At any age, having a pet around the house can be a positive experience. For young children, watching the activity of a pet or petting safe pets can provide a sensory experience that is valuable to cognitive development. Snuggling with safe pets can create a strong friendship with the pet that helps the child to […]

In the last two weeks, we’ve looked at some difficult picky eaters and what to do to help them to have a healthier reaction to foods that they don’t like. With the first type of picky eater, The Kid Who Doesn’t Like the Food, we learned that kids—like adults—sometimes don’t like certain kinds of food […]

Last week, we discussed one type of picky eater, The Kid Who Doesn’t Like The Food. This week, we are going to discuss a more serious type of picky eater that can’t be fixed with discipline alone, because the root of the behavior looks more like a disorder than a behavior. The Kid with a […]

As a play therapist in Sioux Falls, SD, it is not uncommon for me to see children whose only issue or behavior is picky eating. It can be very frustrating for parents and daycare providers to deal with picky eating, because these adults have to find a way to balance the child’s nutrition while also […]

Like last week’s rule to use walking feet, this week’s rule to use inside voices may not seem like an essential rule for kids to have. How important is it—really—for kids to remember to use quiet voices when they’re inside? Well, take a moment to think about how many times you’ve been embarrassed by someone […]

In the grand scheme of life, a child’s ability to walk when he wants to run may not seem to fit into the category of an “essential life skill.” But, when I think back on the many childhood behaviors I’ve witnessed that have resulted in pain and trouble, many of these could have been avoided […]

Last week, I introduced this series on some must-have rules for kids. Rules should be created in kids’ lives to help them learn about how the world works and how they are supposed to act and interact in the world. The rules that are part of this series help kids to learn about the world; […]

If you are around kids on a daily basis, you know how important it is to have some basic rules for guiding children’s behaviors. The main reason that you probably do this is because you want to maintain your sanity, because if you have to ask them one more time to be quiet, you’re gonna […]

In the last four weeks, we’ve looked at four different parenting styles and the effects they have on child, adolescent and even adult development. We’ve learned that parents from Authoritarian homes use threats of violence to scare children into submission and that this can have long-term negative effects like developing poor confidence and self-esteem, becoming […]

In the last three weeks, we’ve talked about some popular, yet ineffective, parenting styles and the short-term and long-term consequences that these parenting styles have on developing children and even adults. We’ve learned that Authoritarian Parenting often leads to children who are fearful, anxious and aggressive. We’ve learned that Neglectful / Uninvolved Parenting may lead […]