44
votes
Accepted
What can we do about our 9-month-old putting fingers down his throat?
This weird stage is really common, and mostly developmental-- something that most babies will naturally outgrow. It's upsetting and gross, but not harmful. The baby won't actually choke or cause ...
- 7,614
41
votes
Accepted
Why do toddlers eat grass and not broccoli?
Part of this is that he is exploring his environment, and tasting things is part of that. He's playing, and feels free to explore and play; so tasting is part of that. At the dinner table, he is ...
- 61.8k
35
votes
Accepted
Should we encourage our 2-year old to give up his naps?
My take on this question is to continue to follow his lead. If he seems overly tired around your usual nap time, then by all means try to put him down. If he goes he goes, if he doesn't he doesn't. I ...
- 1,086
14
votes
Why do toddlers eat grass and not broccoli?
Your child is in his Home Alone stage. Sorry for the random 90's movie reference, there's plenty of other movies/shows/stories that follow the same basic plot. The plot I'm thinking about is this:
...
- 1,400
13
votes
What can we do about our toddler pushing his table over when it's dinner time?
You indicate in your question that he doesn't have a lot of words yet, so talking to him about it isn't really an option, but I think you might be underestimating your son's ability to understand.
For ...
- 1,811
10
votes
What can we do about our 9-month-old putting fingers down his throat?
One of my nephews used to do that, more because he loved the way everybody paid attention to him when he did it than because he thought it was fun to choke himself :( Distraction was the key to ...
- 8,987
9
votes
How to prevent my 3-year-old boy from climbing on top of me?
I would add to EmandM's excellent answer that 3 is old enough to begin to learn about other people's bodily boundaries, and in general that one does not touch others in a way (or at a time) that is ...
- 7,614
9
votes
Accepted
6 year old has habit of holding the pencil too tight and pressing too hard while writing
What works for us is large pencils. There are pencils that are about double or so the normal diameter of a pencil; they're easier for smaller children to hold and control, with less developed fine ...
- 61.8k
7
votes
2-year-old needs bread to go to sleep
My concern would be tooth decay- bread might not be sweet, but it's chock full of carbohydrates and for sure prolonged exposure to food right before bed (and without tooth brushing afterward) is a ...
- 2,920
7
votes
How to prevent my 3-year-old boy from climbing on top of me?
It sounds like he's looking for your attention, which is normal and natural in a small child. He wants to know that he's loved and wanted by you.
If you are not enjoying this particular attention ...
- 171
6
votes
Accepted
Kid reading too fast
This depends on the child's personality and the level of difficulty of the books he's reading. It may well be that he's excited (or bored) and wants to get to the good parts, or that the book can ...
- 69.8k
6
votes
How to encourage a child to speak truth about the wrong deeds she has done?
First off, don't treat truth telling as a special event, ie. something that deserves rewards beyond a simple "thank you for being honest". Telling the truth should be normal, expected behavior. If ...
- 13.3k
6
votes
How to deal with a 4-year-old passing gas all the time?
I'd like to add that by telling her it's not "lady-like" perpetuates the idea that it's ok for boys, not for girls. Historically, seixist cultivation in small children is due in part to physical ...
- 61
6
votes
Should we encourage our 2-year old to give up his naps?
I agree with the accepted answer, I just want to point out another aspect. (I was in a similar situation with my daughter, she is 4 now, but hasn't been taking naps since she was 2). Also think of ...
- 61
5
votes
How to stop a 6-month-old from picking ears?
Trimming fingernails is obviously a way to prevent cutting and bleeding, but it is worth looking at why she may be sticking her fingers in her ears. It may be just a habit, in which case distraction ...
- 26.6k
5
votes
2-year-old needs bread to go to sleep
It seems that your two-year-old is experiencing some sort of emotional distress that the bread is helping to relieve.
Do you know why bread is so important to him? Is it specifically bread, or just ...
- 2,376
5
votes
Accepted
How to encourage a child to speak truth about the wrong deeds she has done?
I generally try to ignore the lie completely. Children have a slightly odd relationship with the truth, in that they still don't quite understand the barrier between fiction and reality.
My script is ...
- 10.3k
5
votes
Kid reading too fast
Encourage him!
It is one of the best things to see a child doing, as it is an excellent way to get knowledge into them (whereas forcing them to read isn't) and can be a strong correlator with ...
- 26.6k
5
votes
Accepted
4 year old son enjoys things that fly on air is this normal if not how to distract him?
Its normal. He's trying to make sense of the world around him. This should be encouraged. If you google for "preschool science air" you will find some activities that you can do with him. ...
- 10.2k
5
votes
4 year old son enjoys things that fly on air is this normal if not how to distract him?
Young children often go through phases of fascination with random objects or phenomena. The fact that something flies is a pretty cool quirk or anomaly in the physical world they've come to know.
My ...
- 1,549
5
votes
Should I allow my child to drop an activity just because he’s lost interest?
Parenting around the globe has the universal purpose of cultivating habits, and in a globalized world it is important to be able to accommodate habits outside one's self. That said, we are in a fairly ...
- 51
4
votes
Kid reading too fast
As a life long fast reader, it has been nothing but a pure benefit for me throughout life, in school and beyond. According to what I've read, and my own experience, reading fast doesn't necessarily ...
- 6,143
4
votes
My 5 years old being very difficult
I think you need to start by understanding yourself better. Only then can you help your son.
From what you say, it sounds like you and your son are both introverts. This is not a flaw, it is simply a ...
- 10.2k
3
votes
Accepted
How to discern whether a 3-year-old's repetitive hand movements are normal or not?
If he's close enough to neurotypical that your doctor isn't worried, and he is "normal" in church and school, I wouldn't worry about this habit. Autism didn't exist as a diagnosis until I was an adult,...
- 3,697
3
votes
How to encourage a child to speak truth about the wrong deeds she has done?
Why ask if you knew it was her? At that age, their thought and speech isn't totally developed even if they look like it. Sometime they "lie" but what they are saying is "I wish I didn't". Your ...
- 1,608
3
votes
How to encourage a child to speak truth about the wrong deeds she has done?
The right course of action really depends on the child. Each child has a different way they learn. There's no hard and fast rule that you can apply, but one thing is for sure: don't let your kid get ...
- 196
3
votes
Is thumbsucking bad for a toddler?
Hmm. My son asked me the same thing this week. I wrote him this.
"Most children should grow out of thumb sucking and pacifier use between the ages of 3 to 4. As long as the habit is discontinued ...
- 774
3
votes
Is it common for a 3 month old baby to drool and suck their fingers?
Yes, ours baby girl has been drooling since she was 9 weeks.
Babies can begin teething long before you see a tooth.
But that doesn't mean that she is indeed teething, Sometimes babies drool for no ...
- 31
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