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How do I explain good sportsmanship to a 4 year old? My 4 year old son and I enjoy playing games. However, whenever I win and he loses, he gets very upset and doesn't want to play anymore. I have tried explaining that he won't always win at everything, practice makes perfect, try your best, etc., but it is clear that...	The next time he wants to play remind him that he might lose and it isn't fun to play with someone that doesn't know how to lose and win.
How young is too young to diagnose ADD? As a teacher, I have always been under the impression or had the idea that ADD couldn't really be diagnosed until grade 2. (I am not dealing with ADHD in this question). I was wondering if it can actually be diagnosed younger to the benefit of the child. As well, if it can be,...	There's a push towards diagnosing children earlier, but medication can be problematic so the recommendation is usually to start with parent training and behavior modification programs.
What are some good games, books (or any suggestions) to teach my 10 year old more patience and persistence? My 10 year old gets frustrated very easily. When I ask her if she'd like help or suggestions she says "no!". She'll often become angry and then give up. I have some of these tendencies (except being so hard on my...	I think there are many games chess, backgammon, patience aka solitaire, sudoku, etc. I also think that narrating YOUR feelings out load when you get frustrated (or when you don't and are just faking it) and narrating how you solve the problem would teach her the skills of what to do.
Infant and noise from fireworks I live in China and have a 2-week-old baby daughter. Today is Chinese New Year and the noise from the fireworks tonight will be deafening. What is the best way to protect her from the noise? <Q> Take her into your arms if she is frightened. <S> Admire the fireworks together if she is int...	If your baby gets upset, I guess all you can do is hold the baby close to you and close the ears with your hand. When (if) she wakes up to the noise, be there, be calm (or joyful if you like), demonstrating her that there is nothing to be afraid of.
What to do about my 3.5-year-old son often changing his clothes? I have a 3.5-year-old son. After every two three hours he keeps on crying for changing his clothes. He only wears the dress clothes which he likes, and doesn't listen if we tell him to wear a different dress. I don't want to be harsh with him. What to ...	If he is demanding that you change his clothes for him, make it more of a game, but ask which ones he'll want for the morning and which ones for the afternoon. Let him play - it's fun now, but will get boring for him eventually.
Is it safe to engage in sports while pregnant? We have a couple of birthdays coming up soon and my partner will be 30 weeks pregnant, For the birthdays there is planned Ten Pin Bowling, and Paintball. Are these sports ok to do whilst at that stage of pregnancy? <Q> Ten pin bowling should be no problem at all, but I w...	In the general sense, it is okay to engage in sports while pregnant, presuming she's had a healthy pregnancy and was physically active before getting pregnant as well.
How do I decide if a particular program online is a good and safe place for kids and whether or not to pay for membership to programs that require it? My nephew (10yo) has approached us about playing AnimalJam and while I see it's sponsored by National Geographic Kids, I'm curious what the safety content of the game ...	When evaluating a website for kids the best way if for you to play multiple times so you get many experiences with the game.
Should we use special detergent/washing powder for the laundry of baby clothes? Any suggestions/experiences of the best characteristics for a baby clothes detergent would be appreciated. We are in the UK, in case that influences the options we should look for. <Q> We did buy special soap for our first child (it is very...	Some babies need gentle detergents and others don't. As others have said, it depends on the baby.
How much is too much worry/anxiety in a child? I have an 8-year-old daughter- She is in a play and is very well prepared. However, she is having trouble sleeping because other children are not. I have talked with her about how she can only be responsible for herself, but she is still anxious. Another example is when m...	The idea would be that by role playing some scenarios you can give her a feeling of agency and ability to cope.
Will it confuse my son if I try to teach him 3 languages, two of which are very close to each other (Russian and Ukrainian)? I know Russian, Ukrainian and English, my husband knows only English. We are going to teach our son Russian besides English (English is a dominant language where we live). But I wonder would it b...	Bilingualism tends to delay mastery of some components of each language; again likely due to the amount of language acquisition being accomplished rather than confusion between languages. If you are the only one to speak Ukrainian with, it will require an extra effort from you to keep up the Ukrainian language environm...
Online resources of quality cartoons for toddler while watching TV may not be the ideal activity for our children sometimes it is acceptable trade off. Please help me find some legal online resources of quality cartoons for toddler. In my case: language English, country UK, 1.5 year old happy toddler <Q> I'd agree ...	Another idea would be just pulling a few YouTube videos into a playlist, quite a few of those kids' programs are available there . Don't put the TV on for a 16 month old toddler. Quiz shows, daft as they sound are brilliant, they have loads of people, animated shiny/sparkly scoreboards and such, and they'll love to lea...
How to stop my 8 year old from crying every time she's frustrated? My 8 year old daughters is usually very good. But in the last few months she has started to cry more and more each time she can't have something she wants. The odd thing is that it's something she didn't really used to do before... well, not as often ...	Calmly say something like, when you are done crying we can talk about why you are frustrated (give her the words for her emotion). Talk about this with her (talk to the teacher first, to see what is happening in class).
When drying baby bottles, do they have to be completely dry before using them for feeding? After washing the bottles and associated parts in warm soapy water, we leave them on a drying rack to dry. Sometimes my wife will use the bottle even when there are a few drops of water remaining in the bottle. Is this safe? Do ...	Older children have built up enough of an immune system to cope with unsterilized bottles, and I would not worry at all about the bottles being any degree of wet, as long as they're just wet with clean water and not soapy residue -- rinse the bottles in clean water after washing to ensure that. You can instead use the ...
11-month old daughter suddenly refusing to eat lunch/dinner My 11-month old daughter has, in the past week, become extremely fussy and at some meal times is refusing to eat. For breakfast, we usually give her weetbix/rice cereal with milk (warmed in the microwave) and she seems to enjoy it. For lunch and dinner we ha...	As I said, she will not allow herself to starve, and if you start battling around food you are setting a bad trend which may last long into her toddler years, effecting her relationship with food in general. The key to success is to make eating a fun experience. Keep in mind that your child's stomach at this age is sti...
Reading in second language for a bilingual kid - how to approach a phonetic language vs. English phonics? My kid goes to English public kindergarten and learns there to read and write in English. We live in USA. At home we speak Czech and Czech words are read as written with different phonetics. How long should I wait...	Start teaching Czech reading and writing right away!
When did you let your child play around your house unattended? (by herself) My daughter is almost 6 years old and we live across from a park. Can I tell to her to play and check her only like every 5-10 minutes? I know the answer will be it depends on the kid, and the area, but I would really like to hear from older pa...	So in the end it depends on the area and on your kid.
Moving with our bilingual child We are two German parents and we are living in an English speaking country. With our child - who just turned three - we speak German, whereas all other people (our friends, his friends, the kids in kindergarten) speak English. We are now moving back to Germany. What can we do, so that ...	So, if you get them exposed to English-speaking kids, then they will try hard to speak English with them. Arranging play-dates with expats is one way.
How can you preserve old teddy bear for eternity? Both my kids have used the same teddy bear every night until they were 3 years old, so I have a special attachment for this particular toy and I would like to be able to preserve it for as long as possible. I've thought about using a vacuum bag but I would like to read...	I would put it in a sealed bag, and then put it in a plastic box and seal the edges with masking tape. Start out with high quality teddy bears that can withstand a lot of wear.
Recommendations on helping my left-handed preschooler when my husband and I are right-handed My four-year-old is very obviously left-handed. We've suspected that he's left-handed for a couple of years now, but now that he's starting to learn to write, it's obvious. Every time he tries to write with his right hand, yo...	As a child gets older, finding pencils that have harder leads or pens that dry quickly may be useful. I found that teachers know how to deal with left handedness. The best ambidextrous scissors I've ever found are IKEA's. I just changed when she was watching, and went back to what worked for me when she wasn't!
Ideas for dealing with a 16 month old toddler who likes to climb things? My wife and I are frazzled with a little boy who has not only mastered the walk and the run, he has now started into climbing every available vertical surface. We thought we had the house baby-proof, at least the living room. Other than standi...	Certainly, teaching him to safely climb down from a bed is important, and providing him with ample opportunities for safe climbing, but if there's something that you don't want him climbing on at all then you might need to institute a time-out policy. The message has been that he is supposed to climb his climber, and h...
Giving a baby a bottle while in a car seat of a moving vehicle...should this be avoided? My wife and I took a roadtrip and thought that we were totally prepared. We brought bottles of pumped milk (stored in a cooler). We also brought a thermos of hot/warm water so that we can warm up the milk. We figured that when our...	It's not necessarily bad practice, it may just be a bad practice for your daughter.
Why does skin dryness occur in newborns and infants and how can we help to prevent it? I have a one and a half month old baby daughter who is getting a lot of dry skin and dandruff. We have used olive oil to massage her skin and also Johnson's baby lotion but still there is a lot of improvement needed. Can someone ...	Moisturizing cream is a common remedy. Baths strip the natural oils off the skin so you don't want to over-do the number of baths she gets or how long she's in the tub. Make sure when you take her out that she's thoroughly covered and protected from the wind and cold. Only a doctor examining your baby would be able to ...
What are some possible ways to deal with night-time tantrums My daughter, who is coming up for 3 years old has never been a good sleeper. She regularly wakes during the night, sometimes up to 3 or 4 times but more commonly once or twice. More often than not she simply wants comforting from her mum, but all too often i...	go to the door once, assure the child that you hear them, but that it is time to go back to sleep - yes, they will continue to fuss, but it seemed to let her know that we were aware of them, but not going to come in while they should be sleeping. Some children who are in the middle of a night terror can appear to be aw...
Should you talk your toddler only in one language when you are multilingual yourself? Our toddler is raised in a multilingual environment. I speak only one natively. However, I find awkward and unnatural to speak just one language to him from the argument that this will confuse him. Being multilingual is not only abou...	I think the point of the one language per person rule is to make the child learn to be consistent with the languages in question. The advice we got (not from the linguist - from a pediatric nurse) was to use the language of the country we live in when he has friends over, but to use our own language(s) in all other sit...
How do you get a child to eat? My son is two years old and has never been a good eater. He just refuses to eat anything. He'll usually have one bite of whatever we eat, but that's about as far as his interest goes. How can we get him to actually eat food? <Q> You may just have a child that is a "grazer". <S> Our ped...	Just make sure that the little he eats is mostly healthy, diverse food, not sweets or junk food snacked in between regular meals. Your best bet is to take this issue up with your pediatrician since they know your child and can track trends in weight and health and give you ideas for how to make improvements since I am ...
Silicone bottle nipple, usually has a whitish film after washing and drying? Why is this the case? I've notice that after we wash & air dry our silicone nipples, frequently they will have a light whitish kind of film on the inside. This film survives boiling water sterilization too. I would then have to wash it again w...	If you are washing the bottle parts in a dishwasher it may also be any rinse aid.
How to soothe a 4 1/2 month old during our night time sleep routine? We typically start our nighttime bed routine at around 6:30. We bathe her, breast feed her and then try to put her to bed. We know that she is tired because she will rub her eyes. However, she fusses a lot. We hold her in our arms to try to calm/rock...	If you create a routine with her napping in her crib during the day it may make it easier to put her down at night.
Is it okay for my newborn to sleep in a travel bed instead of his crib? My "Pack n Play" is easy to move around the house and it contains things I need such as changing pad or diapers. Is there any disadvantage for letting my newborn sleep in this for a long period of time instead of his crib? I am a first time mom s...	I don't think there is a safety concern, as long as the child is sleeping on the flat portion, and has a comfortable pad or mattress on the sleeping surface.
What are the risks of ventilation holes in mattresses for newborn babies, if any? My girlfriend and I are expecting our first child in the next couple of weeks. We still need to buy a mattress for the Baby's cot. I read online that some mattresses have ventilation holes to help prevent SIDS. But on another website I re...	The mattress isn't a culprit - and "used air" makes little sense otehr than when there is a suffocation risk - which was discussed. The most important thing is simply to make sure that your baby sleeps on their back.
Is it reasonable to put limits on a pre-teen playing video games? Posted on behalf of a friend of mine: What are appropriate rules for how much time kids actually get to play video games (such as x-box 360, PlayStation 3, or on the PC)? Apparently we are the ONLY parents who set limits. Everybody else's mom and dad ...	I think the point is that you can set a limitation that makes sense and is achieveable. OTOH, Kicking the entire console out the door is not reasonable. I’m not sure that eight consecutive hours of it on a daily basis is entirely necessary , but placing it somewhere along the continuum of Play as opposed to “Wasting Yo...
How to teach a toddler how to treat a book? My son is nearing 2½ years, and he's got a big stack of picture books. He loves to turn the pages but doesn't take any care in doing so. That means the books are often torn and the spine bent so far back on itself that it breaks. We've collected some very sturdy cardboard boo...	When he is ready to understand the level of respect required then he is ready to look at books unsupervised.
Is there any harm to letting an infant's hair grow long? My niece is 7 months old, and has long hair: around say 20-25cm. We are planning to cut her hair against our wishes because we think it could make it easier for her to catch a cough or cold. Is long hair seriously dangerous? <Q> NO Long hair in infants and toddl...	It can be irritating for mom and dad as the kid gets active and the hair gets dirty and tangled and requires more attention, but that is about it.
Why must a toddler car seat be fully reclined when installed rear-facing? Our daughter has been in an infant seat since birth, but is now 16lbs, and very near the height limit for this seat. We have received a nearly-new convertible seat from friends, but have a few questions about installing it in our compact car. Th...	Additionally, regardless of your child having head control, if the seat is not leaned back enough, when you go uphill it can cause strain on your child against the shoulder harness.
5 month old won't fall asleep because she always turns herself onto her stomach This question is related to How do dealing with infant flipping over during sleep training? , but not exactly the same. Our 5 month old daughter flips onto her stomach constantly. When you put her down on the play blanket, she immediately...	Our younger daughter was never very good at sleeping in her crib (for naps during the day) so we just gave up and had her sleep in the bed for naps too. I recommend reviewing these two products: Wedge Pillow Side Sleeping Pillow
Changing a child's name Our son Thomas was born about 6 months ago. Now, we're feeling like he doesn't really look right for his name, and we're thinking of getting it officially changed to Charles instead. We're also not sure we like that Thomas means "twin", as he isn't a twin. So what do you think? Should we cha...	You are the parent and need to listen to your heart/gut, but I'd suggest from a legal standpoint, leave it Tom, and then over time you'll give him whichever nickname works. Consider that if you change his name, you might have second thoughts about the new name, too. Let your gut feeling decide.
How do I encourage my toddler to work on his spoken language? Our 15 month old has yet to speak any words. He seems to hear well enough, and will, when it suits him, listen to us when we ask things of him ("go get your ball!", etc). He's engaged with the world around him, and is pretty good at expressing his needs by p...	If you are worried about toddler's hearing then get that checked out, but the speaking will come soon enough. I believe the most important thing is to talk to him as much as possible.
Baby gift suggestion for third boy? What is a good idea for a baby gift for someone who has just had their third boy? They do not want to see one more blue stretchie :) - or even any piece of boy's clothing. They have toys and books, hooded towels and snowsuits, a high chair and mobile and bouncer etc. Any ideas? <Q> I...	"Gift certificates" for things like babysitting, house cleaning, or whatever else you can do to help the family would probably be welcome, too.
Immediate reflux/heartburn relief for a baby (8 months old) Our 8 month old is having a bout of really nasty heartburn after getting over norovirus. Our doctor has looked at him and determined he's suffering from normal gastritis and prescribed zantec. Unfortunately Zantec takes 1-2 days to take effect and so he is sti...	Put a pinch in baby's mouth if he or she seems to be in pain after eating. Perhaps a slippery elm lozenge could be crushed and mixed with a little water to make a paste.
How do you know when a baby needs to be burped? My daughter just turned two, and over the last two years, I've learned a lot. Most parenting skills were easy to learn, but I never figured out burping when she was in the infant stage. In retrospect, I think if I had tried to burp her more often, she would have been more...	Our daughter usually burped very quickly, but the advice was specifically not to try too hard to get a burp; if she needed, she would burp.
My toddler is waking up with crust on the inside of her eyes, should I be concerned? Recently my 3 year old daughter is waking up with crust on the inside of her eyes and a little on her lashes as well. This isn't pink eye (as she has had that already and her eyes are not pink at all now). Could this be food related ...	If she has a cold or allergies are acting up, this is most likely an additional symptom. Conjunctivitis (commonly known as pink eye) doesn't always show a pink color on the eyes, and the crusting is often associated. When the allergies abated, so did the crusty eyes. If it gets worse, or the color of the discharge chan...
How might one comfort a newborn with sore gums whose teeth are about to erupt? I would like to know how to comfort and relax a newborn whose primary teeth (or milk teeth) are about to emerge. What about soothing the gums with a teether? I have read that they are harmful and should not be used. Should we alleviate th...	We used baby Orajel on our son once and discovered it worked better at numbing our finger than numbing his gum. My sister-in-law gave her daughter cold celery sticks to chew on. When I was working on my molars as a toddler, I remember chewing on a plastic toy giraffe that had horns on its head and pointy ears, and I ca...
Will a 12-18 month old understand a baby is on the way? My first son is 12 months old and I'm expecting another child who will be born when my son is 18 months old. My son is fairly verbal for his age. He understands phrases like, "Put the ball in the box," or "Bring Mommy the book." He also says about 8 words. I'm ...	Soon before the baby is born explain what is going to happen, but don't expect she will understand.
Stopping a toddler playing with his belly button Our toddler has recently, since moving into T-shirts rather than romper suits, discovered his belly button. He now spends quite a lot of time with his hands up his shirt, or when settling for bed, with his hands in his sleeping bag playing with it. Unfortunately this h...	This habit will stop sooner or later. You just gotta be patient and remind him that what he is doing isnt good and causes damage and harm to his o her body.
How do I get a young toddler to walk holding my hand? Baby boy is just 12 months, but walks really well and prefers to walk. When we are at the grocery store or somewhere we need to go from Point A to Point B, sometimes he doesn't want to go where I want to go. If I try to lead him by the hand, he throws himself to t...	That said, when we did walk with them we would just say "holding hands or we need to carry you" and positively reinforcing that meant that pretty early on they would come to us to hold hands without being asked. At 12 months, even if he is a proficient walker (our son certainly was), expecting him to understand he need...
How to tell my son (10yo), somebody he knows as a man, is actually a woman? My adult step-daughter is in a same sex relationship. I love her and support her decision, if this makes her happy. I'm neither pro or against homosexuality ... actually, I'm not even neutral, I'm indifferent to the same-sex lifestyle choice ...	Mention why you felt the need to tell your son why you were hesitant to discuss this with him, and also why you couldn't put it off any longer. Most of all, tell your son that you will still love him no matter what decisions he makes.
Should I try and prevent my child from becoming like me (in some aspects)? As an adult I realize I am not perfect. I have my "glitches". One of them is that I am too shy and an introvert to people that I do not know well (somewhat extrovert to friends and family). Would I not want to be too shy? Yes. I think that in so...	For example, when she is "feeling shy" discuss ways to get past the feeling rather than it being all about her as shy (that way she isn't having to overcome herself if you know what I mean - funny how big a difference a tiny bit of language can make). It will be very hard to reinforce behaviors at home when you don't e...
Addressing bad behavior after the fact My 5 (almost 6) year old daughter has started doing things that she knows are wrong when friends are over. From what I can tell, it's not the friends who are instigating the bad behavior, it's my daughter. Unfortunately, I am not finding out about the mischief until well after the...	Your child is old enough now for delayed consequences, so if that is appropriate, I wouldn't be afraid to apply those, but it is also possible that some information is missing. I would talk to her about it.
Why is my baby crying? What's a good sorted list of potential causes to check when my baby cries and I don't know why? I need something I can print out in advance because I can't think very clearly once the crying starts. <Q> Based on a list I made and kept as a poster over the crib: <S> Hungry/Thirsty Diaper wet/d...	Wet (change diaper) Hungry (feed) Make sure both parents and other caregivers give each other breaks from the crying to recover. hungry gassy cold lonely tired Missing toy or other object Keep it all in a little notebook and bring it with you to doctor visits just in case to help remind you of things.
Light Day-Hiking with Newborn-- baby carrier or offroad stroller? Baby is due in late June, and we hope to continue our normal habit of light day hikes (<4 miles, no major elevation changes) with her later in the summer and into early fall. Does it make sense to carry her in a front baby carrier, or should we look for ...	With a baby in a car seat in the stroller, the baby is relatively safe - after all, car seats are designed to sustain the damage of car accidents.
Is giving my toddler a mobile phone to chew on bad for his health As one of the methods I use to distract my wee fella when we are changing him etc is that I give him my mobile (cell) phone. He immediately puts it in his mouth and it keeps him entertained for the period I need him to be. I then take it off him as I'm...	I highly recommend not giving your child your cell phone as a toy. Heavy metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium are present within mobile phones, especially older models, as well as brominated flame retardants in the devices' printed circuit boards and casings. It might not be very harmful because after all toddler e...
Why do parents refer to themselves in the third person? Can anyone explain to me the reason why parents tend to refer to themselves in the third person, when talking to their young children? E.g.: "Hold Daddy's hand while we cross the road" as opposed to "Hold my hand while we cross the road" Is there any r...	At the start the child will not understand the parent unless simplified language is used , which is a strong incentive to use simplified language - the incentive to use standard language as the child grows up is far weaker. When I refer to myself as "Mommy" to my daughter, it reinforces to her 1) who I am and 2) that I...
How can I get renewed medical attention for my child's undiagnosed sickness? My son is 6 1/2 years old and we are in the process of seeing an Infectious Disease specialist and a Neurologist. My son has had an MRI, a CAT Scan, Ultrasounds, and the pediatricians have run every blood test imaginable - all showing nothing....	I would also keep a record of his symptoms--even though he's been hospitalized and doctors have observed his behavior, keeping a running diary that you can take with you will only help you long-term and might provide some more insight into whatever is making him sick. You could ask your doctors or local hospitals, or d...
Is it safe to breastfeed through pregnancy? I have heard 2 arguments against breastfeeding while pregnant, that it causes contractions that can lead to premature labor, and that it can be difficult on the mother to support a developing baby, make milk for another baby, and have enough nutrition for her own body. My OB...	Generally, it's possible to safely continue breast-feeding while pregnant — as long as you're careful about eating a healthy diet and diligently drinking plenty of fluids.
Is there any problem with same-sex siblings sharing a bedroom when there is an 8 year age gap? I am a 20 year old female living at home with my mother, her boyfriend and my younger sister who is 12 years old. We live in a 3 bed council house. My mother has now discovered that she is pregnant with a baby boy and is now ...	If you are not paying rent, you are unfortunately going to have to abide by her rules. Treat her like an adult, and agree on some ground rules. If you don't like the rules, you have the option of moving out. While it may not be ideal for you, unless you have a bigger house it may be unavoidable, so you might want to lo...
How can I get my 2.5 year old to sleep on his own? My toddler sleeps well at night, its getting him to bed part is really frustrating. The main problem is that he won't let me leave the room until he falls asleep. He is not scared to be alone, he just wants me to be there. The problem is that, he can take 2 hours go...	Solve the problem of having the kid go to sleep alone in the evening, and you might solve this problem too. You can go back into the room, but increase the periods in which you do. DO NOT come in because he is crying. All of the methods mentioned may work for some, but if your child is very active, it probably won't. W...
How to teach an 8-year-old to navigate two groups of friends who forbid friendship with members of the other group? My 2nd grader is coming home talking about how there are two 'teams' (her term) of girls who talk about each other, are mean to each other, and try not to allow 'their friends' to be friends with the girl...	However, if her friends are starting to turn on her because she's trying to be friends with girls from other groups, then that is something that needs to be addressed differently. They recommended that you contact your area Anti-Defamation League who has gotten really involved with its anti-bullying campaign and has a ...
Ways to find (non-religious) volunteer opportunities for your children? My daughters, age 8 and 10, would like to do some volunteer work, something like helping feed the hungry, helping injured pets, cleaning up parks, etc. Something beyond helping with stuff at school, which we do when we can. I know some folks whos...	Our library keeps a list of pre-teen kids who are willing to volunteer with the very young ones during craft activities, for example, or to listen to book reports during the Summer Reading Program.
How to prepare children for impending death of a parent? My wife has been told that she has a limited amount of time left due to an illness, the average life expectancy is 7-8 years after onset, of which we have used up 7. With excellent management, and slow progression of the disease, people have been known to live up...	If you prepare them, provided they understand the situation, their behaviour is likely to change. Use matter-of-fact language Be open to their questions With children under 5, then I'd start with colorful story books. Children can be remarkably resilient, and the trust you build with them through honesty will be invalu...
Moving to a foreign country with a 2.5 years old child My wife and I are moving to a foreign country with our 30 months old daughter. The country we are moving to speaks a different language (German-we speak Italian) which my wife and I understand and somehow speak (not particularly well) but our daughter does not know...	My point is that your very young child will learn whatever languages she is surrounded by. Definitely begin to introduce German books and programs to her so she can start to get an 'ear' for the language. You are going to have a far harder time learning the language then she will.
What should I do with my daughter on Take Your Child to Work Day? I'm a programmer and will be observing Take Your Child to Work Day with my four-year-old daughter, Thing1, on Thursday. I'm planning to get us dressed up, take her to breakfast and then bring her into the office for some fun business shenanigans among...	Activity diagrams and sequence diagrams might also work. Also, this could be a great opportunity to show your daughter that working as a programmer is actually a pretty good career choice. If some of your coworkers are also bringing their kids, you could arrange for the kids to have a meeting of some sort, perhaps to t...
How do you deal with when you've had a "parenting fail"? I suppose all parents/caregivers may feel this way from time to time, but when a child does not listen to you or you have had a "parenting fail" so to speak, how do you deal with this? Edit: Details . A four year old developed a habit (a long time ago) of clim...	Explain the problem, tell him you are sorry you were angry, get him to apologise, cuddle a bit more, then move on and have a fun day. The resolution I made to this was REACT .
Is the child obesity epidemic biasing growth charts? The prevalence of obesity in children is increasing. Is this biasing the growth charts that physicians use to assess normal growth? In other words are children that would have been in the 50th percentile before the rise in childhood obesity now in a lower percentile...	For you to be able to get the percentile ranking of the child, it is best a baby use a baby weight percentile calculator, so you would know the rank of the child based on WHO standards.
What is the best way to have multiple monitors for more than one child? My wife and I are expecting another child in a couple of months. We have one monitor now for our daughter. When the new baby is born, we would like to have monitor transmitters for both children. How have other people handled this situation? Di...	If your kids are in the same room, I think a standard baby monitor (ie, a receiver and screen) will do for you.
Gift idea for breastfeeding mom Can any breastfeeding mothers (or former breastfeeding mothers) suggest a soothing Mother's Day gift? I got my wife and mother of 2 some clothes and other things already but I wanted to throw in something well 'er soothing and thoughtful... like lanolin or a Boppy (she already has bot...	A place for them to sit comfortably and nurse her baby. This isn't a stocking filler, but a rocking nursing chair and footstool is likely to be appreciated.
Is it normal for an infant's weight to fluctuate? Is it normal for an infants weight to fluctuate throughout the day or to not increase from one day to another? I have a feeling it is, fluctuation happen and average weight gain per day is an average, but if anyone could point me to research or articles of amount or ran...	It is great that you are keeping track of your child's weight, so you can notice easily if there are any discrepancies. There are really a lot of possible factors that causes weight fluctuation.
How to test whether my toddler is allergic to detergent? Background: We use normal detergent for our toddler's clothes. Our toddler regularly develops skin rashes over most of his body; we use creams prescribed by an allergy specialist to keep the rashes under control. I'm allergic to SLS (I get tons of canker sores...	I wouldn't recommend testing an allergen on your child by yourself - that's something which should occur at your dr's office.
How can I strengthen my baby's arms? Our 11-month-old hasn't been too interested in learning to crawl. I think she got tired of failing. She pushes her self backwards but can't push herself forwards. While searching for activities that could strengthen her arms, the most promising I found was baby pullups : When you...	"Juuust out of reach" is wonderful training. When she is on her tummy, put her favorite toy juuuust a bit out of reach so that she has to go to it.
How to teach a 2 year old to go on the toilet? Our 2 years old child sometimes asks to use the toilet, but then doesn't poop after all. We have been successful a few times, but sometimes it happens on the carpet instead. We keep saying that he should not poop on the carpet, but he still does it. How did you teach you...	Use bribery to get the child to sit on the toilet at regular intervals, not just when they make. I find at this stage bribery is not the answer because the child really has no control.
Is it really that big a deal to switch between different formulas? A doctor told us that the all of the "cow milk based" formulas are all the same so it doesn't matter which one we use. So I say we get the cheapest and use whatever free stuff we can get no matter the brand (as long as it's the cow based milk and not, s...	The only thing I could possibly come up with is taste, but I guess as long as your infant accepts it and doesn't turn purple, I'd say you're not crazy and any formula goes :)
Does/can it have a negative effect, if newborns/infants are exposed to background noise (TV, ...) while awake or sleeping? A midwife once said that babies might sleep camly in the loudest environment (radio or tv sound, party, etc.), but later they are "reprocessing" all this input and will be unsettled or even won't s...	I see tv as just one of many sources of amusement (from the Latin "away from thinking") which can certainly be a wonderfully relaxing way for new parents to avoid obsessing about their babies and allow themselves the healthy choice to spend time while Baby is sleeping , simply "chilling".
Grey hair on a 14 month old baby My son is only 14 months old, but we have recently noticed that he has a white hair on his head. Should we worry? <Q> My son's hair is literally two different colors: red and blond. <S> My hair is also literally two different colors: very blond and black. <S> Variation in hair colo...	Hair color changes naturally for a large number of reasons.
How do I teach my toddler to chew his food? My son is 2½ years old and he eats as if someone is going to take his food away from him - although that has never happened. He stuffs his mouth and barely chews the food. We've always told him to take small bites, then chew, then swallow. Sometimes he does this, sometimes ...	We played the "counting" game to see if he could chew a certain number of times...
What is your setup in a car for kids to watch kids movies or shows? (2 kids, separate programs) I used to use laptop to play DVDs and shows to kids. Now my kids are 6 and 3 and it is not easy to find a show which is suitable for both. Also my laptop died. What is your headphone setup (I am trying to avoid playing it o...	On long car trips we have used a laptop, with stacked headphone splitters so that each child can have their own sound.
Should I be concerned about my 12-month-old not understanding what we say? My child will be 12 months old next week. He was born 6 weeks prematurely. My concern is that he doesn't seem to understand what anyone of us says. He does look when I say "look" and he does respond to his name, for the most part. I see online t...	Some kids are a bit slow. The best advice is to ask your pediatrician.
How to make a contact card for a child in case they get lost? We are going a field trip and we are taking our 5-year-old child with us. I want to make a contact card for him, which sticks on his back, in case (God forbid) he gets lost so anyone can contact us. Now the problem is that I couldn't find any template or ide...	For more visibility, you could also give your son a lanyard with an ID card pocket and stick a card in that.
Advice on raising trilingual kids Arabic is my native language and I am fluent in English, my wife is an English/Urdu bilingual but English is more native to her plus she can read Arabic letters without understanding it but she can’t read Urdu. Our son is one year old now and we been using OPOL ( One Person, One Langu...	It's every parent's dream to raise a kid to speak multiple languages when both parents speak different languages.
Self-soothing and sleep training I have a 7 month old baby boy. Until he was 4 months old he had no problems getting to sleep. Then, he started to cry and protest until he fell asleep. He even protested when he was in our arms we were rocking him. Since he still slept for 9 or 10 hours straight, we didn't worry about...	Consider trying an earlier bedtime for several days and see if sleep improves. If you lovingly work with him and try and do everything you can to get him comfortable (which could mean you being uncomfortable because you have to walk him around a lot or something) it will be a fond memory of hard work and sacrifice and ...
Do dummies ("pacifiers") hinder speech development? I have always frowned on the use of dummies, because my mother (who ran a nursery for 25 years) was adamant that they can hinder a child's speech development. Our new baby is very unsettled and very collicy, and the midwife is recommending using a dummy to help settl...	Pacifiers reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Nose Bleeds at night My son has been waking up with nose bleeds that past couple of nights. Tonight the nose bleed was bad enough it woke my son up. Is there a way to help prevent nighttime nose bleeds or reduce how often they occur? <Q> A humidifier helps, but even more effective than that is to apply Vaseline to the...	I give them saline spray or drops: it moisturizes and flushes out mucus to clean little noses and it has not the side effects of drops or sprays with alcohol.
How to encourage a 4 month old to swim For the last 2 months, we have been taking our daughter, now 4 months old, to the baby swimming twice a week. She enjoys it however she doesn't really swim. She just sits, floats and lounges: allowing the currents to take her up and down the pool. Is there anything we can do to en...	Your daughter will be looking to you to provide cues, so the more you seem to be enjoying it and encouraging her, the more likely she will be to have fun, and having fun is the only way at that age that you're likely to get much in the way of results. First and foremost, be supportive. Float her on her back, with your ...
Nearly 2 and doesn't comprehend speech I see a lot on this site and all over the Internet about toddlers that are late to talk. The general consensus seems to be as long as they can understand when you talk to them then don't worry, they will talk when they are ready. Well my child does not understand anything you say...	Starting speech therapy might be the right choice for you and your child, but before you do anything, please speak with your pediatrician or better, get your child evaluated by a speech therapist. As best I understand it, he had a form of Auditory Processing Disorder, which is kind of like hearing dyslexia. If you are ...
How to minimize the negative impact on our child when we parents argue? My wife and I have an 8-month-old baby boy. Having a fight, for example debating, is something that we don't want to do. But sometimes, we can't avoid having a fight in front of our son. When the situation goes bad like that, what should we do in o...	Say something like, "Please don't do that." One thing I’ve heard suggested is that if an argument starts in the child’s presence, it should also be resolved in his or her presence (i.e.: if you get into an argument, don’t take it to another room to spare the child). The way that you argue is part of the way you two int...
How long should we try to conceive before consulting a doctor? How long should a pair wait while trying to conceive before consulting a specialist doctor? Is it one year like most of the sites recommend, less or more? <Q> We only waited 9 months and the Dr. was fine with that. <S> We did have complications between n...	If you or your partner are over 30 then the recommendation is six months because you are at a greater chance of having fertility issues.
What cheeses are ok for pregnant women to eat? A useful answer might be a comprehensive lists of cheeses which are ok, and of those which are not (are any of them ok in smaller quantities?) Alternatively is there a sure way of telling if a cheese will be acceptable when you're pregnant once it has turned up at the din...	Soft cheeses are the ones to double check, as the aging process used in hard cheeses, even those made with unpasteurized milk, makes the cheese inhospitable to Listeria cultures :
My daughter wants me to read other's minds My 8 year old is constantly asking me, why is that person not being safe? or why did that person do that?, why did my friend say that?...I try to tell her my best guess or I say I can't read other people minds. Neither is getting her to stop asking these types of questions.An...	Some of it is normal exploring of boundaries: if you tell her something is wrong/dangerous, she wants to know why other people are doing it. She is trying to understand her world, and she wants your help to make her able to "read others' minds" (make her understand their way of thought). Answer the questions to the bes...
Ok to mix breast milk with water? Our 2 month old breast feeds 90% of the time, but if my wife is away we will use pumped breast milk from a bottle. The other day my wife was out and we only had 1.5 oz of defrosted breast milk. Our baby usually eats 2 oz per feeding, so I added .5 oz of warm water so that she wouldn'...	Water use is also discouraged for the reason you used it: newborns can fill up on water, so they should not be given water.
How to cut a newborn's nails? My two month old daughter has sharp nails. Please suggest some safe way of cutting her nails so that she doesn't scratch herself. We bought a supposedly baby nail clipper but it is no different from a normal nail cutter (just has some cute drawings) and the baby doesn't hold still to allow...	I just used one of those infant nail clippers and it worked well. I wouldn't wanna cut him, so when he's asleep I bite his nails. Didn't like to do it while my little one was sleeping, because she would move anyway and would wake up crying.
What can be done when a child cuts his or her hair? A 5-year-old girl has just cut her own and her younger sister's long beautiful hair. This is not the first time. Her parents are mortified and concerned that the girls will be ridiculed at school. They have been to the hair dresser and now have buzz cuts. How can t...	If she gets made fun of for a short while it will persuade her not to do out again.
Should I be concerned about my 3.5-year-old believing he was Spiderman? My 3.5-year-old son is obsessed with Spiderman comics, games and movies. He thinks he is Spiderman. He even has a 'girlfriend' in school whom he calls Mary Jane. Is this normal? Or should I be concerned? <Q> My son is the same, as was I. <S> So...	It's pretty normal. This role playing is normal, common, and essential for skills building. A fireman's hat, a toy kitchen (or some unbreakables from your own kitchen), if you have a sandbox prompt him to play construction, and since he already loves it and the movie is being heavily promoted you should find a Spiderma...
How to handle a defiant 2-year old when he takes something he shouldn't? My very strong-willed 2 yr 10 mo. old son is curious about everything in his environment, which crops up as a problem now and then if something delicate, expensive, or dangerous comes into it. Eye glasses, cell phones, computer electronics, tools...	If the child does not obey, the reward is withheld, obviously, and a small punishment for not obeying can be applied - but remember that negative reinforcement isn't an effective way to get a child to obey over time periods longer than a couple minutes - it's a way to motivate them to try to not get caught. If she does...
How do children manage to sleep in noisy environments? Children seem to be able to sleep in noisy environments, even when carried around. Is this generally true and what are the reasons? How does the ability to sleep with sound around differ with age and other circumstances? <Q> Ability to sleep through noise seems to ...	An infant who is always put to sleep in the quietest possible conditions will usually develop a tendency to wake at even the slightest noise, whereas infants who are exposed to normal noise levels during sleep times will usually develop a tendency to sleep through more noise.
Should we be using fluoride paste or not for toothbrushing a 1-year-old who eats the toothpaste? We recently read about how important it is to start toothbrushing once teeth break, both to establish the habit/routine and to prevent early decay. But the kid's paste we bought (which is delicious, incidentally) is fluo...	If you really feel uncomfortable using regular toothpaste, you could also try to find fluoride-reduced toothpaste.
Alternative to the 1-2-3 rule needed I have a 1,6 year old son. Today I first put him in "the corner" after counting to three, explaining that this would happen when he doesn´t behave. Then I told him that he should stay there until he was ready to apologise. (He didn´t close the toilet when asked.) He cried and I know...	Please don't get me wrong - kids need to be told no, AND yours needs to stay out of the toilet, but one of the problems parents run into is when we say no too much it loses its meaning. If he counts correctly perhaps even give him a few more. We use the 1.2.3 rule, and I'm a computer programmer, and my oldest son (6 ye...
Toddler has trouble saying the letter "L" I am not sure if it is just my kid or the letter "L", but my toddler can't seem to say the letter "L". I try to help him out and show with my mouth how to pronounce it, but he will say stuff like Wo-mein instead of Lo-mein or Wook instead of Look or Rook . I also notice...	--he's not saying his "L" with the right part of his mouth, leading to the "W", and he is starting his "W" correctly but moving his lips incorrectly, leading to the "P". Some kids "get it" better than others, but it's not outside the range of normal for a 5-year-old to have difficulty with some pronounciation.
Do baby walkers help with reflux? I have a very happy 4.5 month old with reflux. He is trying his best to cope with it and does a very good job. He smiles all the time. I noticed that he likes it when he sees your face and I know babies with reflux should not have too much pressure applied to their stomach, especiall...	Our 4 month old has just started into this reflux stage and putting him in it has, as you said, put more pressure on his stomach and caused a lot of spitting up.
Our 4 year old won't fall asleep until 11pm Our 4 year old doesn't like to sleep. I know that sounds like what every kid says, but let me clarify. She doesn't cry at bedtime, she just won't sleep. We start to get her ready for bed around 8pm. By 8:30 she is in her bed, and the lights are off. Come 11pm when we go to s...	If they are getting enough sleep then that's good, the only thing that is going wrong is the time they are going to sleep and waking up. I think that if you want to adjust her schedule, I would start by waking her up earlier.
Breast milk looks curdled . . . what happened? My wife pumps and puts the milk in the fridge if it's not time for a feeding. We have to supplement with formula because the baby drinks about 4 more ounces a day than she makes. Feeding from the breast never worked out. Anyway, the problem is, sometimes, we get the breas...	Milk bought in stores undergoes a process called homogenisation which ensures that globules of different sizes, which naturally exist in milk, are split into smaller pieces, which in turn allows the fluid to not separate when left on its own.
How can I help my baby poop My newborn (currently 6 weeks) sometimes goes a few days without a bowel movement. It seems like this makes her uncomfortable and she sometime looks like she's trying to get something going (she has an obvious pooping face) but after a few pushes gives up on it. Is there anything we can do t...	But when my baby does seem bothered by it, I use a glycerin suppository to get things going and it works like a charm (my paediatrician said she'd do the same... Gently bend her knees so they are together. Do not use a glass thermostat: it can break.
What do you do to help an ADHD kid get along in the classroom or with school work better? Rather than always trying to change the child, what are some techniques for ways to help a "wiggly kid" function in the classroom better without it just being about "sitting still"? The methods I used with my middle school kids...	Teach the kid what to do instead of what not to do. This may be completely beyond yourcontrol, but you might could help encourage the school and teachersto expand their teaching methods. Generally, a good coping mechanism is something that they are interested in that keeps their attention without disrupting others.
Can I clean the fabric from my stroller in a washer and dryer? The seat cover on my Maclaran (Quest) stroller is pretty filthy, and it all unsnaps, but the Maclaran site doesn't seem to have any info on whether you can machine wash it (or how to wash it at all). Anyone have any guidance? If the washer is safe, does i...	Most seats are designed to be hand washed in cold water, or sponge cleaned. I washed the removable fabric in the washing machine.

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