Avoid Discouragement, Apologize

avoid discouragement apologize

“My dad never apologized for anything. He never admitted he was wrong, made a mistake or said he was sorry for anything. I think that caused so much friction and anger in our relationship. Now, I find I’m starting to do the same thing with my boys,” Stewart said during a parenting class. “How can […]


Help! My Child Is Biting!

help my child is biting

There is something repulsive about biting. Perhaps the thought of being bitten threatens our position on the food chain. Needless to say, parents get upset about children biting, whether their child is bitten or is the biter. It goes without saying that the child being bitten isn’t happy. But, the biter isn’t happy either. Biting […]


Getting Ready For Preschool

getting ready for preschool

Mornings are cooler. The sun rises later. The excitement of school beginning wafts in the air. These are my memories when school started in mid-September. In two or three weeks, school resumes, and for many young children, it will be their first school experience. The first day of preschool or kindergarten is probably more traumatic […]


Help Me Help Myself

help me help myself

Children from about age three are asking us to help them learn independence. Children want to learn how to do things on their own without adult supervision or permission. Even though at times we feel we have to help children constantly, in reality, children are asking us to help them help themselves. Much of what […]


The Spiritual Role Of Family

spiritual role of family

It’s uncomfortable to consider. Some of us would rather not consider it at all. To our children, we are their first experience of the divine, the all powerful, the all-knowing, with a human face. We fix ZuZu’s petals. We are our children’s miracle makers. Our ability to create can be a double-edged sword by wielding […]


The Child’s Inherent Love Of Nature

child's inherent love of nature

What do you do to find yourself when you are out of sorts? Frustrated? Sorrowful? Despairing? If you are like most people, you try to find a quiet spot to commune with nature and seek peace or solace. Solace, a word from the Latin sol for sun, meaning to find the sun. We have to […]


Using A Child’s Positive Psychology

using a child's positive psychology

Children under the age of seven are in a developmental period for creating social relationships. Children want to connect and develop bonds of trust, respect and love with the people around them. Children are designed to want to connect positively with the adults in their lives. Children are naturally motivated to love. Unfortunately, the dynamics […]


The Myth Of Sharing

myth of sharing

Parents, picture this scene: Your folks stop by to visit with two people you don’t know, but are close to your age. Your dad says, “Give me your car keys, please. John saw your new car and he wants to take it for a spin. I know you’d want to share. Oh, and Sue wants […]


Imagination In The Young Child

imagination in the young child

Imagination is the ability to visualize something that is not physically present. Infants have little if any imagination. If the familiar is gone, distress and tears usually follow. A new situation, such as being left alone, can be painful to the child until the child learns that this situation is safe or parents return. Experiences, […]


Children Seek To Create A Flow Of Activity

children seek to create a flow of activity

Up. Down. Up. Down. Eight-month-old Dana stood holding onto the coffee table doing deep knee bends. Day after day, over two hundred at a time, perhaps thousands a day. In amazement, I watched as Dana tirelessly exercised. There was no way I could do a thousand deep knee bends in a day, or at least […]