We all love to laugh, but did you know that laughter & joy are good for toddlers? They learn more when they laugh. Parents do better with humor, too.
Read about ways to add humor to your day, getting dressed or out the door. This is one of my 15 Seeds of Success in the final chapter of my book, too: Have Humor.
Children need time to play outdoors, to experience nature and be outside. I have three children who spent much of their days in their early years being outside. They still pend much of their out of school time in the parks and outdoors with each other and friends. That is where children learn about their bodies and what they can do. It is how they learn what risks they can take and how to keep themselves safe (yes, the less adults interfere, the more children develop the ability to stay out of harm’s way). They use their imaginations, make decisions and cooperate with friends as they play. In this piece, Angela Hanscom of TimberNook argues that the decline in outdoor play is actually harming our children. I agree. What do you think? Leave a comment below or on Facebook. [Read more…]
I talked with ABC News’ Dr. Richard Besser about how screen time really affects your toddler’s behavior. How much is too much? As a parent, what can you do to effectively set boundaries?
Watch and weigh in with your comments. I’d love to know how you approach screen time in your home.
My recent interview with Jonathan Wai, Ph.D. in Psychology Today outlines 9 ways to improve your child’s chances for success. The article has inspired much discussion online. What do you think of my “success” list below? Share your comments and join the conversation.
1. The crib as a metaphor for raising a child: kids need boundaries so they can have guidance but also freedom.
2. One way of setting boundaries is limiting screen time: “If we use them as pacifiers and think our children are going to get smarter we make a mistake”
3. Realize that your child may not be just like you, and that can be a good thing.
[Read more…]
I’ve written for a range of venues, academic journals, online, magazines, newspapers and an entire book. I write about toddlers, children, working mothers and parenting but never as a blog. On a daily basis, I observe or think about issues related to children or myself as a parent that I imagine would be interesting to a wider range of parents. Yet, I’ve never put the proverbial pen to paper until now. [Read more…]
