Parents are important, but not in all the ways we think we are. We called our third child Annaelle, which in addition to being a pretty name, also means in Hebrew, "Please God." I often joke that we were actually saying, "Please God, let this one be easier than the other two!" She's thirteen months...

Dinner needed to be ready soon. My son and I had just gotten home from a long day. Would he - a 2 1/2 year old at the time - be able to entertain himself - let alone keep himself out of trouble, in the time I needed to get a quick meal together? Though...

Under normal circumstances, development is a complicated process that unfolds in early childhood in sometimes contradictory ways. For example, a typical six-year-old may be highly attuned to people's subtle changes in emotions, but only able to verbally describe people in the black and white terms of either a "good" or a "bad guy." When we...

"Caps, caps for sale!," you say with your best pitch-man voice. Your child is riveted and thus begins a wonderful interaction between you and your child - and some silly monkeys. The reading of Caps for Sale - and others of its ilk, are a cherished part of daily life with young children. What if...

Having your child join you when you are running errands, such as grocery shopping, can be a great opportunity for you to bond with and teach your child important skills. However, many parents report that having their child tag along with them to the store often turns out to be a stressful experience for both...

Are you tired of telling your child to do something over and over again to little effect? Do you feel like your child never listens? Does your child struggle with bedtime or getting ready to leave the house? Many parents share these difficulties. Fortunately, there are tried and true behavioral management strategies you can begin...

Having your child join you when you are running errands, such as grocery shopping, can be a great opportunity for you to bond with and teach your child important skills. However, many parents report that having their child tag along with them to the store often turns out to be a stressful experience for both...

In an earlier newsletter installment, we reviewed 'choices' you, a parent, could make to improve your child's behavior and/or to help prevent or minimize situations where you would have to set a limit or use a discipline technique. For example, using positive reinforcement to spotlight and increase the frequency of desired behaviors. In this article,...

With the new school year right around the corner, your child may be experiencing a range of emotions, including excitement, anxiety, and possibly disappointment that summer vacation is coming to an end. Even if your child is returning to the same school, s/he may be worried about having a new teacher, being in a different...

A common theme that often arises when talking with the parents and children I work and interact with is stress. Parents frequently report feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by parenting, work, and/or home responsibilities, and children often struggle to balance schoolwork, chores, and extracurricular activities. In a society where "keeping up with the Joneses'" often appears...