If you’re a parent, you’re aware that there are a variety of different styles and approaches to parenting, and no matter which one you subscribe to, you’re wrong in someone’s eyes. Some parents value respectful, compliant children, and that’s their main goal in parenting; others value a child with an individual personality who is free […]

Biting is an incredibly frustrating behavior, for parents, child care providers and the victims who get bit without warning. It is a common occurrence in one and two year old children who lack the skills to use words to express what they are thinking and feeling. If a one-year-old is upset by something someone has […]

The NFL season has officially started and moms and dads are gearing up to cheer for their team (unless, of course it affects their Fantasy Football outcome!) But the excitement of the football season for adults also means that for many families with toddlers and preschoolers, the TV that regularly displays episodes of Caillou, Sesame […]

As Labor Day has passed, by now, all children have either already started their school year or will be starting their first day of school today. For some kids, the starting of school is a joyous event. They have been anticipating the start of school for the last few weeks, were excited to go school […]

Each family and teacher disciplines differently and develops their own plan for managing negative behavior. Some like to use rewards to motivate positive behaviors while others may like to use consequences to discourage negative behaviors. Because I recognize that kids are different and families have different experiences, I work to help parents and teachers find […]

Do you feel like you are constantly placing a kid in time out or taking away some privilege, just to see the child doing the exact same thing 5 minutes later? It’s frustrating when you try to discipline a child—to teach the child how he is supposed to act in these situations—and yet 5 minutes […]

Four-year-old Harrison and his friend Tyler are playing in Harrison’s bedroom. The boys are laughing and having fun together when Harrison’s mom sneaks by the bedroom to see what they are doing. She is appalled to hear Harrison say, “Here, you take the knife and you can cut the baby’s eyes and I’ll shoot her […]

Of all of the negative behaviors that a child could have, aggression seems to be the one that upsets adults the most. When a child is aggressive—either at home or in the classroom—parents and teachers have to stay nearby, predicting the next event that is going to set the child off, in order to prevent […]

So often, adults make the mistake of thinking that play is a waste of time for kids. They encourage their children to spend their time learning, instead of wasting time playing and having fun. They look for early childhood experiences that provide the most rigorous academic training to ensure the child’s superiority upon entering kindergarten. […]

Last week, I shared some simple and playful ways to help kids learn how to listen to directions. The game that I suggested for helping to teach these skills can be very fun and very effective in teaching kids to listen. But often times when I talk with parents and child care providers about using […]