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How should a toddler be encouraged to walk (if at all)? My 11 month old son has been "cruising" for the past two months. He pulls himself up to standing quite readily, and walks quite well while holding onto something with both hands, or even one hand (although there is a clear lack of confidence in his balance when h...	Periodically let go of one hand so he can experiment with balance. For practice, you could make him stand by putting a toy on the couch table, then make him walk by squatting nearby and ask him to come to you -- but you'll invent your own "training tricks" quickly. We also encouraged walking by giving her a laundry bas...
How do you handle a conflict between your child and a teacher? How do you approach resolving a situation where a teacher and your child are having a major conflict? When your child comes to you complaining about "unfair treatment" from a teacher, how do you identify where the problem is really coming from, without mak...	If you feel the teacher is right, gently but clearly make him understand that the teacher is, in fact, right. Stand up for your children at all times when in any doubt, and never assume. Listen to your own gut feeling regarding who's (more) right.
What are some good distractions for an infant? My 4 month old is nearly able to sit up on his own and has gotten rather bored with activity mats, swings, and hanging toys. The only things of his he still likes, are a bit too advanced to hold his interest long; he enjoys his stacking cups and blocks, but lacks enough co...	My son was captivated by lights, and especially lights that 1) are in a circle or formation he can gaze at , and 2) ones that blink or can be turned on or off. You could replace the activity mat with an activity walker. Even though he doesn't walk yet, the upright orientation is new to him and encourages sitting up so ...
How can you encourage a child in a school subject they don't like? I think it is safe to say that very few children enjoy every subject in school. How do you motivate your child to put effort into subjects that they just aren't interested in? I feel this is a separate issue than frustration stemming from doing poorly...	Give them a reason to like it. Books can be tailored to interests as well.
How does having a second child change your life? Most parents would probably agree that having a child will deeply change your life. But how does having a second child change your life? Second-time parents won't be much surprised about the smell of diapers, or the lack of sleep. But surely there are some things tha...	One thing that I've found to be a big adjustment for second-time parents: Suddenly you can't live by the firm rule "Sleep when the baby sleeps. If you/partner is nursing, then the other one will need attention, be also aware that no matter what you do, the first will be jealous of the second's attention, and in time, t...
How can I get my infant to fall asleep? When it's bedtime for my 7-month son, it's always his mother who makes him fall asleep. When I try to get him to sleep so it ends with him crying. Any tips on how to get him to sleep would be greatly appreciated. <Q> We got through this by setting up 2 nights a week where it w...	I ran into a similar issue with my daughter - every time I would try to put her to bed, she would just cry and cry and as soon as my wife walked in the room and picked her up, she would quiet down and go right to sleep. Create a special song for your son that you sing to him every day I find the two most effective to b...
Looking for a daily/weekly chart that awards a child's behavior and Chore completion Currently I'm trying to create on in excel, but I'm wondering if I'm re-inventing here. I would like the option to customise the chores and behaviors and the rewards and assign different score values to the chores/behaviors. Also since...	Each time she our daughter completes her homework or housework, she gets it stamped (just like a coffee shop).
How do you childproof electrical cords? I let my 6-month-old roll around on the living room floor. She almost always heads for a cord of some kind (laptop cord, xbox controller cord, etc.) I hide the power strip, so she doesn't have access to the outlets, but what can I do about the cords? She doesn't have teeth yet...	Another thing you can do is to have the cord run along the bottom of the wall and tape down the whole thing Rather than physically blocking access, we tried teaching it: What worked for us was to teach our toddler that cables are simply not to be touched.
How can we introduce some formula for our baby? I have always given our baby a bottle of expressed breast milk in the mornings. Recently my partner has decided that she is pretty fed up of expressing (I don't blame her!) and since we are now weaning our baby we figured it would be ok to start giving her some formula....	If everything is OK, what if you try to slowly introduce the formula with expressed milk, for example half expressed milk and half formula and decrease the expressed milk while increasing the formula until she (especially her stomach) gets really used to it. Sometimes you have to trick the kids until they get used to d...
What are some ways to encourage a gifted toddler's development? My girlfriend claims that our infant (about 9 month old boy) is gifted because he is doing certain things relatively early, such as the way he "speaks", moves around, eats, observes etc. That may very well be so. I have not studied when the different skill...	In short, just continue to give your child all the best and introduce them to a wide variety of things and take note of their reactions. Encourage manipulation of objects in unique ways to develop a sense of mass, weight, texture, patterns, structure, sound, construct, balance, taste, reflection... Read aloud to the ch...
At what speed do kids normally teeth? This is a follow-up question to my other question here My son finally started teething and his first bud appeared around a week after the question was posted :) But now the teething has again stopped at that first bud. Its been almost a month and I don't see any more whites. The...	No teeth through the gums yet despite being in teething mode for a month and a half. Unless he could have a severe calcium or vitamin deficiency (quite unlikely in industrialized countries, and you'd likely notice other effects), I wouldn't worry about it.
How can I encourage language development in my infant? My 4 month old is the most verbal baby I've ever seen. He has something to say in every situation. My husband and I tell him what things are, "That's a truck. It moves along the road.". My son clearly recognizes some words, like "hi", and I wonder if there is a way...	Imitating a child's sounds exactly encourages repetition of the sounds and is the beginning of imitation skills. Let him know that the noises he makes are important by paying attention and encouraging him when he coos. Have "conversations" with him When you get to the point where you're asking questions try to ask ques...
Controlled crying isn't working at night. What are my options? We used controlled crying to help our daughter get to sleep easier at 6 months. This was hard work at the time but now, at 10 months, we can reliably put her down at the end of her bed time routine and she happily drifts off to sleep. However if she wakes ...	Rock her until she falls asleep, put her back in crib. If your child is waking in the middle of the night crying and isn't going back to sleep within a few minutes, then there is something genuinely wrong. Therefore, your options include: Be persistent and continue the controlled crying method following the protocol ex...
Are employers required to accomodate pumping mothers? It seems like I will be recalled to work after being laid off in the spring. I am a media specialist at an elementary school. The schedule I would be assigned has classes back to back all day other than a 25 minute lunch most days. The way the schedule worked all of...	Unless you figure out otherwise, you can presume that they are required to give you breaks to pump, but are not required to pay you for those breaks or provide other accommodations. Another resources for ideas and advocacy is La Leche League . If you are in a union, go see the shop steward or union rep.
What are some symptoms of an ear infection? My 6-month-old was upset today, and I couldn't figure out why, but she kept rubbing one of her ears. I'm wondering if she might have an ear infection, and what other symptoms to look out for if this is the case. (She used to pull on her ear while eating, like this question...	Tugging at an ear is sometimes a symptom of ear pain; however, this behavior can also be related to teething or a blocked eustachian tube.
What are some techniques for toddlers to develop and practice good listening skills? Like most toddlers, my 3 year old has to be told to do this or not do that over and over again. Rather than hoping she learns over time through the inevitable trouble she gets in for not listening, I was wondering if there are techniqu...	When we want to be certain that our children are paying attention and listening, we have them stop what they are doing and look at our faces (look into my eyes) as we speak. I address any "non-listening" by reviewing the "offending" body part and describing, demonstrating the appropriate response.
What house rules are appropriate for pre-teens? As my kids grow, they need different limits. Right now, the house rules are reactionary as a result of something we didn't like happening. Things like, "call home if you are going to be somewhere other than where you said you were going to be" originated when my son told ...	Finally, you'll need to decide who the responsible parties are in all cases. Also, don't be afraid to accept rules the children may come up with. Children and especially preteens/teens, respond well to being empowered. It may be helpful to use a marker board and make lists of major concepts/considerations.
Why will my baby sleep easily at night, but not nap during the day? I put my 6-month-old down for the night a little while ago. She was awake when I put her down, and less than ten minutes later with no crying, she was dead asleep. I try this during the day, and she cries until I go get her. She only naps in a coupl...	While napping in a place different from the night bed may require some getting used to, this might even work to your advantage because it clearly signals nap time rather than bedtime, but that's probably a minor side-effect. Every baby's metabolism differs (just like every child's and adult's!)
Why does my 3 year old keep acting like a baby, and should I try to actively stop it? My daughter is 3 but often (and we are sure, concisely) acts like a baby, making gurgling whining noises, crawling about etc. Apart from being very irritating sounds from a three year old we don't seem to be able to convince her to st...	It's possible that your daughter is craving the type of undivided attention that is often given to a baby (being held, nursed, cuddled). I would suggest indulging her when she does this. Additionally, you could introduce a baby doll to the situation when she is acting like a baby and try to shift her thought as to what...
Should we change a wet diaper and risk triggering a night tantrum or leave our son be? Our 2-year old son is going through a rough period - we have cut his breastfeeding to once daily (before bed) and his sleep pattern is changing and is therefore unpredictable. Lately, he will often wake during the night and as we ref...	This sounds like a difficult position to be in, but if the wet diaper isn't uncomfortable enough to wake him up, I would let him sleep.
What do you do when your parents are physically hurting you? My girl friend called me scared for her life to day after her parent(s) strangled her. She is 19 years old and cannot support her self on her own. Im not sure what she can do or anything I can do to help her. Any and all advice would be extremely appreciated...	Your friend should also be willing to leave her family as soon as possible, and call the police for protection. Fight or flight, get out.
What are good ways to begin preparing a child for a new baby? I have a 4 and a half month old, so this won't be applicable for a while, but I would like to raise my son with the idea that he won't be an only child forever. I want my children to have a good relationship from the start. How do you prepare a toddler to be...	If they're socialized around other children with siblings, either in school, playgroups, or extended family, they'll learn this is a natural state. Talk about your siblings (if you have them).
How can a much older brother gain recognition for being a de-facto father? I'm 26 years old and live with my mother who is a single mother. She adopted two children as newborns who are now 5 years old. My mom has recently started working outside the home so now I even get them up and ready for school in the mornings wh...	You are not "just a brother", you are the older brother , who loves his younger siblings and does an awesome job in responsibly taking care of them. Once you've received this specific recognition verbally, you can work on putting it in writing in a shape that's useful in the situations where you need it.
How can I encourage my child to feed himself with a spoon? My 11 month old child will happily feed himself finger food, and is happy to let himself be spoon fed. However he doesn't seem to know what to do when I give him the spoon and bowl. Typically he'll just wave the spoon around, whilst scooping up the food with h...	As you continue this process, fade the hand over his assistance to just holding the tip of the handle to assist with hand position (most will initially turn the spoon over upside down once it reaches the mouth until the wrist pattern is learned). If he is actively pushing against you then you have some other problem to...
How young is too young to start wearing makeup? A couple of us in the office today were talking about young girls and makeup. One mentioned that his daughter is thirteen and already wearing makeup, another mentioned her niece wears makeup as well and is about the same age. However, growing up, I was not allowed to wear...	Some parents may choose to allow certain types of make up at a younger age.
How to deal with potty trained 3 year old who now won't go to the potty? My daughter has been potty trained for about 8 months and going well. Currently, we still put her in a diaper for her nap and when she sleeps at night. Suddenly, she doesn't want to go to the potty at all. At minimum we have to remind and bribe...	The worst thing that you can do is to put the child back into diapers because it will make the second round of potty training even worse. Children need consistency, and they need their parents to show them that. Initially, small presents for successful toilet run (coupled of course with praise).
Is "hot saucing" bad parenting? " Hot saucing ", a technique where a small quantity of hot sauce is introduced a kid's mouth as disciplinary action, is considered bad parenting. Though I have not done hot saucing (possibly because my nine year old loves spicy food) I have used a similar technique as a form of control....	This is a form of physical discipline akin to spanking, which is only appropriate after escalating beyond normal, non-physical discipline -- and even then only in strict moderation and only when the child is young. Negative punishment (punishment by taking something away) can be more effective, and is easier to adminis...
Why would my 9-week-old refuse to nurse from breast? My 9-week-old has recently started to refuse to nurse from the breast. She will only eat from the bottle (pumped breastmilk). She has successfully breastfed since birth, she also uses the bottle rarely, just on the occasions when her mother is away. The breast is ...	I'm not sure what flow rate nipple you are presently using, but you might try going to a slower flow rate if possible to make your baby work harder since the hypothesis is that bottle feeding is easier than the breast.
How can my toddler learn to stay under the blanket at night? My 2yo son slept in a sleeping bag (see image below) until around 1½ years old, then he didn't like that anymore so we switched to using a blanket. He moves around so much while sleeping that the blanket usually isn't covering him at all. This hasn't been a p...	If the cold doesn't stop them, and it hasn't yet, we just try to keep the room comfy for him. We still get this for both our sons, with the youngest we give him feetie pajamas (the ones with attached coverings for the feet), so even if he kicks the blankets off he'll still be somewhat covered. Halo sleep sacks come in ...
How often should my wife breastfeed our newborn? Our newborn is one week old and a boy. When we were still in hospital, the nurse was giving formula milk to our newborn every 3 hours. But since we brought our baby home, we exclusively breastfeed our newborn but not every 3 hours. We only breastfeed our newborn if he is...	If the baby is not waking up on his own to feed that often, you should be waking him if 3-4 hours have passed since the previous feeding.
How can we make parents more attractive than TV, video games, etc.? Maybe I'm too early to ask about this, since my status changed to be a father since 25 September ago.. But I'm very curious about this. I learned from my surroundings (my friends family, my neighbours, etc) that their children (middle/high school) are...	Our activities should center around interactions with our children, modeling the behaviors and activities we value.
Is complimenting children where they can hear it good or bad? TL;DR : Is there anything wrong with praising children to their parents while the children can hear it? From R. Kipling's "The jungle book": ‘How beautiful are the noble children! How large are their eyes! And so young too! Indeed, indeed, I might have r...	However, praise can be extremely effective for helping children realize desired behaviors.
Is it okay for an infant to sleep 10-12 hours at night? Our 4-month-old baby regularly sleeps for 10+ hours at night. I know this isn't normal (and we feel pretty blessed for it), but is it okay? Are there any health problems or downsides to this? <Q> At KidsHealth.org , growth spurts are listed as a reason for increa...	But it's possible for excessive sleep to keep an infant from thriving. From what I've read and heard, 4 months is exactly when babies start sleeping through the night. The more they sleep, the better they sleep and the more active they will be during the day.
Is there any benefit to not responding immediately to a crying infant? Crying is a newborn's favorite activity. They cry whenever they feel hungry, unsafe, or uncomfortable.But sometimes I prefer to not respond to crying as quickly as possible, in order to teach my newborn to be patient for what he wants.Can I teach my...	Newborns and infants cannot learn patience the way you seem to indicate, and letting them cry for too long might negatively affect their psyche.
How to react to an indecisive 2.5-year-old? I have a 2.5-year-old son. It happens mostly when tired but I'll ask him if he wants something and he will say no. Then when I go to put it away or do something else, he freaks out that he wants it. Then when I take it out again, he'll shout that he doesn't want it. And this ...	In the latter case I allow him to 'change his mind'. Once he sees that he can have your attention and control in other ways this will stop. Be matter of fact and follow through with his decision. This is not unusual at this age and very frustrating for parents.
What should I do about my 3 month old baby wanting to nurse all night? I've been too tired to get up every 2-3 hrs to nurse, so I've been sleeping with him attached to my breast... Unfortunately I can't sleep well. What should I do? He doesn't burp well either, and spits up a lot. I'm afraid of him choking on his spit-...	Feed, burp, change diaper if needed, back to sleep for both of you. Rise promptly rather than let the baby cry itself fully awake.
What's the best way to extract baby snot? Our baby currently has a cold which means her nose is streaming with snot.She is quite unhappy with us wiping it away with a tissue every few minutes. I can imagine her upper lip is getting quite sore. What is the best, most comfortable, way to clear this snot away? <Q> The on...	Some sort of basic nasal aspirator is what you are looking for.
When is it too old to go Trick or Treating? So, when do you all think it's too old for a child to go trick or treating? I'm just trying to figure out when that age would be. <Q> I use Hallowe'en as a way to encourage artistic expression in my children. <S> As they grow older, I continue to encourage them to dress-up <S...	My view is they are too old, when they decide they are.
How do you prevent a toddler from waking too early? My 18 month old has started waking up progressively earlier every morning for the past couple of weeks. It used to be that he would wake up between 6am-7am, which was no problem because I would wake up at 5:30am to walk the dogs. If he woke before 6am, I'd give him ...	but (as per the Healthy Sleep Habits / "cry-it-out" book) sometimes the later you keep him up the earlier he wakes up. One other thing to consider is environment - especially light and sounds. Some kids just wake early and if they're sleeping at 6:30, sounds like you have an early bird.
What is the best strategy for adjusting an toddler's sleep cycle during Daylight Savings? With Daylight Savings coming up, we are worried about getting our son transitioned to the new time. How do we get him to sleep an hour later, when we're struggling with keeping him from waking up before 6am as it is? Is there ...	We took them to a park with a big hill and let them run and play as much as they wanted to. What we wound up doing was simply keeping him awake an hour later the night before.
How can I help my 3 year old son to be more mature according to his age? My son just started school a few weeks ago. He is 3. We arrived to the country we currently live in about a year and a half ago, when he was starting to speak our mother-tongue. Maybe in part because of that, plus who knows what else, he doesn't s...	Make the child speak more and speak in complete thoughts. Speak in the mother-tongue at home, not in the adopted tongue.
How to respond when your kid is being ridiculed by another kid when the other kid's parent(s) are present? Yesterday, while trick or treating, several of my 5 year old's friends were making fun his name in an unpleasant manner. The mom of these other kids were there but they did not notice this behavior or perhaps chos...	If it upset my child I would have called it out then and there - the same way I would if it were my own children making fun of another, pointing out to them that it wasn't a nice thing to do.
Why would a hospital not allow the recording of a baby's ultrasound video while in the lab? I took my wife to take our first ultrasound. I was told be an operator/receptionist while we made an appointment that it is OK to bring a camcorder with us. But when we were there, the ultrasound technician told us another story...	I'd concur with Turpie, there are lots of litigation issues surrounding medical procedures, some technicians may also just not like being recorded.
How to remove brown stains from colored underwear? Our long period of potty training is still ongoing, and at the moment, a lot of underwear it falling victim to that. After washing by hand with clear water and washing in the washing machine at 60 °C, there still remain brown stains in many of the (colored) pants. Wha...	Clean the underwear right away, when I notice it by rinsing off what I can by hand
How do toddlers pick their first words? My son has a pretty eclectic selection of vocabulary. Some words seem to have been picked up from my wife and I repeating them (such as "uh-oh" and "daddy"). Others seem to have been learned without us doing much to single them out ("balloon", "blue", and "duck" for example). ...	It's quite common for children to first overgeneralize their words, then make them more specific as they mature. Most importantly flood him with language, talk about everything! It might be that the sound of the word is pleasing, or the "feel" or "oral shape" of the word is intriguing. For a lot of kids, "daddy" or "mo...
Free printable materials for children My daughter (2.5) loves colouring books, but she uses pretty much one every day. Could someone recommend a decent free online resource of printable materials for children? (at 2.5 years of age these would be mainly colouring books, but maybe some games would be more appropriate for...	There are many pages two of my favorite are: http://www.coloring.ws/coloring.html and http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/
What are some good places to find trustworthy babysitters? Our children are 3 and 10 months, and we're thinking about finding a regular babysitter so that we can get out of the house a little more often. In the past we've relied on nearby family, a high school aged neighbor, and another couple in our neighborhood that...	We found a good sitter through care.com. If you are new to the area and don't have that kind of social support network yet, you might try inquiring at the local high school, or check with the Red Cross (who teach babysitting classes including things like infant CPR, child safety, etc and tend to attract teens who are r...
Are deli cut meats bad for a 15-month-old? We've been feeding our 15-month-old deli ham for dinner pretty regularly. Recently, a family member was alarmed that we were feeding him any kind of deli meat because it is "bad for them". We typically get Prima Della Black Forrest Ham or Oven Roasted Chicken. As usual, the...	There's nothing wrong with deli meats beyond the normal high-sodium/high-fat factors that impact any adult's consumption.
How do you keep a toddler safe around water? We recently moved to a bigger apartment complex which has swimming pool, play area etc. My son who is 2 years and 9 months old is very excited about the place. Most of the times he sticks to the play area playing with sand, sliders and swing. But sometimes he walks near to s...	My suggestion would be to spend time in the water as much as possible, not to make him be satisfied with the water and not eager to go in on his own, but to make him more aware of what water is.
How do I get my toddler to eat fruit? I have a 2 year old kid who does not like fruits in any form. We have tried a lot but he would not eat fruits. Even if we make fruit shake with pieces of fruits in it, he would drink the shake and remove the fruits from his mouth. Should we be worried about his dislike for fruit...	You could try leaving bite-sized bits of various fruits available for him to sample when he's not 'working'. If they don't like it, they are welcome to spit it out on their plate and not required to finish it; but we do require that they try it before they can leave the table.
How do I stop yawning so much when I'm reading bedtime stories to my kids? When I read books to my sons, I get an overwhelming urge to yawn. I'm generally not tired around the time the boys are going to bed, and I don't think I'm bored while I'm doing the reading. I'm wondering whether I'm just not breathing properly...	Reading and getting ready to sleep is linked for many people because this is the most common time we read. Another explanation could be psychological.
What is the right age to put the toddler to (pre-)school? I have read a lot about Pre-school, Nursery, etc. But there is still lot of confusion on what should be the right age to put my kid to school (He is two currently) Is there a scientific research or something which shows the right age to put the kid to school? ...	I would say it needs to be completely based on the individual child. If your child has siblings or is involved in play groups, it is perhaps less important to have them in preschool until the year before beginning kindergarten.
When holding a party for a 2-year old, what are appropriate age limits for the guests? My boy is turning 2. Is it appropriate to invite 13 year olds to his birthday parties? We argue a lot about this. <Q> At two years old, I'm assuming that the party is mostly a get-together of parents of small children (most 2-year ol...	When we have done family parties we had children of all ages, so long as we had something for them all to do, or they had someone their own age or near to be with - things were fine.
Techniques for teaching children from the start about how to read advertising? I took a class in high school that taught media literacy and it has been one of the few learning experiences in high that really stuck with me. I'd like my boy to learn from the beginning, when he's just starting to see advertising, how to r...	In our house (we watch netflix but do watch normal broadcast tv as well) we talk about what the ad is selling and if we think it is a good thing to buy or if "they are just trying to trick us". Stress first that it is the job of the advertiser to make you want to buy/experience something.
How can I keep my infant from sleeping while bottle feeding? We've been trying to get our infant on a schedule, but he tends to fall asleep before he's done eating, which makes it challenging, because he doesn't finish, and wakes up hungry too early. It also makes it more difficult to burp him and once or twice he has ...	Just a gentle tickle was usually enough to wake them up enough to feed (albeit sleepily) Our lactation consultant suggested that we undress the baby down to the diaper for feedings.
How can my 7yo daugher increase her attention span in school? I just had a chat today with the teacher of my 7 years old daughter. The teacher told me my daughter has a very short attention span during the class. She can't concentrate more than a few minutes on a subject. Like all good parents I suspect the problem al...	The goal is to find something that engages your daughter and keeps her attention high, without creating a lot of overhead or extra work for the teacher. At her age the promise of a sticker, or something similar for periods of attention may get the result you want. On the other hand, if she can pay attention for 30 minu...
What are the pros and cons of giving nutritional food supplements? There are lots of nutritional food supplements that (arguably) makes our children Stronger Sharper Taller Me and my mom are having a difference of opinion here. She tells me not to give them. She argues "The lesser chemicals, the stronger our boy ...	With the exception of folic acid before getting pregnant (obviously not a concern for your children) there is no proven benefit to giving supplements unless a deficiency has been diagnosed.
How can we help my 7 year old quit sucking her thumb? My daughter who is now 7 is still sucking her thumb. It is a great embarrassment to her and she always talks about how it is her big secret from her friends. We have tried the finger nail polish, bandaids, and specialized thumb covers, but eventually she overcomes...	I wouldn't stress too much about it because stressing children rarely accomplishes anything good, and it might make her more likely to suck her thumb as a way to handle stress! Laugh with her and never at her , realize this might take a while, and be OK with that.
How can I wean my toddler off the pacifier at night? Our 14 month old is sleeping pretty well these days (last night down at 8pm, woke at 7 for a drink, still in bed with mum when I left the house at 8am!) However we do have a problem with him losing his pacifier overnight. For a start we only use the pacifier as a c...	Note: In the mean time a solution to the "lost pacifier" is to dump 4 or 5 pacifiers in your baby's crib at night. We just reiterated what happened and let him experience the emotion of loss by saying things like "It's sad isn't it that your pacifier is gone.
How to break our infant of the habit of crying when none of us is in the same room as he is? My wife and I live alone (i.e. no other family members) and our 6-month-old infant is quite attached to both of us. When we have visitors, or we are over to other persons' houses, he is okay to play with others as long as we a...	It also helps to teach people the best way to comfort your child. At this age, lack of independence is not a problem in itself.
Cleaning bathtub toys that squirt water What is the best way to clean out bath toys that store water? Specifically, we have quite a few toys that have a hole in the bottom and can suck in water and squirt it out when squeezed. A few of those toys are next to impossible to empty of water completely and hence have start...	If the toy is a must-have: A solution of Milton, or other mild sterilising solution If we can modify it a bit: drill more holes in it to get a proper cleaning flow through If it is unloved enough: ditch it Submerge the toy in a 70% solution of rubbing alcohol. Just keep old shower jel bottles and use them instead.
What's the best way to fix a toddler's mispronunciations? My friend's son loves dinosaurs. He'll show me a toy or a picture of one, and say "dinosaur-ous!" My child is rapidly approaching speech, and I was wondering if it is better to point out errors like that? ("No, it's dinoSAUR.") Or should you simply agree with ...	Whenever he mispronounces it, I usually repeat it back to him while clearly enunciating the word. At 4 or 5, you can be a bit firmer and say, "Not quite right, it's 'dinosaur'" and the message can get through, although, as @BBM said, when they feel awkward that can just make them deliberately say it wrongly :-)
How long should a feeding be attempted? My son has had a couple of consecutive, partial feedings (he is preemie: 5 months old, 1 month adjusted). At the hospital, one partial feeding wasn't a cause for alarm and they simply attempt to feed for a certain amount of time, but then stop because he would be burning more ca...	The most important factor seems to be the total amount he gets during the day, and keeping the stress levels down for both you and the baby.
How do I stop my child from grinding his teeth while sleeping? How do I stop my 4 year old son from grinding his teeth while he is sleeping? <Q> I had a problem with grinding my teeth when I was young. <S> It led to a lot of dental work in later years, which could have been avoided with a little bit of behavioral modif...	They probably make a mouth guard for children - I'd ask your dentist. Once the adult teeth come in, grinding becomes extremely problematic as it wears down the enamel layer over time, which can quickly lead to easy staining or decay.
16 months old and no signs of communication. Should we be concerned? Our son is now 16 months old and does not know any words yet. He doesn't seem to understand anything we say either. He makes plenty of talking sounds, he looks at you and babbles but no words. We keep hearing about plenty other babies younger then ...	As well, if your child is not communicating or understanding it may not be a language deficiency, it may be a hearing problem. As for what you might do to help your son learn:- first and foremost, talk to him.
At what point should we introduce water (or other liquids) to our infant's diet? We've just started feeding our infant solids and there are lots of resources to figure what when and what to introduce but I haven't yet figured out when we should introduce water along with it. It seems like a waste to give him somethin...	Water is much easier and may comfort your child, but it takes a long time for the child to eat enough food and get enough nutrients from it, so I was very cautious about giving my child water/juice. This is probably a question for your pediatrician, since your child's weight gain and other factors affect this.
How do we ensure that our toddler is getting proper nutrition now that he is eating more solid foods? My son is 15 months old, and has been eating an increasing variety of solid foods. However, we are having a hard time getting him to eat normal "meals". His favorite foods are more in the category of "snacks"; partic...	If you have some sway over his diet when he's not in your immediate care, you could pack him some snacks for the day.
How can I tame my 5 year old's wild hair? My daughter has some seriously crazy hair. She has waves right around her face. When she starts playing and getting sweaty, her hair will start sticking out and just look horrible and I can't figure out what to do with it. I tried letting her have bangs, but as they grow out th...	Curly and wavy hair tends to be drier, so you might find it beneficial to use a conditioner when you wash her hair (so much for the not using product!) Try headbands, elastic bands, or clips (if she will keep them in). Even though you said you don't want to use product, I have found detangler spray very useful.
How to prevent "open air incidents"? We have a newborn who seems to like to pee when we change his diapers. Any tips on how prevent this? <Q> In short, you have to be a ninja. <S> Boys are much better at getting money shots than girls (my nephew got me in the ear as I turned my head to shield my eyes). <S> What you ...	Other than that, make sure you have the clean diaper under him in place before you undo the dirty one. The only thing you can really do is alter the timing of when you change him.
Why does my toddler want to take her clothes off? Our 1 1/2 year old daughter keeps wanting us to take her clothes off. She'll keep wailing until someone does. She'll try to take them off herself. I'm worried that she'll just want to be naked all the time - even when we're outside or company is over. Why does she want...	There is nothing wrong with a child being naked but this must have limits. She has discovered a desire or need (to take her clothes off) and a way to communicate
How do I figure out why my child no longer likes preschool? I'm wondering how to figure out why my 4 year old son no longer likes preschool. He is quiet and doesn't say why he doesn't like school when asked about it. My 4 year old son started preschool in August and liked it a lot. At parent teacher conferences I hea...	At the beginning you may want to ask the teachers for some ideas of what they did that day in school so you can help prompt him as to what he may have enjoyed. With all the changes in his life he is acting out by being disruptive.
Can rocking an infant make her too dependent on it? We have a two month old. We are big believers of using the 5 S's to sooth her ( swaddling, side, shush, swing , suck )We usually swing/rock her in our arms. Recently we started to use the swinger seat because she's getting heavier and it's getting harder to hold her f...	I think this is a natural phase - they are continually rocked in the womb, so they have to be weaned off it. My recommendation is, as they say, to "start how you mean to go on". I don't think you should worry about this - everyone I have ever met who has kids rocks them. I believe that rocking like many things does in ...
When is it appropriate to start explaining the religious components of the various holidays? When should we teach our kids about other cultures and holidays? We are Jewish which makes it a bit complicated this season. We are often wished Merry Christmas in stores (seems natural as most people in America celebrate Chri...	You can start out with a thumbnail sketch of each holiday as soon as they become aware of the holiday, and then fill in more details as your child asks more questions.
How do I teach my toddler not to stuff her cheeks with food? My 20-month-old daughter, given the opportunity, will stuff her cheeks full of food she likes (especially cheese, raisins, or green beans) to the point where it's difficult for her to chew or swallow. When this happens, she'll work on the food for a little w...	Another option is to be vigilant watching her eat and say to her, that is enough in your mouth please chew and swallow.
How should I handle academic disagreement with a teacher? A second grade teacher of a friend of my daughter taught her class that Columbus was not a nice man, and explained why. My daughter was not affected by this teaching. However, it brought up the question of what should I do when/if this happens to my daughter? ...	If the student has a logically presented argument, the teacher must accept it. I believe in the parent's right to manage the education of the child.
Should we use our (convertible) car seat when flying with our two-year old? Our daughter just turned two, and we have a few flights coming up. She has flown many times in our laps, and this will be the first time she has her own seat. She is usually comfortable in her car seat in the car, but I'm concerned about whethe...	If your child is over 20 lbs., and within the safety limits of your seat, she can sit facing forward in the convertible seat. Definitely use the car seat on the plane!
Should I discourage my son from "stealing" toys from Let's Rock Elmo? My 15 month old son has Let's Rock Elmo , which includes drums, microphone, and tambourine for Elmo to play. However, my son has several times decided that he wanted the instrument Elmo was "using" at that moment, and walked over and took them from...	Instead, explain to your son every time he does it that Elmo is a toy and might break if you treat him this way. I think it's a valid concern, but not very serious at this stage.
How do dealing with infant flipping over during sleep training? We are sleep training our 4 month old. Its working great except that now he is flipping over to him belly and then he starts crying. Should we go in and flip him back? Should we leave him to figure it out and flip back over. He doesn't seem to be figuri...	Current guidelines recommend putting your baby to sleep on his back, but it's okay if he flips over on his own. Make sure the crib is safe, the sheets are taught and the mattress is not on the toddler side if there is one. If he doesn't get it the first 5-10 minutes, giving him more time is only going to stress him out...
Can scented products irritate a newborn? I suspect my three month old baby is agitated by the strong scents such as soap, moisturizer, fabric softener etc. It is ironic since so many people recommend a massage with moisturizer for a good night's sleep-- which only makes her nervous. I am looking for references support...	Other studies have observed babies reacting differently to a variety of smells; one study actually found infants exhibiting signs of pleasure when exposed to fruity scents, like a lemony after-shave lotion. Some children are sensitive to certain types of touch.
Should I stop teaching my toddler a second language if his exposure to it will be limited? I have stared to talk exclusively in English to my son when he was less than 6 months old. However, we have decided not to move to an English speaking country, so I ended up practically alone. It's been two years since then (he'...	Even if you had chosen a lesser known language (Danish, Swahili, Korean) it would still benefit the child (as long as you master the language) because knowing >1 language unlocks a whole new understanding of what languages are and how they work. Knowing English is never a bad thing, and will remain useful throughout li...
How do I deal with my pre-schooler's over tired behavior after school? Obviously four years old is too young to diagnose ADD; however, my daughter has always exibited ADD symptoms and it would not be surprising if one of our children has ADD as it runs in the family. We are finding that she is fine in Pre-Kindergarde...	This is perfectly normal and should be expected in young children. The 10 out of 24 hours can be divided up, with naps being great ways to give you and her the time you need to recharge, as some of the other answers suggest. If you get one-two word answers, let it be and let the ride home just be quiet. You can ask her...
How do you say "not now"? Sometimes children (say 3-5 years of age) want you to play with them, but for whatever reason, you cannot participate. How do you say "not now" without hurting their feelings or making them feel rejected? <Q> I found two ways of dealing with this. <S> This way I have given them my attention <...	First, when we get home I give my kids about 15 minutes of my time before attempting what I think 'needs' to get done. The best thing is to let them know when. Second, when the issue does come up I tell them about how long it will be and what we will do when that time comes, I then suggest what they can do while waitin...
Is it required or advised to sterilize bottles? So we've been sterilizing our bottles with a microwave steam bottle sterilizer. Is this at all required? What risks might exist if we don't bother? <Q> The current scientific consensus is: No. <S> It is not necessary to sterilize bottles, not even for newborns. <S> The...	Because it is not possible to create a totally germ-free environment so sterilizing baby bottles is very important otherwise bacteria, viruses and parasites can gather and make baby ill.
How do you teach a 1 year old to stop biting people? I have a friend with a one year old that bites people, maybe as a sign of affection, but doesn't know that it hurts others. How can his parents discipline him regarding this behavior?Do you try to show him that his actions actually hurt others? <Q> Whatever you do, ...	He likely doesn't know that his biting hurts people, but their reaction to being bitten should teach him that. We always lightly bopped our kids on the mouth, therefore showing him that his mouth is what hurt you.
How do I help my 3 month old sleep better through the night? My 3mo daughter was sleeping pretty well through the night (from 11 PM to 7 AM) for about a week, and now she wakes up every 30 mins to 1 hour wanting her pacifier. I've been running in at the first sign of crying and giving her her pacifier. As of 2 days ag...	I suspect that she is waking during the night because she is hungry. I know she needs sleep, so I pick her up and soothe her to sleep. You have to try things and figure it out yourself...
What are appropriate methods for disciplining a primary schooler for lying? When a child lies there a few common reasons why they may be doing this: To see what happens because it is fun to tell stories that they don't really realize are lies to get someone else in trouble to get themselves out of trouble How wo...	Ask the child to admit the truth.
How can I get my toddler to sleep later in the mornings? My son, now 15 months old, was sleeping through the night, and waking up consistently at 6am. However, over the past few months he had been gradually waking up earlier. Now he wakes up consistently at 5am. For a while I was able to go in and say "it is still t...	15 months is a little young for him to really grasp that completely, but you can do things like give him something quiet to play with and go back to bed yourself. Train him by not responding to his "i'm crying, take me out" until a fixed time in the morning. There are a variety of clocks available for toddlers which si...
Should extra milk be given to 2-year-old at bedtime if not eating solids well during the day Our little boy is 2 years old, and we are still giving him a large amount of formula milk at bed time. He is not a good eater, and we don't want him to get hungry in the night. Is it recommended to give extra milk (he often h...	As long as there is no evidence to suggest that your child is having trouble with his oral development (he can chew different textures, he talks, and does all those things that he should do at his age), then I'd say it's probably ok. Maybe you could try weaning him--giving him less and less milk at bedtime until he get...
At what age can children understand and respond well to discipline? When my daughter was 6 months old, she liked to crawl over to our floor lamp and play with it (which is dangerous). Instead of trying to correct her behavior, we simply moved the lamp behind a child gate. Now she is 10 months old, and she likes playi...	First of all, make sure you have "TRAINED" the child to not do something, as mentioned above that can mean for very yound simply saying "no" and making it clear your expectation. Babies as young as 5 months can recognize prosocial behaviour . Finally, at any age, curiosity can always override obedience.
At what age can you leave the child in the bathtub? Today when my daughter took a bath I wanted to go check on a thing, but of course couldn't since I was watching her. Of course it depends on the child, but in general at what age do you think you can leave the child to play in the tub (with not too much water) to go,...	As a parent, I am sure you'd agree that if the kid is making noise, it's probably fine.
What are the key considerations when selecting a potty? It's time for potty-training, but we have trouble finding a good potty. We first bought one that plays music, but it's just to big, she basically falls down into it when sitting. We looked for a long time until we found one that was better in that respect, but t...	Forget the potty, go for a potty seat that fits on your toilet.
What is the recommendation for treating a feverish child? When her young children became feverish, my sister would undress them and try to bring their temperature down. However my mother is adamant that the right treatment is the exact opposite- Wrap them up warm, but give them plenty of liquid so they don't become de...	If your child has a fever, it's important to keep them hydrated by giving them plenty of cool water to drink. Try one layer of lightweight clothing, and onelightweight blanket for sleep.
Can a toddler spend too much time with books? Back when we were still expecting our son to be born, we were told all about how important it was to read to our son , even before he was born . Being avid readers ourselves, my wife and I felt this was a good idea. We read to him daily, both before he was born and afte...	At this age, your patience is going to wear out way before any harm is done. The basic idea seems to be exploring, wondering and imagining stuff and some books are really good. I wouldn't discourage this practice.
What are the health benefits of giving children vitamins? My wife and I have given our five-year-old children's vitamins on-and-off since she was two. I don't believe the vitamins harm my daughter's health, but at the same time I wonder if the vitamins are just another version of candy, and I am skeptical of vitamin's ...	Unless your kids Dr has said "you should give li'l Marceline a vitamin" then it stands to reason that you're not really helping, and you could be hurting (overdoing it). You'll find 3 well-known bone tissue softening condition which can take place mainly because of not receiving an adequate amount of vitamin D: Rickets...
How do we prepare for a long car journey with a 2-month-old? Is there anything specific to think about when planning a long car journey (12 hours with an overnight stop) with a 2-month-old? I guess one of the issues is whether one of the adults stays in the back with the baby, or whether both being up front is ok? We w...	Have a high-quality car-seat for the baby. I would not recommend that one parent sits in the back, unless the baby is very very fussy. Also be advised that they need to get out of the car as often as you do. do NOT be afraid to stop for "a while" .
What are the risks of putting a newborn baby to sleep on their front? For our first baby, we were told by various midwives in no uncertain terms, that babies must always be placed on their backs to sleep (no explanation ever given- just instructions!). This was all very well, but our little boy just wouldn't stay asl...	Because of this, I let my babies sleep on their front, tried to monitor it when I could, and hoped for the best. They also tend to be better crawlers, with better upper body strength - babies who sleep exclusively on their back often skip crawling and go straight to walking. SIDS is a very real thing.
How do you investigate what's going on in the pre-kindergarten classroom? For some, seeing the kindergarten teacher have such remarkable control over 20 children seems astonishing. But she doesn't get that without doing something . And the children don't always tell you what injustices have occurred during the day, ...	Yes, it is important to talk to the teacher about your concerns. Volunteer to help with something like preparing materials or even reading to the children. If you truly want to know what is going on in the classroom for any grade, you have to be there, and not just once or twice.
How to improve the introduction of solid food? My wife and I have six month old twin daughters whom we have just begun to feed solid foods. Per our doctor's instructions we have begun feeding the girls Beech-Nut Rice Cereal . In an effort to control acid-reflux one of the twins has had this rice cereal in her bottle f...	We aren't sure if this is because she does not like the taste or if she isn't ready for spoon feeding. You may also try oatmeal, as that is also used for the same reason as rice cereal (have you tried rice cereal, it is truly gross!)
How to simultaneously spoon feed twins? My wife and I are on different schedules which during the week leaves one parent alone with the twins. Feeding the twins bottles at the same time has proven to be relatively easy. We are now in the process of introducing solid foods. This has proven challenging for one of the tw...	We mix up one bowl of the food we are going to spoon feed them and alternate bites. It really depends on their personalities - one may be fast eater while the other is slow. Don't worry too much and go with the flow. Try and see what works (the next day it may be all different :-) Being a twin, I've just asked my paren...
My 4-year-old is wetting the bed a year after finishing potty training My daughter just turned 4. She has been wetting the bed several nights a week for the last month. She's been potty trained for almost a year and previously hadn't had a night accident in at least 6 months. I know she understands that peeing in the...	Wetting the bed after having been stably dry for months can be the symptom of some sort of regression due to an internal crisis / trauma, caused by some event like the above. The more they learn to ignore that discomfort, the easier it is to sleep through that feeling and ultimately have an accident in bed. If you just...

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