Every year, the month of October brings a crescendo of frights leading up to Halloween. It’s all meant in fun, but for very young children scary fun isn’t fun at all; it’s just scary.
This piece was written a few years ago and we’re bringing it back now as a reminder to parents, educators and concerned adults.
Dear Grandmothers: A few years ago, my 3-year-old Phoebe helped me hand out treats on Halloween and we were having a lot of ...
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Dear Grandmothers: When we were kids, we had to eat whatever was on our plates without complaint, or we didn’t eat at all. My sister brings her children over for dinner and as soon as she sees what I’m serving tells me her kids won’t eat it, and starts making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for them. Why are kids today so picky?
Kids today are probably not any pickier than those of previous generations. Don’t you remember slipping your mystery ...
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When parents tell us they are unhappy about their children’s disrespectful behavior, we can think of several things that contribute to the problem.
First, disrespect seems to be a feature of the culture we live in. Facebook, movies and TV often show children behaving in snarky, sassy ways that get big laughs – so of course our young children imitate what they see and hear.
When they’re little, we may think that’s cute, but when they’re older it’s not funny at all.
Second, the emphasis on promoting “self-esteem” has ...
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Warm, sunny days! Aren’t they great after having been cooped up all winter? Everyone is so ready for fresh air and freedom.
And freedom is what we grandmothers wish for your young children during spring and summer.
Yes, we know we must be concerned for their safety and we understand that the work week continues for most parents. But please, we implore you, try to provide some sense of freedom and independence for them this summer.
Take advantage of this time – when ...
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In a previous Easter season, a worried mother sent this note:
Read More →One of the kids at my son’s preschool told him about the crucifixion, and what happened, with all the exact details and he was horrified. Telling him about Easter Sunday did not make him feel better. He has been crying about this at night and is afraid of regular pictures of Jesus in a book. I hope it’s OK to ask this question because it’s about religion and everybody has ...
“Happy Birthday, dear Billy…” oh no…the candles are burning and everyone is singing, but Billy is definitely not a happy birthday boy. In fact, tears are rolling down his cheeks and the wish he’s making as he blows out the candles is for everyone to just go away and let him play with that cool truck in the pile of presents.
How could it be that this perfectly planned event was not a wonderful experience for the honoree? It was held ...
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In most circles excitement is a positive word – often considered synonymous with fun.
A movie, a television program, even an activity for young children, is praised for being exciting. Using the common definition, the opposite of exciting is boring, and boring is to be avoided at all costs.
Excitement, however, can also refer to agitation, over-stimulation and loss of control – the opposite of calm.
Parents, observing their over-excited children running around in circles – coming close to knocking over the birthday ...
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“Stop that right now!”
“If you don’t stop that whining, I’ll give you something real to whine about!”
“If you complain about one more thing, you’ll go to your room!”
Listening to a child’s persistent moaning and crying can make the most patient parents feel frenzied and helpless. They want it to stop — now!
They want to exert their authority – make the child change and feel their power and control over him. After all, they are ...
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Of all the developmental tasks that we hope our growing child will successfully master, none is more demanding on the growing parent than the child’s learning to express painful feelings.
We tell ourselves that we want him to feel free to tell us when he is angry, or sad, or frustrated, or annoyed. We are hopeful that if he acquires a complete feelings vocabulary, he will be able to cope with these emotions. We want this so much that we even ...
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Children who resist bedtime are noted for their determinedly open eyes and, usually, loud protests at being put to bed, often at the hour when the caregiver is most desperate to have the child fall asleep. Unfortunately, such bedtime struggles are not something that occurs once and then is outgrown forever but is a stage that can appear at several different ages and for different reasons: in infancy, in toddlerhood, and quite possibly at regular intervals after that. Some children, ...
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