James, a middle-schooler, comes home from a long day at school and looks forward to downtime playing video games. After dinner, he searches for 15 minutes to find the scrap of paper where he wrote down his homework assignments, while his mother does the same, providing help that he does not appreciate. Read more ›
After Mike and his girlfriend of three years ended their relationship, his parents expected their son to be crushed. For weeks, he was withdrawn and moody; he avoided friends and rebuffed his parents’ well intentioned questions. Read more ›
For procrastinators, chunking is a useful strategy for breaking down large assignments into smaller, easier-to-tackle tasks. Read more ›
While every parent hopes that his child will fit in and be accepted, making friends is not easy for all children. Read more ›
Sara swept her vibrant red hair out of her face as she smiled up at me, clearly pleased with herself and seeking praise for the fact that she had completed her reading beautifully. What a change from the tentative reader I had met one year earlier. Read more ›
You have a lot of titles as a parent: short order cook, chauffeur, personal assistant, maid. Are you also your toddler’s ever-present translator? No, she’s pointing at the yogurt hiding behind the milk gallon. Well, she’s screaming because you handed her a purple cup and she only drinks out of green cups.
It’s easy for you to navigate through these situations to avoid the tantrums and frustrations because you know your child’s preferences and you know she doesn’t have strong communication skills. You can respond to points, grunts and cries, but are you really helping her by swiftly taking the path of least resistance? How can you teach her the communication skills she needs to be independent and thrive? Read more ›
Is your child struggling with the same behavior challenges in school without making progress? Does he or she have ADHD-like symptoms? Read more ›
More and more parents understand the importance of reading to young children to promote literacy. Yet many parents are so eager to advance their child’s reading fluency that they neglect the importance of imaginative play in developing critical comprehension skills. So before you start to pack up the picture books and encourage your young child to read Harry Potter, make sure he’s getting plenty of opportunity to play.
Why is play important and what kind of play develops the foundation for literacy skills? Read more ›
For children with sensory challenges, simply saying, “Stop fidgeting!” or “Keep your hands to yourself” is unlikely to help. Your child needs movement. The question is: How can you allow your child to move and behave in a socially acceptable manner? Read more ›
Grandma lovingly says, “Just let her have a cookie!” Uncle Ted disapprovingly says, “You need to let him do things; you’re smothering him.” Aunt Rosa wonders why the kids are allowed to stay up so late, when “everyone” knows children need ten hours of sleep.
Getting together with relatives can be exciting and yet traveling, preparation and criticism about your parenting can cause stress. You and your kids might look forward to a break from homework and schedules, but the loss of routine can also be disruptive.
Taking care of yourself and managing holiday stress can be the biggest gift you give your family. Read more ›
