivalent to abuse?
How would you feel - honestly - if your employer (or anyone in a position of power over you) yelled at you to enforce their will ( regardless of whether you agree or not)? Would you feel respected, ...
- 72.2k
17
votes
Why do I have negative feelings about my mother?
I seriously doubt you hate your mother, she is most likely the focal point of the anger you feel about something else because she is the biggest presence in your life.
You probably need help dealing ...
- 3,193
16
votes
Is yelling often at kids equivalent to abuse?
To go beyond your question, remember this, your kids are learning from you too. Not only will they be this way as parents, but it will be their default way to handle conflict and frustration in their ...
- 3,368
16
votes
Are boys generally "lazy" in their early teens?
I have too few reputation points to add a comment to Robin's excellent reply, so I'm replying as an answer instead. Hopefully this will work, and please forgive me if this is out of the norm.
That ...
- 161
15
votes
Accepted
At what age do children usually learn to write letters of the alphabet?
Here, in Germany, kids begin to learn to write letters in the first form of elementary school, which children can enter no earlier than at age 6, and quite a few kids start school when they are 7. ...
- 166
14
votes
How can I begin exposing my children to world news?
If you don't start teaching them yourself, they will learn it from their friends. If you wait until you think they're"ready", you'll wait until it's too late.
The news media has always been subject ...
- 3,697
14
votes
Accepted
Walk or Drive to school?
Obviously, there is no answer that is right for everyone - a lot comes down to the situation, parenting style and so on. Also, you did not mention the child's age, so I'm assuming they are about to ...
- 2,932
13
votes
Accepted
How can I get involved in the parenting of my girlfriend's sister's 5-year-old who spends too much time on screens etc.?
You are too involved. She is not your child, the mother is not your sister, you aren’t an experienced parent yourself - you have no authority or bearing here. It’s excruciating to watch someone parent ...
- 664
13
votes
How to deal with a 6 year old who was "caught" cheating?
My apologies in advance if this post isn't accurate; I've made a lot of assumptions based on people I've met, many of which may not apply in your situation.
Several parts of your story remind me of ...
- 241
12
votes
Why do I have negative feelings about my mother?
Your mother is a source of stress for you, due to her expectations and constant reminders to improve yourself. It's possible that your turndown in grades and in other areas are a direct result of the ...
- 6,563
12
votes
Accepted
My daughter is asked to perform in front of adults constantly
As long as the emphasis is on the adults being proud of her, and no one tries to cajole her if she clearly does not want to do something, then I think it should be fine. Toddlers love games where ...
- 1,625
12
votes
When to give up learning an instrument with a 6-year-old?
I really feel like you are not looking at the situation objectively. You list 7 issues that present obstacles to your daughters success. You realize that it took a year and a half for her to learn the ...
- 1,489
12
votes
Accepted
How to encourage my 5-year-old who seems to be unusually interested in astronomy?
I am going to answer a bit more generic, because I think this kind of question fits for many topics, not just astronomy. You write:
He asks me to point out planets in the night sky which I do (...
- 18.3k
11
votes
Why do I have negative feelings about my mother?
You clearly need a psychotherapist help. There are many reasons why you hate your mother and no one can give you clear answer, but the divorce made impact on you, maybe you hate the fact that your ...
- 267
11
votes
Why do I have negative feelings about my mother?
I could think of several reasons why your anger is being directed at your mother. Most of this is somewhat speculative, but I have been in a similar scenario with my mother at a time in my life, so ...
- 313
11
votes
Accepted
Advanced Placement and Honors classes
Your daughter is in high school, so the correct answer is that she should do what she wants to do, with some guidance from you. "Let" is definitely the wrong word here! She's old enough to ...
- 63.5k
11
votes
How to prepare children for evil
Don't over rotate on the bad stuff. There is plenty of good stuff in the world that deserves more attention and focus and you can take it one step at a time.
Start with working on values and ...
- 7,502
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