“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.”
Child development
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
Grandparents and Gift Giving: An Unspoken December Dilemma
There is a dilemma that accompanies the winter holiday season that is rarely discussed out loud. It certainly is a topic that is dominating my parenting groups this month. That is, how do parents deal with grandparents who want to do as they please with their grandchildren when it comes to celebrating the gift-giving holidays. They might over-gift the grandchild, even though they have been asked to put on the brakes. They might give an item specifically forbidden by the parents. Or they might … [Read more...] about Grandparents and Gift Giving: An Unspoken December Dilemma
All Kinds of Feelings: A Child’s Emotional Literacy
In the video, Emotional Baby is Moved to Tears by Mom’s Singing, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/29/emotional-baby-moved-to-tears-by-moms-singing_n_4173272.html?utm_hp_ref=parents&ir=Parents?utm_hp_ref=parents&ir=Parents, we witness the power of emotion in even the youngest of babies. At only 10 months old, the baby’s deep feelings spill over in the form of tears when he hears his mother’s beautiful singing. Learning about emotions like these is a long process and a big part of … [Read more...] about All Kinds of Feelings: A Child’s Emotional Literacy
“I Don’t Want To Go To School!”
Now that the school year has begun, it won’t be long before one morning you’ll awaken to the declaration, “I don’t want to go to school.” It’s a cry, actually more of a plea, which every parent is likely to face at least once, if not ten times, each school year. It’s never music to your ears. Not wanting to go to school for the younger child or proclaiming “I’m not going to school” for the older ones, can challenge even the most savvy parent. How easy life would be if there were a one size … [Read more...] about “I Don’t Want To Go To School!”
Kids in Restaurants, Part 2: Lousy Local Conditions
Kids in Restaurants, Part 2: Lousy Local Conditions On Friday I lunched with a colleague at a “grown up” restaurant. The atmosphere was quiet and refined. Seated right next to us was a family of three—mother, father, and, in-between them, their adorable 18 month old child. We wouldn’t even have known he was there were it not for his occasional giggles. Mom and dad quietly spoke to him, played with him, included him in conversation, and redirected when things started to go south. It was a … [Read more...] about Kids in Restaurants, Part 2: Lousy Local Conditions