Adults want kids to listen to directions, show respect towards adults and comply with authority. Respect for authority and compliance with the rules established by those in positions of authority are the most popular expectations from adults that I’ve come across in my life, and it is consistent between parents and non-parents alike. Adults want […]

This weekend, while dancing with my friends at a wedding reception, I noticed a little boy roaming the dance floor, investigating his surroundings. While the room was in movement around him, dancing to the booming music, this little boy, probably around age 4, was looking and learning. He looked on one side of the stage. […]

In the last few weeks, I’ve shared some activity ideas to use with picky eaters. I showed you how to make art projects out of those dreaded foods and how to create sensory experiences with the foods that those picky eaters hate. The entire goal of these activities was to decrease the pressure on the […]

Last week, I suggested that some picky eating habits stem from the pressure that parents put on children to “just eat” the food that’s put in front of them. Whether the child doesn’t like the food or the child is simply being defiant by avoiding the hated foods, the result is the same: a power […]

Picky eating has become a pretty serious problem for children in this day and age. I’m not sure if picky eating behaviors have worsened over the years due to parental expectations and responses to picky eating or if food supply and options have changed so significantly over the years to contribute to the rise in […]

Have you ever asked yourself, “Is my child capable of the expectations that I have for her?” or, possibly even worse, “Have I set my expectations too low for what my child is capable of?” Establishing age-appropriate expectations is essential to help facilitate child development. But this task is easier said than done. Despite what […]

Before you have kids, going to the grocery store, the mall or some other retail store is easy as pie. You casually walk through the aisles, investigating the many options and making the right choice for you. You pretty much have all the time in the world to think about the options and make the […]

During my years of work as an early childhood therapist, I’ve learned that many parents strongly underestimate the emotional capabilities of their newborn child. A newborn sleeps as long as 18 hours a day during those first few days so it’s easy to understand why parents think that a child doesn’t have much of a […]

In the last two weeks, we’ve talked about the benefits of pet ownership for babies and toddlers. This week, we’ll discuss the benefits to preschoolers, the age who seems to get the most benefit from pet ownership! Before you learn about how beneficial pets can be to children of any age, be sure to take […]

Last week, I discussed the developmental benefits of pet ownership/interaction for babies. Today, I’ll discuss the developmental benefits for toddlers when owning, caring for and interacting with the same list of pets. Before you read about the benefits of pets for toddlers, be sure to check out the infographic that I referenced here to ensure […]