It’s hard enough to raise your own child—teaching him the rules of the road, guiding him as he learns how to “play nicely”—but what happens when a child who is not yours is in need of some pointed guidance (a swift kick in the pants!)? You’re having a playdate, and the guest grabs a toy (your child’s favorite Thomas car) out of your child’s hands. The grabber’s mom observes without reaction. You’re at the park, and a girl you don’t know throws sand at your child. The sand thrower’s mom is … [Read more...] about Should You Discipline Someone Else’s Child….Revised
Behavior
Hurrying is the Enemy
The outing to Starbucks with our two year old grandtoddler was perfect. Not a glitch. No screaming, no crying, no collapsing into a heap, no refusal to walk, no running into the street, no running away. And not one single tantrum. The joys of being a grandparent. Admittedly, the walk which usually takes 15 minutes each way, took two hours. But it came off without a hitch. Why? I am no special grandparent. I have no tricks up my sleeve. (Ok. Well, maybe a few.) But what I do know is … [Read more...] about Hurrying is the Enemy
The After-Burn of Starting School
Summer time, and the livin’ is [was] easy, as the song goes. And there it went! There can be a whole lot more to starting school than starting school. Whether a child is beginning preschool, third grade, middle or high school, after a long summer or just an extended period at home, starting a school or going back to school is a big change and a big deal. It reverberates the most when the child is not actually at school. After a full day of changing classes, lining up, raising hands, … [Read more...] about The After-Burn of Starting School
The Problem with “It’s Not Fair.”
“It’s not fair!” Can’t you just hear the whiney tone that delivers that exclamation? I’ve yet to meet a parent whose child hasn’t at some point or other protested “That’s not faaaiiiiiirrrr?” (Note the drawn out faaaiiiirrrr, added for extra impact on you, the parent.) As common and grating as the phrase is, parents never figure why it doesn’t go away. Their response is to use logic. Upon hearing the cry, Mom uses logic, explaining why something is fair. Oh yes, it is fair because … [Read more...] about The Problem with “It’s Not Fair.”
Empathy is a Two Way Street
Cultivating empathy is a hot topic in the parenting world. Current research has demonstrated that children under a year not only have the capacity for empathy but actually exhibit empathy. (Regarding infants: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201306/empathy-appears-in-infancy-varies-age-and-gender Regarding toddlers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX6krHsZA_w .) But parents, usually not educated to recognize and encourage this trait in their very young children, are … [Read more...] about Empathy is a Two Way Street
5 Tips for Powering Up Your Parenting in the New Year
As the big hand creeps its way toward midnight, most people give at least a fleeting thought to New Year resolutions. Those usually have to do with eating or exercise or a nagging behavior ripe for modification. And we all know how long those last: Not very. Instead, let’s talk about resolving to make some changes in your parenting--small adjustments that you can do and keep up, that will make a big difference in your life with your child. Even the best (whatever that means!) of parents, … [Read more...] about 5 Tips for Powering Up Your Parenting in the New Year