Regardless of the topic of the seminar I am teaching, I end up making the same point: There are three peaks a child must climb in order to grow up and make his way through life fairly happily: learning to tolerate frustration, learning to tolerate disappointment (These first two are kind of twin peaks.), and learning to delay gratification. It is the last peak, the one that stands on its own, that parents find particularly daunting. Being able to delay gratification is directly related to … [Read more...] about Gimme Juice Now!
Behavior
The “Right” Age for Video Games
With your first born child, it’s pretty easy to control his diet of everything—sugar, television, war toys, choice of friends—for the first few years anyway. But then he hits school age, somewhere after five years old, kindergarten age, and the once controlling parent begins to question some of her controls. My child is the only one who doesn't...and now you fill in the blank. Most parents know that they are fighting a losing battle if they are too orthodox about their restrictions. Never … [Read more...] about The “Right” Age for Video Games
The Importance of Doing Nothing
“What are we going to do today?” pleads the child as he climbs into the car after a full day of school. What is that about? Is it that the child has come to expect that every day brings a new form of parent-organized, post school entertainment – music lessons, sports lessons, art classes, dance classes, “enrichment” classes, and playdates? And I wonder if maybe, in our mission to make sure our children don’t miss one minute of mind and body improvement, we are forgetting the importance of … [Read more...] about The Importance of Doing Nothing
Should Baby Read?
I heard a radio advertisement this week for a DVD , Your Baby Can Read, or some name like that. Needless to say, it grabbed my attention. This program promises to teach your toddler, even infant, to read. A mother of a three year old claimed that she had been using it for a year, and now her child was reading on a third grade level. Please save me from being sick! It took everything in my body not to drive off the road…as I seethed. Why on earth does anyone want her toddler (or infant) … [Read more...] about Should Baby Read?
Backseat Battlefield
It’s not likely that your car arrived factory equipped with a chauffeur’s screen, the one you flip up at the touch of a button. So, what the heck is a parent to do when the kids’ fighting in the back seat drives you nuts. To your kids, the back seat of a car is home sweet home. Just like they misbehave more, when they are at home, so do they squabble more in the car. ..when you are there! I am quite sure that your fellow carpool driver never complains that your child bickers with the other … [Read more...] about Backseat Battlefield
Lousy Local Conditions
While I cannot take credit for inventing the expression, "lousy local conditions," I use it all the time. It’s just so right-on-the-button. Lousy Local Conditions refers to those times when a child’s less than perfect behaviors are magnified or even created by the conditions of his environment. Children who went to sleep late or work up too early, who have missed a nap or a meal, who have been dragged on too many errands, who have attended one birthday party too many, will reflect those … [Read more...] about Lousy Local Conditions