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Calming Baby after bath I guess that I am lucky in some ways. My son, three months old. Loves being in the bath. He is not scared of water and loves to splash. However, taking him out of the bath is a different matter, often it will set him off screaming, and crying which can last till after he is dried and dressed. ...	After the bath, I'd take my shirt off, put a diaper on the baby, and then let him/her rest on my chest for a while with a big towel wrapped around both of us. Toys to distract A bouncy puppet-like toy which is attached to the wall at the correct height lets Baby play with the toy, while I am holding Baby and can procee...
What to do when the pinky is the only way to soothe a newborn? My question is: Is there any way to soothe a crying baby in the middle of the night other than inserting my pinky? Summery: Pinky method = only successful soothing found Tried the following other methods without success: Binkie Singing Holding Swad...	- If I have read your description correctly, you are inserting your pinky finger into the infants mouth with the pad of your finger to the roof of their mouth - this triggers the infants suckling response & was a GREAT way to calm our kids down when they were tiny. Tight swaddling provides the continuous touching and s...
Should my wife pump after feeding to "top her off?" My question is: Can we trust that the baby will not starve itself and will eat as much as it needs, or is it a good idea to pump and feed the pumped milk to her from the bottle after the next feeding? General Info: Age: 7 days Feeding method: Breast-fed Gender: ...	but if you have a few days worth already in storage, production is keeping up with baby's need and desire so you aren't needing to supplement, it is probably fine to ease off on the "topping off".
What are the differences between a child who was born vaginally versus via caesarean section? My son was born by caesarean section, although my wife and I really wanted our son born vaginally. My wife's friend has had two successful vaginal births. She wants the third child to be born by caesarean section. This is just...	So, a child who is born vaginally has the advantage of a mother who will be on her feet sooner (not to say c-section mom's are lazy or neglectful or anything like that, please don't infer that meaning! Caesarian sections do have a major effect on the mother , however - major abdominal surgery means the mother can't lif...
How to help my newborn pass gas I have a newborn (10 days). She seems to struggle with a lot of gas several times a day (first question, is this too much!?). How do we help her pass the gas more quickly and easily? She does get it out eventually, but we feel kinda helpless. We have tried moving her legs and pressing th...	It may be obvious except to new parents, but make sure to burp the baby after every feeding. The Wiggling of legs is supposed to help, a little side to side motion should helpalso. Gently bend her knees so they are together.
How to fit 3 children car seats into the back of a car My 3rd child was just born and I've discovered fitting the seats for all my children into the car is a real problem. My oldest child is using a booster, my middle child a car seat and the new baby is still in an infant carrier. My car is a large compact (Citroen ...	If you are in a jurisdiction that doesn't require car seats or booster seats for children 2 years old or older, it might be best just to use a seatbelt. In the end, after spending hours checking each and every baby-related store in the area I've found a cheap no-name booster that fits between the infant carrier and the...
What's the difference between baby clothes that say X months and clothes that say X-Y months? I have clothes that are 3 months and I have clothes that are 3-6 months. Are they equivalent? is there equivalency between sizes that are given as a single number vs ones that are given as a range? <Q> Cloths of the same suppo...	The X months sizing system for baby clothes is far from accurate.
new tooth has a black color (baby 8mo old) My 8mo baby has his upper front teeth on the way. Today, I noticed that one of them was black and blue in color. This is scary to me. It looks like one of the teeth is black, but it might be that the gums near this tooth is black/blue. I haven't been able to make him sit sti...	Taking the antibiotic tetracycline during pregnancy can cause a child to have discolored baby teeth, too.
Should I forbid my 10 month old boy to touch/play with anything that is harmful/dirty? We are pleased with a powerful sense of his curiosity in our 10 month old son, but his curiosity makes him want to touch/play everything, including items that are dangerous or dirty. When he touches or plays with something we cons...	The good news is that if your child is an explorer wanting to touch and play with everything that's a great sign that the little brain is trying to form understanding of the world. Children need to play with dirty things too, but I think 10 months is too young for this. Remove the dangerous items if possible, otherwise...
Two year old afraid to go on potty My two year old has started potty training and is pretty good about going pee on the toilet but really struggles when it comes to going poop. She will hold it in and lay on the ground holding her stomach but when you ask her if she has to go she will always yell No. We've tried candy...	You don't want to create a situation where a child is afraid to go on the potty, and the more pressure you put on the worse it will get.
How to remove a 3-year-old's "over" attachment to his mother? We have a 3-year-old son. During the last few months we have observed him being strongly attached to his mom. Wherever he goes, he needs his mom. He cries like crazy at any time he notices she is not with him. He wants his Mom all the time . He cries if s...	I agree with Henry, you need to make sure that someone is there that is compassionate towards the child to ensure he is comforted when mom isn't around. Make sure you are honest with the child about when mum is leaving and coming back, even if the water works will start. If your child has an insecure attachment, the be...
How can I move my toddler's interest from toys to playmates? My kid is 2 years and 9 months now. For a year now we've been in USA and we were buying him electronic toys (buttons, music, lights, shapes, numbers), so he is very sharp at those, he can say number up to 40, he can sing 10s of rhymes. So far all is well. Bu...	For instance, put him in a play group where he meets other children regularly, or arrange play dates with other kids in the area. He wants to become more independent, and that's a normal and good thing. Playing together happens gradually as they get older.
Should I make a particular effort to present great women of history to my daughter? I always had my heroes as I grew up. I always liked to read about great people, and of course this more often than not meant read about great men . On my time as a child very rarely important women of history were in the books I read o...	I think you shouldn't necessarily present just great women, but talk to her about great role models, both male and female, and both ancient and modern - as children need historical/epic role models and current ones.
How can i make sure my kids are not annoying? I was flying today and there was a very annoying 2 year old in the seat in front of me. Her mother was on an ipad most of the flight and let her do whatever. I thought to myself "Ill never have an annoying kid like that". But then i realized that i have no idea how to go ...	In order to get this level of discipline and respect you need to spend a lot of time with your child - they learn this by example and consistency - so once you have rules, you need to stick to them (as does your partner) because confusion in rules just confuses children, and they then will misbehave (deliberately or no...
What to do about gnawing when Adult teeth start to come in? My boy is just closing in on 6 years of age. (thanks to p.se.com, he spits after he brushes his teeth ) About a month ago his lost his two front teeth within a week of each other. The new teeth have both been coming in at a seemingly quick speed. My boy howe...	Gnawing or grinding is usually a response to itchy or agitated gums. Also, consider whether he has some lactose intolerance if he gets plenty of food with calcium and iron - he might not be getting all the nutrients from it.
Using experience as a reason for correctness Although I haven't used the "because I'm older" or "because I'm your dad" argument before with a child who questions my reasons, I know many adults who do. Is this harmful in any way? I have taught my children that age is never a reason why somebody is correct, and people ...	If a parent always says "because I said so" and never gives them any reasons then their children won't learn anything, and that would be harmful and I could see it hurting a child's self-esteem.
What to do about a 2-year-old who won't sleep without someone else in the room? My 2-year-old son won't fall asleep without having someone in his room with him. He doesn't want to be touched or held. He just wants you to sit in the chair. And after he does go to sleep he wakes up about 4 to 5 hours later, crying and sc...	If they are getting the same activities in the same order every night, you're preparing them to go to sleep. Tell him beforehand that you will stay with him for five minutes, and announce when the time is up Leave the door open . As long as I don't fall asleep with him I get up and go back to bed with the wife. I get u...
How to teach children the difference between pets and vermin? My 16 month old daughter just witnessed her grandmother chasing and proceeding to bash a mouse to death. My daughter was within 4 feet of the death site. She was pretty shocked and asked to pacify after. She didn't cry but she was a little upset. I told her ...	It's important for children to know that strange animals can be dangerous--including a strange mouse that lives in your house!--and not to go near them without a parent or other adult.
Will treats after a fall promote self-inflicted injuries? My daughter had gotten a bump on her head and I read online to ice it and give them a treat while you are icing their head to distract. I didn't do a treat because I didn't want her to think that to get something unique/fun, she had to hurt herself for it. Do yo...	In those circumstances, although a treat wouldn't necessarily be harmful, I prefer emphasizing a method the child can use to comfort himself: taking deep breaths, shaking it off, finding something else to do, David's laughing it off idea, etc.
Is it ok to be on diet while pregnant? While pregnant (4 months), is it ok to "be careful"? Is it ok to avoid eating too much and bear hungry feelings some days? <Q> Many women think that being pregnant is an excuse to eat everything is sight, however the average pregnant woman only needs 200-300 calories more per day,...	It is much, much better to identify healthy low-calorie foods and eat as much of those as you like, while limiting foods that will lead to a lot of weight gain.
Should I let food be a way out of a "time out"? My 16 month old has always been very willful and it is hard to get her to drink a lot of milk that is not from breastfeeding. I have read that "time out"'s are timed 1 minute per year of age, rounding down so hers is a one minute time out. Is it okay to offer that if sh...	Be consistent with the punishment and she will learn that you will carry out the terms regardless of her pleas, this will let her know that she needs to do the task BEFORE it gets to that point. So, making food part of any kind of disciplinary activity could backfire on you badly, unless that food is considered a rewar...
How do we stop our child screeching? Our 3 1/2 month old has just learned how to make an ear-piercing screech, which appears to either mean "happy" or "tired and grumpy". How can we dissuade her from making this noise, without "ignoring" her when she's upset? <Q> I took a slightly different approach to the other answe...	When she makes these ear-piercing shrieks, show her your discomfort - distort your face, cover your ears, wail or moan, and tell her in plain spoken language "that hurt." I figured that rewarding positive behavior, and ignoring negative behavior rather than actively discouraging it, would be an effective means of commu...
Can the Phil and Ted Strollers accomodate an infant and toddler at once? We have friends who need help finding a stroller that can hold a newborn and a 2-year-old at the same time. We found the Phil and Ted Navigator, and dot, which seem to have endless setup options with the bassonet add-on, but I cant seems to se...	I have a Phil and Ted's and yes you can have a newborn lying flat with a toddler sitting, you do that by moving the second seat above the main seat and then dropping the main seat flat. A normal size baby of 8 lb could not fit in the drop down main seat in a cocoon as there is not enough room. Or, buy a P&T, but accept...
How can a Single Father prevent his child from becoming addicted to video games? Scenario: My neighbor faces the tough situation that his 7 year old boy has started to play video games and he wonders how to stop him from getting addicted to them. Sadly, his wife is no more.. he's a single parent. How can a parent tha...	If the child shows no ability to control their video game usage, a total ban may be needed. You set limits and you enforce them.
How do we discourage our infant from pulling hair? My 4.5 month old son has recently started to grab hold of hair. It seems to be out of comfort or for stability rather than for 'fun', but we would like to discourage this behavior. Is there a way to do this without scolding him? <Q> At 4.5 months, he is too young to ...	For hair pulling at that age, you can try gently redirecting onto something else.
How do you respond when a child catches his parents having sex? I ask this Question on behalf of my neighbor. Their 12 year old son saw his parents having sex. As there is only one room in their home we can't say its the parents' mistake... but now the question is how do they handle the situation? <Q> If he is 12 t...	If they appeared to know and were not interested in talking about it, then I would not push it. If he/she brings up the topic, then you might have to discuss about sex. I believe that parents should be there to help a child who asks for help. They should know their son well enough to recognize the signs of a question w...
What food should I buy for my spouse so that she can produce more natural milk for my toddler? I was wondering what food should I buy for my spouse so that my toddler gets more volume of natural milk rather than supplementing with milk or formula produced by companies? <Q> I appreciate you asked for advice on foods, bu...	The most popular herbal remedy used around the world for increasing milk synthesis is fenugreek. Things that increase milk production: malt beer (naturally alcohol-free) malt-based coffee substitute herbal breast feading teas Herbs that reduce milk production
Is it normal that a 2½ year old omits any "s" in the start of words? My son is not quite 3 years old yet. He's doing great in terms of speaking except for one detail: whenever a word begins with an s he will just skip that sound. For instance he consistently says top instead of stop . When the s is in the m...	In addition to other good answers here, I can also add that the child will more easily learn sounds that are mainly formed by the visible part of the mouth. I wouldn't worry at all as it sounds like your little one is doing very well and is even advanced.
Helping my todder fall asleep My 2½ year old son generally has no problem with going to bed and that whole routine but once he's lying down quietly it still takes him forever to actually fall asleep. "Forever" in this case being an hour or more. I had much the same problem growing up; I would lie for literally hours a...	Getting himself to sleep is a skill he needs to learn, so follow a routine.
Kids Website, is it a good idea? My daughter is just 4 months old. Being a software developer, I register two domains on her name, as soon as her name is finalized. Now I was looking for some really eye catching kid website template. To my surprise, I didn't find many. Again few of my friends and relatives suggested n...	The Internet is a scary place, and protecting the child's privacy has become increasingly important. A decade ago it seemed common to create photo websites about their offspring.
Installing car seat base...how tight is good enough? We have a car seat system which comprises a base and a car seat. My wife, my mother-in-law and me share two car seat bases. So sometimes we might have to move the base between cars. One car has latch points so that is basically the easiest to install. The in-law's...	The proper way to install a car seat is to put all your weight on it, tighten the lap part as tight as you can, then pull the shoulder belt all the way out and let it ratchet down until it's snug. There are many locations in the US, and possibly other countries, that offer free car seat installation inspections .
How do I teach my child the virtue of not quitting? He is 14 years old. I have observed in his study of mathematics, he tries for some time, but then gives up sooner than one should (if the problem seems difficult). I guess just telling him to try harder won't work (just telling it plainly doesn't seem to work anyway)....	Perhaps he needs better challenges. It sounds like he may need help with his math, not encouragement to try harder. Model effort and a strong work ethic. They suggest: Define perseverance with your child. Break the problem up into smaller pieces. The key is knowing what you're giving up and why , and what the consequen...
My 22mo son stuck a pinto bean up his nose. How should it be extracted? We tried plugging the un-entered nostril and blowing in to his mouth and got nothing but boogers coming out. We went to urgent care and they had us repeat the same "trick" and nothing came out. They didn't see anything through the small scope thing...	My mother had to take me to the hospital to have it removed. Take your child to a nearby emergency room to have the bean removed. Please leave this to a professional! Water was injected into my ear and then quickly sucked out with the syringe. Both nostrils are very stuffed up right now and little man is pretty unhappy...
Should I expose them to cartoons of the past? I grew up with Tom & Jerry classics (e.g http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCpdjaT46DY ) which I find really healthy and full of simple and pure emotions. I personally feel that cartoons of today are bloated and dangerous. So, should I control what cartoons the kids watch? ...	So, in short, if you have fond memories of certain shows from your childhood, by all means share them with your children. That said, many modern cartoons also bring a good message, so I would suggest allowing them to see cartoons from any era but just check age appropriateness.
My wife is pregnant again, does she need to stop breastfeeding our son? We have a 1 year old son, and my wife is now pregnant with our second child. Our doctor says she should stop breastfeeding our son because she is pregnant, because it may harm the fetus. This makes me sad, as I would like her to continue breastfeed...	Additionally, the milk a mother feeds her child starts to change and lose its nutritional value (slowly over time) as the child begins eating more and more solid food. Perhaps the doctor was considering the mother's calcium levels or some other piece of information about which we are not aware (in which case supplement...
Enocurage or discourage playing video games to 4+ year old son What precautions should I take to make it so my son does not become a games addict as he grows. I know what I have lost playing games for so many years when I was young. My 4+ year old son (will be 5 in two months) loves to play video games. I am a games ...	If the toy is appropriate for the age, the child must be able to be busy with it also without you. When it comes to video games, the main point to keep in mind is that they are not a baby sitter. All a video game is at that age is a toy as any other.
Toddler always get close to the TV, might it point on bad eye sight? My 2 years old daughter love to watch TV so we let her do that sometimes. We always ask her to sit on the couch which is ~2 meters away from the TV and she do that, however after few minutes she will always get up and go closer to the screen. When we...	Sometimes, what I do, is I put some barriers so he wont get too near the TV, or I will get his favorite chair, so he will be encourage to sit on his designated area.
Is it bad if I push my daughter into playing sports? I played sports growing up and learned many valuable lessons while on the field. I want my daughter to learn some of those same lessons. Is it wrong of me if at a young age I start to push sports on her? Enroll her in soccer, t-ball etc. <Q> I think it's important to...	Depending on the age and personality, it may be appropriate to make it a requirement for the child to give a sport that initial attempt. You should not push any recreational activity, no matter how rewarding you found it, on her.
Introducing a newborn to my 2 yr old My wife and I have a 2 year old little girl. We in the upcoming weeks will be having a new addition (another girl) added into our home. We want our 2 year old to embrace her new little sister, love her, and help take care of her. If there is a way to avoid jealousy I am all ears. ...	Let her know that she's going to have a new important job of being a sister, and tell her that being a sister means loving the new baby too and teaching her things. What I will say is that trying to foster some independence in the time you have left is a good step as the more confident your child is the easier it is fo...
How do I motivate a primary schooler to practice musical instrument? There is a question for an 8 year old, however for a younger child it might be different. My child can not get through all the excercises and after 3 minutes walks away from the piano. Should I bribe her with ice-cream or money or other rewards? <Q> ...	If you reward your kids for an activity then the activity becomes an obstacle, something to be overcome to get what they want. Our neighbors have said that some of the most rewarding parenting experiences have been sitting with their daughter for an hour a day while she learns; personally, I'm looking forward to trying...
How can I prevent my 9 month old from eating anything and everything? Generally, babies, particularly newborns, have a tendency to eat or munch anything they get their hands on. This can be very hazardous or sometimes fatal if the matter is toxic. Can someone give me some practical advice on how to prevent toddlers o...	Make sure there's nothing dangerous that they can reach and put in their mouth. I see her sticking something else in her mouth and I replace it with something I am more comfortable with her having there.
Embarrassing experience with my nephew; Should I tell his parents? The experience and my actions at the time : Three years ago, my nephew was three years old, in the middle of his potty training. After lunch with the family everyone went outside, he and his older brother (who was 6 back then) joined me near the comput...	As they get older you can see their bodily awareness grow until all of a sudden they stop doing things like this, but at this age just accept that you have helped, and realise that your kids will be the same and may need to ask someone else for help at some point, be it teacher, babysitter or whoever. I like the accept...
How to encourage toddler to not throw food? My wife and I are blessed with fifteen month old twins. They are generally well-behaved, but have recently started to throw food from their highchair trays. We have two dogs who are very pleased with this arrangement, but their mom and I are not. The dogs do help keep our flo...	When they agree, explain that if they do it again then you'll take it away and won't give it back -- they won't get anything more to eat until the next meal. Have children in high chairs Have high chairs in middle of kitchen floor with shower curtain spread out across the floor If they drop food or end up with it on th...
My son is 5 years old and sexually active I am a 20 year old female student and I have a 5 year old son who is really sexually active. For instance, he kisses girls by force, he forces them to lick his penis, he "fingers" them, he speaks about sex openly with everyone except me, his father and my family. There is a wh...	Although talking with children about bodily changes and sexual matters may feel awkward, providing children with accurate, age-appropriate information is one of the most important things parents can do to make sure children grow up safe, healthy, and secure in their bodies. You must seek professional help, and based on...
Is it wrong to ask a foster child about his history? Recently, someone I know asked his foster child why he was in foster care. The carer didn't know why the child was in care and it was just in regular conversation. This person I know's wife was all mad at him for asking that. Is it wrong to ask about a foster child'...	The goal is to create a loving, comforting environment, and probing a child with questions about his/her life prior to coming to the foster parent is usually not very comforting. If the one adapting the child want information he should ask the social-service agency, not the child.
What is the best way to give medicine to baby? My 3 and half monthChild is having cold and refuse to take medicine. We force her to take medicine with dropper after holding her head and hand. Even if she take her medicine she simply do not swallow it and spit it after sometime. Now, the problem is that she is very frig...	Re-latching will encourage her to both swallow the medicine and also wash down the bad flavor of the medicine with a flavor she likes, and as bonus then distracts her from the unpleasant activity of medicine with an activity she enjoys. Definitely try different flavors and even different brands of the same flavor (if p...
3 Year Old suddenly doesn't want to sleep My 3 year old son has suddenly started fighting sleep at every opportunity. He is an absolute angel during bath time and getting ready for bed but will not settle. This has come out of the blue. In a normal situation, we read a story, say goodnight and leave him. He would i...	Starting nursery often stirs up routines for a bit, the important thing is to be loving and supportive while still being consistent in the new routine. The bedtime routine sounds great, I would keep that up.
Why does my daughter "forget" her numbers even though she knows how to count? My daughter is 4 1/2 or so. She knows how to count to at least 10, possibly higher, and will do so unprompted. However, we've recently tried to start playing some board and card games with her. In these situations, she starts having problems...	Have her practice counting as much as you can, but make it fun and incorporated into daily life as much as possible. My guess is that she has memorized the number sequence, but hasn't actually made the correlation between the words and the actual amount of things.
What should parent do when their child is dropping more hair? A colleague of mime notice that her teenager kid is dropping a lot of hair recently. What advices should I give to my colleague to help her teenager kid instead of telling her to ask her bring her kid to see a doctor? (She mention that her kid is not faci...	A hormone imbalance could be the cause. If her child likes to experiment with his/her hair, it may be time to back off for a little while.
Resources for helping children understand that TV/Films aren't necessarily "real" Last week we went as a family to see a film . Quite apart from the fact that it was awful (in my opinion), both daughters (4 1/2 & 7 1/2) were troubled at various times by the silly slapstick violence (i.e. big rock falling on dogs). ...	Consistently explain cinema and TV as fiction , so your children learn that everything in that box is not real.
Can a toddler tell if their mother is pregnant? My wife is in the early stages of pregnancy with our second baby. Our daughter, who is 1 year and 5 months old, has been acting unusually cranky. Some family members have mentioned that she's acting that way because she can tell her mommy is pregnant. Is that possibl...	It is likely she has picked up on changes that she doesn't understand and it is completely possible it is stressing her out. It is not likely your 1-year-old child comprehends that your wife will be having a baby and all that entails.
What are good things to look for in formulas for newborns who need to supplement? What sort of formula should I look for for a very new newborn that doesn't promote constipation? <Q> I can't answer your question specifically, but I would disregard any advice that tells you to choose a low-iron formula. <S> I found a b...	You have to give your child a couple of weeks on a new formula to know if it's having the desired results or not. Iron from supplements is not absorbed as well by the body as it is from whole foods, so excess unabsorbed iron is eliminated as waste. My pediatrician has recommended a teaspoon of prune juice to a bottle w...
How to get 2 year old to vocalize words? I have a two year old (just turned two) boy that doesn't speak much. He vocalizes only a few words (like "mom", "up", and "grandpa") clearly but other than those, he's largely silent. He seems content being silent except when he wants something and is frustrated that he can't ...	Then ask him lots of questions when he is doing something. I would talk to your pediatrician about getting a referral to an early development group that works on these things, as it may be beneficial. There are possible physical reasons for a child to have delayed speech. Kids often develop asynchronously (meaning a ch...
How can I prevent my 2 year old from covering her face with a blanket when she sleeps? For the past couple of months, our two year old has been covering her face (her whole head, actually) with a blanket whenever she sleeps. At night we usually go in after she has fallen asleep and pull it down to her neck. During he...	Also a thicker sheet might feel more like a blanket. I suggest you replace her blanket by a baby/toddler sleeping bag. Perhaps it was fear of monsters, and the child-logic of "if they can't see me, they can't get me". As she gets older, you'll probably feel more comfortable with a wider range of options (if she continu...
How do you identify/relieve/prevent constipation in toddlers? My son has had a couple of bouts of constipation, and they're pretty unpleasant for the whole family. The first time he was up all night, every hour, crying inconsolably. We had no idea what the problem was until we could get to the pediatrician. Now we...	OF COURSE talk to your Pediatrician about it, but seems worth it just to knock it off the list and be sure it isn't a problem with dairy to me. Also, agree with the prune juice and other high fibre fruit and veg as well as plenty of water. When you figure out whats wrong, give him the words you want him to use when he ...
How do I get my child to remember to flush? Our son is now 6. He is "going potty" entirely on his own at home and escorted but directly unsupervised in public. Our problem is that he will almost never remember to flush. This is something we routinely tell him. Even after going we will ask him, "Did you flush?" Sometim...	Also, NEVER flush for him (unless he is going to be gone for a few more hours). We just needed to give her a reward that was slightly better than the immediate reward of going to play.
How do we teach our 1-year-old that "no" isn't a game? We have an almost 13-month-old daughter. She's found that when she touches a power cord or near an electrical outlet and we say "no" that it's a bit of a game. She gets a funny smirk on her face until we approach her, at which point she runs away with a smile on he...	yes you need to say no sometimes, but you should reserve use of the word no for the most egregious or safety-related things and say it with atone that lets her know you are serious. The first step is to recognize your child is at a developmentalstage that includes learning how she has a certain amount of swayover the o...
At what age do kids usually begin taking showers instead of baths? At what age do kids usually begin taking showers instead of baths? How do you help a child go about making the transition when the time comes? <Q> Any time, really - no transition work was needed as they saw that we preferred showers so obviously they ...	By 3 years old we would let them sit in the bath while we used the shower unit in there - we would put the plug in for a while so they could splash.
When is a banana ripe enough to not cause constipation? This might seem like a funny question, but it actually is not. My 13 month old daughter started to have constipation and we were trying to figure out what it could have been. While researching, I found out that you need to stay away from BRAT (Bananas, Rice, App...	It's not a matter of ripeness, if you feed her a banana you're feeding her a banana.
How does one "Toddler-proof" hotels while away from home? With the holidays fast approaching, I was wondering about toddler safety mechanisms for families that are traveling. Bind drawstrings, open outlets and the typical safety concerns might be an issue. Hotels that aren't generally, "baby-proofed." With airline r...	Keep in mind you may be able to use security latches that already exist on the door (such as to prevent intruders) to your room/suite that may also work to prevent toddler from escaping, so this may be overkill. But for the most part, hotel room don't have that much stuff in them, and they're so small that you can supe...
What are some great techniques for encouraging a reluctant reader? My seven-year-old nephew is such a reluctant reader that despite the many teacherly suggestions I have been able to offer his mom and a lot of work with his own teachers he still just won't read. She isn't yet ready to have him tested for dyslexia or a...	Otherwise, some helpful things may be to: consider if the parents are reading in front of the child(ren) He may feel pressured to read even though he doesn't want to, and that could lead to negative associations with reading. Once she's ruled out everything else, then if he still isn't super interested in reading she c...
Kids and Cell Phones? What limits should be set along with giving the first phone? My nieces and nephew visited recently and I was floored that all three of the girls (including the eight year old) already have their own cell phones. What really bowled me over was when we sat down to eat and all three girls and their ...	Don't use the phone to make, receive or view pornography or other material of which we, your parents, would disapprove I'd deal with immaturity on this issue the same way I would with anything else. For me, the only reason they'd get a phone before age 13 is emergencies and to call their parents.
What do you do with the cousins who, at birthday parties insist on opening the presents when they are not the guest of honor? The girls insist on opening presents for their younger cousins and brother at birthday parties where the family is included. While this was acceptable when the younger cousins (and sibling) wer...	In some cultures it is not the 'done thing' to open presents immediately, because it makes it look like you're more interested in the presents than in the people who brought them.
How do you encourage your primary-school-aged child to eat new foods? I thought this question might be a good complement to a question posted about a child that pretends to choke when he doesn't like a certain food. This question and its answers mostly address the choking behavior, but what about the dislike of the ...	I think the science is pretty good on the idea that simply trying things early on is the road to a varied appreciation of foods later.
Is 3 years old too late to start learning a 2nd language natively? I'm English and my wife is Portuguese and we are living in Portugal. I'm bilingual in Portuguese and my wife and I have always spoken Portuguese together. When my son was born, I found it somewhat strange and unnatural to talk to him in English, even th...	Find English monolinguals to hang out with would be the easiest and quickest way for him to understand the importance of English. It's never too late to start!
What age should I encourage my kids to start working and earn his/her money? At what age should I encourage my kids to go out and find a job (be it part-time or full-time) and start to earn some money and have a taste of what working life is like? <Q> If you want, this can start very early. <S> You can "employ" them yo...	Start when they are young(4 or 5) by giving them a little for house chores. When they turn 15 get them to get a part time job after school or weekend job.
What type of massages should a daddy perform on mummy who is pregnant? Would appreciate if posters included diagrams or illustrations that show what massages a husband can perform on his wife who is pregnant (going to give birth in 3 to 4 months time) and help her to reduce stress? <Q> My wife's favorite pain relief te...	Lamaze classes can actually help with the basics in massage technique for pregnancy, but since every woman is different and carries both the baby and her stress in her own unique way, no matter what info you get, you will need to be very attentive to her reactions about it.
How can I pick my son up from daycare without a struggle? My son is 26 months old, and goes to an in-home daycare with 5-6 other children. He does very well there, and gets along with the other kids without serious problems (there are the conflicts over sharing that seem inevitable at that age, but all-in-all things a...	Offer him a "routine" to give him a sense of control and time to transition. Play with him for about five minutes and then say, "I'm going to talk to your teacher and gather your things.
How to encourage our guest's kids to clean up the room from toys before leaving? We have our relatives kids at our house somewhat frequently, and we have a lot of toys here for the kids to play with. Sometimes they are here for over a night or two. But when the kids are about to leave, there comes this nasty job of pu...	They shouldn't be leaving your house in a state with you having to do lots of cleanup, so next time ask them to leave the house in the state they found it in. It will help to give the kids specific instructions both because deciding what to clean up first can take energy, and because the kids can get satisfaction from ...
Teaching K and G sounds K and G are the consonants in most western languages that are hardest to learn how to say. What ways can I help my kid(s) to learn how to pronounce these sounds? <Q> Best bet is repetition of sounds like ke ke <S> ke <S> ke ki ki ki and words like kicking, get, give etc as they got older. <S> ...	The way we taught our three was the same as with other sounds - sitting with them and showing them how the mouth and tongue move when making these sounds. Choose some songs they already know and point out the sounds.
How do I tell my parents that my wife and I are expecting a child? My wife is pregnant with our first child, and we want to find a unique and fun way to tell our parents. <Q> In this answer, I am assuming this pregnancy will be seen as good news by your parents. <S> When we all got up in the morning, there it was h...	My sister announced her pregnancy at Christmas Time by simply adding a stocking to the mantel that said "baby (last name)" and then the due date. We mailed my Mom the pregnancy test, nothing else in the envelope, just the positive pregnancy test.
My wild 3.5-year-old - have I missed out on the key years of relationship-building and discipline? I have a 3.5-year-old son. He's bright and energetic, but I'm worried about his behavior, since it seems out of control. He was walking at 7 months. His language has always been good - he knew his alphabet in song by 1 ...	You need to find a challenge for him so your son can concentrate on overcoming the obstacles and reaching the goal instead of doing something that is not acceptable in this society.
What should my collgeaue do to stop her 20 year old son from smoking? What are some ways to stop a 20 year old boy from smoking? We know that smoking is bad and cause all sort of cancers (such as lung / heart / throat cancer), are there ways to stop or discourage the boy from smoking? My colleague's son saw his grandf...	Encourage kids to get involved in activities that prohibit smoking, such as sports. More importantly, though, smoking is a big turn-off for many people, and if he finds out that potential romantic interests may immediately blow him off because they don't want to "kiss an ashtray", it may help put things in perspective....
How to deal with a 4-year-old passing gas all the time? My 4-year-old has been really gassy lately, and has gotten the bad habit of farting loudly while laughing about it. After more than a few funny but embarrassing moments, we tried to tell her how it was unladylike and she shouldn't do it so loudly and jokingly arou...	It might be worth it to try teaching her to excuse herself to go to the restroom if she needs to pass gas. The most common cause is lactose intolerance, but carbonated drinks, IBS, and Crohn's disease are also other (much less common) causes.
Is it reasonable/common for a daycare to show TV shows during the day? My son is 18-months-old and he is in a daycare room with kids 16-months to 2.5 years. Most days when I pick him up they are watching TV. The shows range from somewhat educational (Dora, Sesame St.) to pure entertainment (Horton Hears a Who). I am...	In my opinion, it is totally inappropriate. Both my children have been through numerous childcare centres/kindergartens/ELCs and none of them even had a television. It is very common (at least in my experience) for people to sit infants and toddlers in front of a television to quiet them down.
What is the best way to deal with a 16 month old who started hitting? Possible Duplicate: How do you discourage a toddler from hitting people? Out of the blue my 16 month old son has started hitting his sister (4 year old) and other kids when he is frustrated (and sometimes he did it pro-actively without any clear...	Explaining after addressing the need behind the behavior will make it easier for the toddler to understand why hitting is bad without having to feel that his need was neglected. First hit just say "No" firmly and explain that what he's doing hurts. Scoldings and time outs (or whatever discipline tactics you've standard...
Further correspondence from tooth fairy? My daughter, age 8 and well adjusted generally, occasionally writes a letter back to her [tooth] fairy . I saw this article recommending writing tiny letters and it seems just too adorable not to do something similar. Is it ok to respond? No lasting damage likely from lett...	Of course, it all depends on whether the kid thinks the tooth fairy is literally true. I understand your question to be based on worrying that the more in-depth lie involved in writing responses to your daughter's letters will hurt her worse than the basic lie might have on its own .
Credibly backing out of a condition for a reward My five year-old son has been having behavior issues at school. To encourage him to improve, I promised to take him out to a movie whenever he had a full week of "greens" on the behavior chart his teacher sends home. At the time, he was getting 3 or 4 greens a week. N...	One way to get around it is to have a medium level reward and a high level reward for the week. There's no need to back out in any special way.
Will babies who start walking early, start talking late? Our baby girl is 550 days old (~18 months), but can't speak like another baby girl that is 400 days old (~13 months). We are worried about this. My baby girl understands anything, but when she wants to speak, she screams. She started to stand and walk in 8th mo...	No, there is no negative correlation,and there is only a slight positive correlation between the two, in that some children with learning difficulties learn to walk and talk later. Some things are easier than others, and that differs from person to person, even as adults. My now 20 year old pulled up to walk at just un...
Dad-to-be needs help finding a changing table My wife and I are setting up a baby room for our first child (due in June). We've so far been very fortunate in finding great deals on a matching crib and gliding rocker/ottoman! The only major piece of furniture we have left to buy for the baby's room is a dresser/changi...	In my home, there's no changing table in the baby room.
How can I teach my child about Christianity? I am a Christian myself but my husband is not. I would like to teach my child about my religion and I have been thinking of ordering books from online Christian bookstores. Is this the best option? Which other methods can I use? Do you think children would enjoy Christian-...	You should definitely NOT undermine the father-child relationship (or the husband-wife relationship) with your Christianity.
Should I expect a boy to ask me for permission for prom? As Prom season quickly approaches, I've begun to wonder about who will ask my daughter. In particular, should I be expecting someone to ask me for permission before they go with my daughter, or do I have no say in the matter? She's a high school junior (16 year...	I don't think this is the "norm" per se. If you expect her would-be date to ask your permission first, then you need to communicate that to her.
How do you determine safe (non-poisonous) toys for small children? Nowadays a good portion of seemingly quality products from known makers are manufactured in China (as I read see based on reading the labels). There are some info regarding the occassional dangerous materials used in making/painting the toys. How do yo...	Painted toys should be covered with lead-free paint Art materials should say nontoxic.
How can I tell parents of a 1-year-old that they're doing it wrong? Without getting into the circumstances, my wife's step sister and her husband are living with us while he's between orders with the US army. She's 28 and he's 42. While they're living with us, it's very obvious that they don't know how to handle a b...	I think I wouldn't specifically ask for permission to do things "your way" because that can offend them and they'll reject your offer. You'll have to accept that you can only offer your help Show, don't tell Of course -- sadly -- In this situation, you may be able to take dad by himself out somewhere quiet where you ca...
Does gluten pass through into breast milk? We're pretty sure that our 2 month old baby suffers from a gluten intolerance but when we spoke to our doctor she claimed that it was impossible for babies to get gluten from the mother's breast milk. However the midwife did believe it was possible for babies to suffer from gl...	A quick search on the internet will yield lots of resources containing the claim that Gluten shows up in milk, but they are often sites like this, where the creators are wanting to sell Gluten free products, or they are chat fora with unsubstantiated claims. Before you force such a drastic dietary restriction on both m...
How can I get my mother to recognize that I've matured? I can't convey to my mother that I've grown up already. Is it possible to explain this? I think that my mom has trouble leaving me on my own, because she can't live with thought: "my child has become older now, and I not need to spend so much time with him." ...	This can be a difficult transition for her, to know that her baby is already independent and may not need her anymore. You have to talk to her and explain what you feel. My solution to all kinds of getting support in my decision is to do what I have to do and let happen what has to happen :). But if you say it enough, ...
How to encourage toddler twins to share? Our twins are just over eighteen months and are having issues sharing. Given their shared age the answers provided to " how do you encourage siblings to share? " is not specifically aplicable. So far it's mostly minor and we've been able to coax the children into doing the "righ...	Be very encouraging, thanking them for sharing and playing nicely together. When he picks up something that's interesting to him but that we'd rather he didn't play with (the remote, for example) we ask him if we can have it. You can use a timer so after 2 minutes they have to switch toys.
How can I protect my ears when the baby cries? I'm suffering from tinnitus. In my case, this is a constant, high-pitched whine. The volume is insignificant when I'm relaxed in quiet surroundings, but stress and loud noise can instantly increase the volume to an intolerable level. It's a torture one can't escape from....	If that's not sufficient, you might want to try the ear muff style of hearing protection. They made some ear plugs from these moulds. It often calmed our infants. First, I'd like to suggest a way to carry the baby that could be useful and maybe even stop the crying.
What if my child has asthma? I wanted to know what exactly asthma is? What are some of the triggers that could bring on the symptoms for my child? <Q> For your question about asthma and what triggers asthma attacks <S> I was able to do some initial research and discovered some reliable sources that might help you learn...	Although there is no cure for asthma yet, asthma can be controlled through medical treatment and management of environmental triggers. ”
Toddler Plays in Bed and Won't go to Sleep I have a 2.5 year old daughter. She sleeps great once she's asleep. We do the nightly routine and put her to bed. She gets into bed after story time and cuddles her stuffed animals and closes her eyes. After my wife and I leave the room she will play in bed - sometimes it's k...	El often plays for a while in her room (particularly at naptime) if she isn't tired enough to sleep. Staying in the room is a bad idea because not only does it impede this exercise of free will--it starts a habit that you're almost certainly not going to want to continue and that will just make everyone unhappy in the ...
How to deal with a naughty 5-year-old nephew who is not being disciplined by his mother? I live in a joint family with two of my uncles, and I have a very naughty five year old nephew who's a nuisance to the entire household. We live in a flat and my nephew throws stuff out of the window including important things lik...	Don't praise him too much, he'll want praise for every little thing he does right. May be the kid just needs an attention as his mother could not give him time to spend with. You said you have a joint family, so everyone in the family should be involved in getting his behavior back on the right track. Tell him what is ...
How to deal with my son who always wants to have lights on when we go to bed? I have a 3 year old son. Whenever we go to sleep, he will start crying when we turn off the lights and insists that lights be turned on when he is trying to sleep. So, we keep it on. When he falls asleep, we turn it off. Later in the night...	You could give the little one a wind-up torch, to have nearby when he wakes up in the night.
How to kick a twelve year old's shopping "addiction"? My family has never had much money, so I'm quite concerned about my sister's shopping habits. I assumed it was quite average behavior for a young girl to plead for money for the school book fair, the ice cream shop, makeup, etc., but she recently was given a dog-wal...	One option would be to suggest to your mother that she gives your sister an allowance each week (which could be increased with chores), and to request that she puts a certain amount in a bank account.
Can you get a toddler to be nice to his friends? My 2-year-old son is in daycare with several other boys. He seems to spend the most time with the two boys who are closest in age to him (and who are also the most consistent in attending). One of these two boys (the one closest in age to my son, being only one month...	I think the best you can do at this point is to keep explaining to your son that while it's okay not to like being approached like this, the best answer is to say "wait, Joe".
Why is my child always tired? I have a 4.5 yo boy why has recently started school (prep). He seems to be always tired, even when on summer holidays last month. He is often yawning, becomes visibly tired after just a few minutes of running around and generally has to be woken up in the morning for school. Short backgro...	I also had fatigue issues and they cleared up completely by following a Paleo-type diet (specifically the Perfect Health Diet which is a little different). Vitamin B12 is one of those things that often goes missing together with iron, so if he has low iron, he may also have low B12.
What are the risks of surgery for a tongue-tied toddler? My son is 22 months old and he is several tongue-tied. We only found out because I have a 4 month old and when he was first born they noticed he was tied, and asked if our other child was. My 22 month old is having problems with speech, which he is working on w...	Although surgery can be scary, just keep in mind that the condition being corrected is worse.
Why do kisses stop a child from hurting? Whenever my son gets a minor injury (scraped knee, stubbed toe, bumped head, etc.), the fastest way to get him to stop crying is to kiss wherever he got hurt. It almost always immediately stops the crying, and when asked "does that feel better?", he'll almost always say "yes". ...	When you give them the kiss they are receiving the attention they are seeking, so stop crying. These things help them to feel better, partly because their whole lives they were told that they would. Obviously, if a child has had a major knock, as opposed to a small bump, then they will cry regardless, but it is quite f...
How do I handle my toddler's temper tantrums? I have a 19-month-old daughter. She is a very active child, and usually very well behaved. But in recent times I have noticed that she is constantly whining and also throwing temper tantrums - if she doesn't like something, if she doesn't get something she wants, she starts...	The big thing is to use the same wording ("Hands are NOT for hitting!") and get down to his level to communicate it to him. We had specific times that we scheduled and told the kids that was our time.
My toddler wants to watch the same shows over and over My son (2 and a half) watches about 3-6 hours of television a week at home (usually closer to 3 than 6). However, most of that time is spent watching the same shows or movies time and time again. We generally let him pick what he wants to watch (so long as its so...	Toddlers are comforted by routine, and part of that routine might be watching the same program over and over and over. I don't think you should "break him out of his pattern" - he'll move on when he's ready. You can train his eagerness to discover, and to try new things, much better with interactive toys and puzzles th...
Daughter is whining for every small thing since her brother was born My daughter is 2.5 years old. When asking for things like "I want more water in the bottle" she used to ask nicely and even with "please" occasionally. All good and dandy. Since her brother was born a month ago she always whine while asking for those...	It's not necessarily related to her new sibling, although a new baby can definitely make it worse. Where you're going wrong is thinking it's not helping because it only works for that one time.

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