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How can I get an 11-month-old I care for during the day to take a nap? I care for a 11-month-old baby who has two weeks where they arrive at 5:30am and then 2 weeks they arrive at 1pm. For the 5:30 shift, the baby should be going to sleep. The mom had said it was normal for the baby to wake between 5 and 5:30 am, hav...	Try increasing that time and letting the situation settle in a bit longer. Eventually the child will learn that at nap time you aren't going to comfort them. We took a "steps" approach to it. Get them into the routine with the rest of the children you care for.
Too many car trips with toddler My wife and I live several hours away from the rest of our family and they complain that we do not visit often enough and never get to see our 20-month-old son. He does great on long (3-5 hour) car trips. We have noticed though that too many of these trips and he begins to freak out wh...	I would limit trips until he's a bit older, and you can realistically get a better driving experience for him then. 3-5 hours is a long time for a child to be sitting without toys or entertainment.
What is cranial osteopathy? Some of our peers have recommended we take our 10 week old daughter to see a Cranial Osteopath, due to some sleeping issues and general crankiness. I've tried searching the web for an unbiased scientific explanation of the benefits of this therapy, but am finding many quasi-medical shill si...	A skilled osteopath will have consistency in his own measurements, but there are variations from osteopath to osteopath which suggest some unreliability in measurement (and the need to find an experienced osteopath if you go this route).
At what age is it OK in USA to hold a birthday party at home instead of a party venue? At the preschool/early elementary school age, it seems that in USA most birthday parties are held at some sort of party venue (e.g. bowling, minigolf, bounce castles, build-a-bears). Obviously, at certain age, that stops being the t...	I've certainly never heard of any requirement to hold a party at a venue instead of at home.
Is it a good approach to have a policy of apologizing for yelling at a kid? A couple of times I encountered situation where people had a following policy If a parent yells at a kid out of frustration with no meaningful reason (e.g. the kid just got on their nerves but wasn't actually doing something punishment-worth...	If you are teaching the child to yell when they're frustrated by modeling that behavior, then it's a good idea to teach them more valuable lessons like admitting when they were wrong and making for actions done out of frustration.
How do I deal with a child waking up at night and starting to read? My 6YO daughter has a major problem. She likes to read. The issue is, that she is so addicted to reading, she will do it when she really shouldn't. Like at night. More specifically, she will wake up in early AM hours to pee (which is normal for her)...	Another option might be to put a lock on her light switch; http://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-Universal-Switch-Lockout/dp/B001925P6W/ref=pd_cp_hi_3 The worst thing I can imagine happening here; If you stop trying to learn we'll give you candy. Maybe she is searching for something that will challenge her. And to address ...
Strategies for getting toddler to eat more iron My 14 month old just had his blood test results back, and while his hemoglobin levels are in the normal range, they're right on the bottom of the range. This surprised us some, because he's a voracious meat eater; last Friday he had 5 ounces of prime rib, for example, an...	The spinach is high in iron and does well blended up with fruit. avoid peppermint tea, cocoa, vervain, lime flower, chamomile, and most other herbal teas with polyphenols as they reduce absorption of iron high fiber foods (whole grains, vegetables)
At what age can a child learn to use scissors? When should we as parents teach our child to use scissors for cutting a piece of paper? At what age typically can a child use scissors properly, i.e. with one hand? <Q> You can, and should, get fully plastic scissors that are capable of cutting paper but are completely saf...	IMO, scissor skills are one of the easiest to teach because kids love scissors and pretty much teach themselves when provided with the right materials.
Recommend an odor absorber for a diaper pail The area by my toddler's diaper pail smells like, well, poopy diapers. I have been aggressive about changing the diaper pail liner whenever it fills up to the point of jamming the lid open. I am keeping an odor-eating box of baking soda by the pail (the type with mesh on b...	I use those little Munchkin brand nursery freshener disks in the bottom of my pail.
Is it normal for kids to constantly hum melodies? Everyone at one time or another hums to some tune with the song in their head. Is it normal when a 8 year old does it constantly ? As in, nearly every day, sometimes for hours on end (not necessarily same tune). During play. Or quiet time. Or homework. Or even food. A...	As an adult who does the same thing, I don't think it's anything to worry about.
How do you correct slang or other improper grammar in a pre-schooler? In our particular cast, our three year old son has developed a habit of responding "uh-huh" instead of "yes", and "uh-uh" instead of "no". This makes it really hard to understand which he's saying at times, since they sound so very similar. I would...	The approach we took with our child was and is to just ask for clarification, or casually correct the word. I have found that making a huge big deal out of it is not especially productive. So the next step is to simply pause until they realize that you're waiting for them to use "yes" or "no".
Are there any benefits to taking a bath over taking a shower for a child? Leaving aside emotional benefits (kids like to splash around in a bath and have fun) are there any health benefits or negatives to taking a bath vs. taking a shower? I'm looking for an answer based on studies, not opinions. Age range is 5-10 y...	If the bather is very dirty, a shower is better due to the benefit of having all the dirt and such washed off and straight down the drain. In a tub, you can at least regulate how much water is dispensed for your kids to use.
Infant and a lazy eye: Should I be concerned? Our son is about 3 months old. As he's starting to become a little more alert, I notice that his right eye isn't always tracking with his left. Obviously he will have to see an optometrist eventually for a check up somewhere down the road. At the moment though, since he's s...	Our son had a similar condition and the younger you start treating it the better. Or at this age it could still just go away by itself.
How can I encourage my child to eat "spicier" healthy food? According to studies , things like raw onion, scallion, or garlic are extremely beneficial for one's health (there's clear evidence of anticarcinogenic properties and inconclusive but decent evidence of cold/flu efficacy as per Cochrane). However, despite see...	Recognizing that the long term goal is to get her to eat the foods in their raw form, for the time being just stick with meals incorporating cooked onions/garlic/scallions. Use those cooked ingredients frequently in meals throughout the week. I think all you can hope for now is that eventually she will start to enjoy t...
Is it dangerous to microwave formula if I swirl the bottle and test the temperature afterwards? The overwhelming consensus online is that microwaving a babies bottle can be "dangerous" because microwaving formula can produce hot spots . However, if you simply swirl the bottle you can even out the heat distribution and...	I would occasionally microwave a bit of formula, especially to take the chill off if we had placed an unused portion in the fridge. It's certainly not illegal, it's just ill-advised.
How to extract child from busy place without physical restraint Last weekend, my wife took our two children (almost 3 and 14 months) to the museum. They go there frequently (5-10 times in the last six months), and usually have no problems. This time, the older one was a bit more tired than expected, and didn't do a v...	When children get tired and overstimulated sometimes the best thing to do is get them somewhere quiet where they can calm down. Your wife wasn't necessarily planning to leave right then, and as long as she stays firm that the next step is leaving, and he's not allowed to do anything else in the museum, or really move f...
Should I teach my child a second language? I know that raising kids bilingual can be a great blessing to them in the future. I am a native English speaker, but have learned a second language which is rarely used in the world. My real question is, are there any benefits to being bilingual OTHER THAN simply knowing a se...	As many already said, multilingualism has a good effect on the way kids use their brain and they can express themselves better.
How do I determine if my child is ready for a specific book? Related: Finding Great Books at the Right Level Of course various books have generic maturity levels. But all children are different, and so are all books; so general guidelines aren't always useful - I frequently encounter content that children theoretical...	If a child likes a particular book, try them with the rest of the series.
How long did it take your baby to like daycare? My baby started daycare at 9 mos. It's been two weeks and she still cries when we drop off and pick up. How long did it take for your baby / toddler to like day care and at what age did they start? <Q> Crying at drop-off and pick-up is more of a separation anxiety issue, ...	I had two children in daycare since they were 6-8 weeks old each; neither cried at first (because that's too young for separation anxiety), but both went through phases in and out where it was easier or harder. Unfortunately, there is not much to be done about crying at drop-off time, other than to say a few reassuring...
Should we wake our baby if she seems distressed? We swaddle our 3 month old, and she struggles to wake herself if she has been asleep for several hours. She rocks from side to side in her cot as if she is searching for food (she sometimes does the same head movement when she is awake and hungry). She also squeaks. A co...	Without the swaddle she probably would wake crying for food. Three months seems a good age for the baby to gradually stop being fed every few hours. Make sure the padding is as non-interesting as possible, a plain white one would be best.
Do we have a recourse against an anonymous parent making our child's life harder? I apologize for vague subject, feel free to edit a better one. Our child has very severe pollen allergy leading to heavy asthma (a year ago he had to be taken to ER with major asthma attack, after mere 2 days outside). Together with the...	If that doesn't work, you could contact your elected school board member, or talk to parents of other disabled kids in your school district; those parents will have had plenty of experience having to act as advocates for their kids, and can probably advise you on effective strategies. I would ask the pediatrician to re...
What to do when a 3-week-old newborn won't take a pacifier? Our daughter is 3 weeks old. She is good at both breastfeeding and formula. However, most of the time she won't do a pacifier. She will sometimes take a pacifier (it's a matter of seconds until she quits), but generally she doesn't want to have anything to ...	First, if a baby needs sleep, they sure will go to sleep. Just try something else like white noise.
Should I get sunglasses for our baby? We are going on holiday with our 3 month old, where it will hopefully be sunny. Given that we won't ever be leaving her in direct sunlight, is there any reason or recommendation for very young children to wear sunglasses? She already has a very nice range of sun hats. <Q> Your chil...	Sunglasses may not be the best method because they are easily removed and your child could poke themselves with them.
Choosing a surname for child of unmarried couple My partner and I are unmarried and so have different surnames. Neither of us feel particularly strongly that our (first) child should have one surname or the other. We've considered giving it a double-barrelled name, an entirely new name, one surname as a middle name or ...	To name a few examples I'm familiar with, a child of unmarried parents usually gets the surname of the mother but with a small amount of paperwork the father's surname can be given instead. If it's common to have the parents' name then the child might feel as an outsider if given a nonstandard name. Further, if you hav...
How to inculcate concentration for 5 yr old kid? Kids at 5 tend to be more playful and active. I want to find out if there are proven ways to inculcate the habit of concentration from such a young age, which will help the kid not only at school but at any other activity he performs. Appreciate your suggestions/advice!...	If a child comes to school upset, tired, or overly excited, he may be too distracted to concentrate on an activity, particularly a new or challenging one. We have read to our daughter since she was able to keep her eyes on the books. We banned television on school nights for the entire family when the oldest hit kinder...
Is there any health risk from play-sand that's been left wet in its bags for a week? I bought some play-sand for our new sandbox on a rainy day, then left the bags unopened on our patio to dry for a few days. It's been about a week and they haven't dried, and now my wife is wondering if they're growing dangerous mold/...	Unless the sand is very pure, and thus empty of any nutrients, you're probably right that it's a breeding ground for bacteria right now. I’ve had bags of sand sitting for 8 months (for a paver project that has yet to be started) and there is definitely visible large mold spots growing in the bags.
How can I make noisy toys quieter? My son has a few toys that are so loud and piercing that they hurt my ears (emergency trucks with sirens, an aeroplane flies around in a circle on an articulated arm, and a toy musical piano). My ears have had almost forty years of abuse, and I find them unbearable; I hate to think ...	You can put some material to compress the speaker, so that it won't move freely You can damage the speaker by making some holes / cuts on it, but it won't reduce the noise that much as it will distort the sound You can put noise absorbent materials in front of the speaker: cotton, foam, tape...
How long should my newborn baby be in a car seat I am planning an hour and a half ride with my 1 month old baby girl. I heard that being in the car seat for a long time is not good for newborns. Is an hour and a half too long? Should we do a stop in the middle of the trip? <Q> These seats are designed to be newborn-fr...	If a baby is placed in an unnatural, non-physiological position, it is going to stay in that position for a certain time. I would guess 1.5 hours is still fine for going without a stop, but I wouldn't go much over that. The major reason not to travel with a newborn (< 3 month old) is not so much the carseat, but the im...
How often do you take a teenager with glasses in for a vision checkup? I know that a prescription for eyeglasses is good for 1 year. When or how often do you take a teen in for an eye checkup? I don't want to wait until she is complaining about her eyes getting worse if not appropriate. <Q> I cannot give you a "how o...	Many eye conditions and diseases that can be treated and fixed if caught early can cause irreparable vision damage if not caught in time. I always went every couple of years, ever since I was a pre-teen.
3 year old, potty training and binky separation anxiety Have a 3 yr old daughter and a 2 week old daughter. Unfortunately, before the baby came my wife and i failed at potty training the 3 yr old as well as detaching her from her binky (mostly used at nights and nap time). She now has zero interest in the toilet and re...	Binky transitioning can be accomplished later and over a longer period of time as she learns other ways to calm herself.
Is there any benefit of pushing your child to go to school each and every day? Is there any benefit of pushing your child to go to school each and every day, except only in some unavoidable circumstances? <Q> I feel bullets will work best here. <S> Discovering social boundaries (romantic relationships, topics of disc...	It is important to keep a child going to school because it might be reauired where you are; the child doesn't miss any work; Yes Establishment of routine Getting an education Socializing with same-aged peers
4 year old steals toys from baby brother My nephew (Alex) is turning 4 in one week, and his little brother (Ben) is 10 months old. When Ben was born, Alex loved him to death and would do anything to help us with him, bringing him toys and binkies and blankets and stuff. But now that Ben has learned how to crawl and ...	When Alex wants to play with Ben's toys remind him that Ben does not play with Alex's toys and suggest Alex to figure out how to exchange it for something else. In my opinion this is very common behavior. What I suggest, is to keep correcting .
Potty Training my 20 month old boy My son is 20 months old and I have started potty training him. He has been interested in the toilet for a month or two. He will pee and poop whenever I sit him on there, but still won't let me know when he goes when he isn't on the toilet. I let him either run naked or put his big b...	Twenty months is quite young to expect a child to be potty trained.
What are the merits of TV vs DVD? We allow our 3-year-old daughter to watch a certain amount of TV, and she has a few favorite shows: Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly, etc. We have a lot of satellite channels, so the TV is usually showing something she likes. We also have a few DVDs of her favorite shows. The difference of cou...	DVD to a lesser degree has advertisements for other DVDs, but not other consumer products and sometimes you can skip them.
How can I help my daughter stop puking in our car? Our daughter gets sick roughly every time we drive to my parents' house. We already time it for her nap, but it's over two hours, so she winds up awake for the last 30 minutes to an hour or so. And the worst part is that she almost makes it (so anything that delays...	You can stop the car and take her out of her seat for a little walk before she gets sick (highly recommended). I suggest that you explore some fun things she can do inside or near the car. I agree that giving her crackers (high starch, low fat) and a little non-fat liquid (i.e. no milk) before the ride (and not a meal)...
Abusive behavior of 12 years old son My 12 years old son hits, pushes, and teases his 7 years old sister. When my daughter was born he would constantly disturb me while feeding her and helping her. I tried to involve him in taking care of her, but it did not help. I took him to my pediatrician and she spoke to him an...	I don't think you can expect a 12-year-old to keep his cool under constant teasing the same way an adult does. He does not have to love his sister (though this is something we want as parents), but he has to treat her with respect. If your daughter complains, tell kids to resolve the issuethemselves. Nobody hits in my ...
How do I get my primary-schooler to love learning? I do not know what to do anymore with my 6 year old daughter's lack of appetite for learning. She does not like to read anything. She would learn all the sight words and forget most of them, or can't recognize them in a sentence. She cannot read a full sentence at he...	Find a bunch of different books and set aside some time each day for fun reading. Make sure you emphasize the reading you do in daily life.
Napping and early waking? A child (3 years 10 months) wakes every morning at 5am. When he is with me he has a midday nap which can last 3 hours. He is clearly tired when he wants to nap, and if he wakes too early from his nap he will return to sleep - sometimes being quite distressed that he woke early. He goes to nu...	He will probably go to bed sooner at night and sleep a bit longer. If you can work things out with your schedule such that waking at 5am isn't a big deal, I would try to do that.
Would switching to a Waldorf kindergarten be worth the potential stress to our active pre-schooler? We've just moved to Germany from London. Our 4 years old son, who loved going to the kindergarten in London, seems to have a lot of trouble settling in to the German kindergarten. Language is not an issue, and he is ...	Kids get better at adjusting the more they do it (up to a point!), and an adjustment at this point (fairly early on, from how you describe it) shouldn't be too much of a problem for him in the long term.
Will smoking weed during first week of being pregnant be harmful to my baby? My wife and I didn't know we're pregnant and in a weekend fun with friends we smoked a bit of weed - we don't usually smoke weed or cigarettes. This is not something we're regulary doing as I said, but how bad to the fetus can it be ? <Q> Dur...	In regard to your situation specifically, one-time use in very early pregnancy is extremely unlikely to have any adverse effects whatsoever.
How to get my son to sleep earlier My son is 22 months old and this is his sleeping routine: Wake up around 9 AM for the morning Take his nap around 1:30-2:00 PM Usually wake up from his nap around 4:00-4:30 PM This routine is going on for a while now. He then goes out for the night at around 9:30-10 PM. I tried...	Simply wake him up earlier, and bring his nap back by an hour.
planning babies in a quick succession? What are the pros and cons of planning babies in a quick succession and then stopping it altogether. e.g: planing one baby per year and then stopping at number three. Thus Is it a wise thing to get babies quickly without leaving much gaps? The reason I ask this is that the first ...	So, very closely spaced children has the potential to interfere with other goals like breastfeeding until 1 or 2 years. Quick succession lets the children have a closer relationship because they have more in common, but their relative age difference evens out after 10-15 years anyway, unless they're many years apart. S...
The toddler isn't bothered with the bland food. Should I be bothered? She is 13 months old. We give her a combination of healthy but bland foods. We do not add any spice and have stopped adding sugar since we noticed that it doesn't matter to her. We add salt sometimes in her food. The problem is that the toddler i...	Children should become accustomed at a young age to the natural flavors of food rather than to a salty taste. It's better to feed her with a spoon or cup than with a bottle so that she can get used to using the front part of her mouth to handle pureed food and liquids.
2 yo sad when I leave for work in the mornings I don't get nearly as much one on one time with my daughter as I would like or nearly as much as my wife has with her since my wife is a SAHM. I knew it was only a matter of time before my 2 yo started doing something before I left for work. But I had always assumed it ...	It's just something kids have to go through, and they will grow out of it when they are mature enough to realize you are coming back. I think your daughter is expressing her sadness in her own way. I found it less hard for me to leave when I saw my first daughter calming down after a few minutes when my wife would go s...
Is a Set Bedtime Appropriate for Teens? For teens, in this case a rising Junior in High School, is it appropriate to set a bedtime for him of 10PM? How does this compare with the majority of teens? <Q> High school is a much better time to learn "how to go to bed on time" and "how much sleep you need" than your first ye...	Just don't tell the teen when they have to sleep, or they won't get a chance to work out the learning process themselves. What you can do is suggest a time for them to go to bed, 10 or 11 depending on
9 month old with an imperative to sit I though it was just a phase, but it's been two or three weeks already and doesn't stop. My 9 month old has an imperative to sit. She absolutely has to sit. When put to bed, even if extremely sleepy, she will try to roll to her belly and push herself up to sit. When laid down again...	Some of this is probably related to the other babies/adults around her; my older started crawling when a new baby came into the daycare that was a crawler, almost right away, because he was physically developed for it but prior to that had only older (walking) toddlers to play out with - hence the preference for pullin...
At what week will the doctor be able to determine my Baby's Sex I have seen varying opinions from 12 weeks to 20 weeks. At what point in the gestation will the Doctor be able to ascertain the sex of the child, assuming there are no developmental complications. EDIT Question was previously related to Gender, I modifie...	This isn't really something a doctor can tell with any reasonable degree of granularity, as neuroscience has not yet developed any accurate methods of determining gender, but this should be an ongoing dialogue with your child through upbringing. At 20 weeks you will be able to see it in most babies, however, some babie...
Move into own room at the same time as sleep training? Our 5 month old currently sleeps in her cot in our bedroom. We've taken one of the sides off, and the cot is right next to the the bed to make it easier for nighttime feeds, which my wife does lying on her side so the baby isn't picked up and doesn't even open her ...	even if your baby continues to breastfeed herself to sleep, getting her to do it in her own room, and then settle herself post-tuck in (and more importantly when she wakes up periodically at night like all babies do) is a great idea. It will certainly be difficult, and I would suggest that every single baby is differen...
How can I assuage my pre-teen's fear of flying My parents are moving to Florida soon and have asked for my help moving their car. I thought it would be nice to take my pre-teen daughter (almost 12 yo) with me on the ride down for a short visit. However, we would need to fly home, and she appears to have developed a f...	I dealt with that by remembering statistics, by remembering that it really does work despite my lack of core belief in the mechanics, but most of all by seeing all of the people around me not worried.
How are pregnancy ultrasounds administered? I was wondering if hospitals let you take pictures of any ultrasound home? Also if so how large or small are they-what are the sizes of the prints? ? <Q> It definitely varies by hospital. <S> We went to a ultra-modern Chicago downtown hospital, and didn't receive any sort o...	Every hospital has different equipment, so call ahead and ask them.
Why does my child cry when her parents laugh? My wife and I have an almost 2-year-old daughter, whom since the age of about 6 months, cries when we laugh. For the first approximately 6-9 months, this was pretty much every time we laughed. Since then it's usually only when she's sensitive (i.e. overtired, hungry, etc.)...	She is just a very emotionally intelligent and sensitive child. But your laughter may be a stressful situation for her even when she's not tired, etc..
My 10 month old uses high pitched screaming to get what he wants...how do I change this behavior? My 10 month old son screams (high pitch and loud) when: older sister takes away his toy when he wants our attention when he doesn't get his way when we've taken away something that we don't want him to have when we p...	Only when he can express himself otherwise should you take on training him not to scream. If you want to reinforce this behavior, reward it by giving him what he's screaming for. Say "not now" (or, if never, "no") if he screams for something he's not going to get (e.g. at nap time), He is not being a manipulative littl...
Is cryopreservation of sperm worth it for non-emergency “personal backup” purpose? Last year I went to the cryogenic sperm bank and I got a few ampules of my sperm frozen. I did this for the reason that if I die anytime in the near future, and since I do not currently have offsprings/children/cubs, so if I die, my pare...	Unless you're in a very few industries, the odds of a nonfatal accident leaving you able to not have children is very low, and those accidents would mostly leave you as highly dependent on your spouse - not a good idea to bring a child into that environment. Specifically I am thinking if you get testicular cancer and t...
potty trained 2 1/2 year old wetting the bed again My son is 2 1/2 years old, 6 weeks ago we went cold turkey and stopped him wearing nappies and put proper pants on him. He wet the bed the first night and that was the only accident he had! However the last week he has started to wet the bed every night! I'm unsure wha...	Some children are just heavy sleepers and don't wake from the urge to go to the bathroom.
Why does my toddler refuse to let me sing to her My daughter is 2 yrs 4 months and for the last few months if I try to sing to her she gets very cross and tells me to stop. Sometimes it's because she wants to sing herself, but more often she just doesn't want me to.Do other parents experience this? <Q> My kid is almost...	You should not force your child to listen to you. Ask her if she wants a song or a story at bedtime, or if she'd like to sing, or if she'd like to learn a new song with you.
Trilingual child: How to make toddler more confident to speak third/local language? Our son is almost 3 and speaks decent Spanish (my language) and French (father's language) for his age. We have been using one person one language. But at childcare he practically does not speak the third local language (German). He ha...	Even if he is already fluent in his first and even his second language, he might just need some time to process a third one. If you spoke German more fluently, you could invite German speaking playmates over to the house - he might become more comfortable in one-on-one conversations that way, especially if you could tr...
Is it safe to blow on a baby's face? I've seen some parents blowing on their baby's face when crying. The baby suddenly stops crying but he looked very surprised. I wonder if this could harm the baby in some way. <Q> Blowing on the face is a common trick. <S> It triggers a reflex to hold the breath for a short moment. ...	If you are blowing softly, it could hardly harm the child. Taking REALLY good care of you oral hygiene is paramount for the child's safety and health. Do not do this if parent is currently under a respiratory or airborne/saliva carried disease.
Why does my baby like wires, and what can I give her instead? My 7 month old daughter seems to be drawn to wires. What can she eat instead that won't electrocute her? <Q> At 7 months, she may enjoy the challenge of the dexterity required to pick them up successfully, as her motor skills are becoming finer somewhere aro...	Giving your child something "instead" of the cords can teach her that playing with the cords gets her something. Make sure she has a chewing toy that she likes within her reach, so that she reaches for that instead. Spaghetti, linguine, fruit peelers , string cheese , chives, and noodles all seem like reasonable substi...
How old should a child be to start creative writing? My daughter is 6 years old and she loves to tell stories. However, she finds writing to be tedious. She does practice writing each letter and she can write words. What I am most interested in, is there any consensus about what is the most appropriate age for a child...	In my case, I started writing my stories down around 11 or 12.
How do I address lack of tact in a 4 year old? This morning, I dropped my son off at pre-school, and he introduced me to one of his new friends. He then, loudly, and right in front of this friend, proceeded to explain how this child "gets upset all the time about everything" and "constantly complains". While I don't ...	As well as addressing the immediate concern (why what is being said is rude, and how to know when to refrain from saying rude things) you might want to tell your child he is welcome to still tell you those sorts of things later, in private. It sounds like fairly normal behavior to me, but I think you're doing the right...
Can eating fruit snacks cause behavior problems the next day? My ex-wife says giving my son too many fruit snacks (too much sugar) caused him to have a meltdown at school the next day. Is this even the slightest bit likely? He is 5 and in pre-school. <Q> Sugar does not cause hyperactivity . <S> However, if a kid lea...	There are lots and lots of reasons to restrict the processed sugar that kids consume, but behavior problems the next day isn't one of them!
What to do about my 6-year-old acting up at school? I have a 6-year-old who will be 7 in less than 6 months. She has always been a very smart girl... She went to preschool for 3 years. She was very close to the teacher (since she was an infant) so I feel as though some of her behavior there has gone unannounced to us. ...	One reason, however, could be that her school simply isn't demanding enough for her.
Should I choose a language immersion or regular school for a child with below average language skill? My daughter (4 yrs 10 months) is bilingual (Japanese,English) and will be starting kindergarten next year. We currently live in the U.S.; her English is capable, but still fragmented and below her peers' level. I h...	I would recommend choosing a language learning plan based on what is going to be useful for them going forward and which language environment you can sustain exposure for over the long run.
How to handle a 1-year-old pointing at and wanting things? My 1-year-old daughter has started pointing at things. Sometimes she "wants" them, to either hold herself or just touch, sometimes she seems to be satisfied with simply having the thing named. Depending on what we are doing we either fulfill her "want" - give...	I find that encouraging the communication is helpful, since my kids started really listening to at that age too, and I could give them simply commands, such as 'pick up the car', and it is so exciting for them to be understood, and to understand. Other means of prevention include diversion. Her pointing indicates a wan...
How to stop my father from physically abusing me I'm almost 15 years old and my father frequently physically and verbally abuses me. My being chinese certainly has a factor in this, but since I live in Texas, it is not legal. Usually it is for disciplinary purposes, but he has such a tight hold, that if I even watch a...	I would first talk to your family members and try to solve it there. As a 35 year old who was repeatedly attacked by my father as a child and a teenager, I can tell you that the longer you allow him to do this, the more harm will come to you in the long run, and the more difficult it will be to fix the psychological pr...
How to discipline 2yo who still does not talk I am so far decided about not to physically discipline my children. And I am managing to do so, showing my kid what is good, and what is bad. One downside is, that my boy still cannot talk in meaningful way Second is, that he is "live" child so he is sometimes misbehav...	Assuming your child can understand some of what you say, you can issue a warning for more minor offences before ultimately putting them in the naughty corner if they continue to misbehave. Hitting is common at this age, but that (or his tears) does not mean a time-out is inappropriate; on the contrary, the sooner he le...
My 4-year-old keeps telling me she peed herself but she's dry? I'm at a complete loss. My 4-year-old daughter is potty trained and all is well. But recently she keeps moaning and complaining she peed in her underwear but upon checking, she's completely dry. This is an ongoing thing that can last hours where she'll repe...	Kids often don't distinguish between a single drop and a flood. After going to the doctor he suspected urinary tract infection and put her on antibiotics (the tests later came back indicating no infection was present Well, when my 4 yr old was playing hide and seek, (I play that with her to learn to count) she hid unde...
Should a 5 year old excuse themselves after farting? My five years old daughter sometime farts silently, and she doesn't excuse herself. Every time I detect such a situation, I remind her that she should try to avoid it and leave the room, going to a toilet, but if she fails to do that, she should excuse herself. My w...	For the farting person it's polite to not further disturb by talking about his or her farting - even indirectly. Sorry to write that, but I think your wife is right. I encourage my kids to excuse themselves when they pass gas.
Best age for watching "Once Upon a Time..."-like series I have 3-4 full series of "Once Upon a Time...", for example " Once Upon a Time... Life ". I played it to my 5 years old daughter and she didn't find it interesting. That isn't much surprising for me, but I'd like to know about best age, when I should consider ano...	I think other than the age and maturity, even the child's preferences, liking and attitude plays a pivotal role.
Where should boys aim their urine? We have been potty training our son. We got him comfortable going sitting down first, and now he is learning to urinate while standing. What should I teach him to aim for when peeing while standing up, at the water, or at the side of the bowl? I have always aimed for the water, but ...	As far as i have tested, the best way is to hit a wall being the angle bettween your liquid and the porcelain as small as posible, allowing the fluid to stick to the toilet and be slowed and scrattered/spread enough to not splatt at all. An interesting aside: I taught my boys by drawing a target on a square of toilet t...
Parents' experience of leaving water warts (molluscum contagiosum) untreated? My 3yo daughter has water warts (Molluscum contagiosum). This causes spots but has no other effects that I know of. We've already been to the doctor. I'm not seeking medical advice here. We have a diagnosis already. It's a very minor childhoo...	Whether in prescription medicine or home remedy form, there are three ways to treat water warts: destruction, immunomodulation, and antiviral treatment. She did become more careful about scratching them and that may also have helped. My experience was that the bumps spread like crazy while they were left untreated. Eve...
Making the child finish their food even if they are already full As a child, my parents always made me finish my food even if I was already full. Food definitely isn't wasted this way, but overeating is not good either. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of making/forcing a child to finish their food even ...	The gist of it is that if you force to your child to eat everything on their plate, they are more likely to become obese as an adult. This notion that it prevents food from being wasted is complete nonsense. We also require them to be at the dinner table for the duration of the meal, regardless of how much they eat, wh...
On what surface should a baby crawl What's the best surface for my daughter to learn crawling ?We usually put her on our sofa, but we are afraid it is too small and too soft. Also, the risk of falling is too high, now that she's becoming mobile. We also tried the floor (wood flooring) but we are afraid it is too slipp...	Carpet provides good traction and also a moderately padded surface. Carpet has the added benefit of being a bit warmer but the baby might not care about that. Once the baby gets more confident, she will be able to crawl anywhere, including the wooden floor.
How does food influence production of urine during the night? Our son (about 7 years old) has a massive problem with bed wetting. He doesn't wake up at night, if he needs to pee. see also Bed gets wet nearly each night although diaper is worn What we do: meal time normally ends 6:30 PM, he goes to bed between 1 an...	If your child has a habit (conscious or not) of holding in his urine, then urine evacuated before bed might still be a "backlog" from the food and drink consumed before his evening meal. Certain foods directly influence the production of urine if they are diuretic. I would advise to have your child avoid diuretic foods...
Baby takes so long to wind, is there a solution? Our baby was born prematurely and had to be bottle fed. The nurses joked that she was a ' windy baby ' when she was being nursed. Now she's home and nearly six weeks old, she's devouring ample amounts of breast milk via a bottle. The problem is that she can take up to...	If you are really worried that she is swallowing too much air and for some reason is not able to burp then I would use a bottle with a liner to eliminate the back-flow of air through the nipple that sealed bottles have (my son hated both the bottles you mentioned and preferred the Playtex Nurser bottles) Also, you coul...
Which is better - a Minivan or a SUV - for a 4 kid family We have 3 kids and are currently managing fitting them in an Accord (Mom) and a Civic (Dad). The civic is tight but most of the time it's one parent with the kids in that one. We recently found out number 4 is on the way and the great debate over Minivan or SUV...	Although this is somewhat opinion-based as there are both minivans and SUVs which fit the bill, the advantages of the minivan over the SUV are: they are purpose built people carriers so they have features like sliding doors and removable and re-configurable seats that SUVs don't have, or at least not to the same level ...
Keeping one year-old out of the kitchen We have a one year-old son who we can't keep out of the kitchen. When someone is in the kitchen, he likes to come and stand next to them, grab onto their legs and try to reach things on the counter. Obviously this is not safe as there are knives, hot liquids, etc. that could easi...	You can try to ignore the child disturbing your work in kitchen whenever it's safe. Toddlers do follow parents whenever they can, for us it happens even if one parent is engaged in play with the child and the other does something - our LO will "switch" and go from one parent to another with no apparent reason.
How to immediately correct a (gross) habit? My son, an only child, is 19 months old. His two "siblings" are dogs twice his size and they get along great (I'm not sure how that sentence reads, but I'm not one of those people that actually treats our dogs like they're actual children). Recently he's starting acting out...	You might just end up training both your dogs and your baby at the same time by saying no licking while they're both engaged in this interaction. Okay, if you truly want to immediately stop the behavior, you will need to give immediate unpleasant results when he does it.
Can giving a book that is too advanced for the child put the child off? I found (what I thought is) a really cool book to give my niece for her 7th birthday. The book ( The Ultimate Book About Me by Richard Platt) is all about what makes a person, genes, how your brain works, memory, senses etc. It's a picture/facto...	You never know what kids will find interesting, and in a lot of cases 'too advanced' really means 'higher bar for interesting'. If you don't push particularly hard, it's unlikely to do any damage: either she will be interested in it and read it, or she will not
my 2yr old cries at daycare during drop off time Help! My two year old daughter has cried since day one (back in September) when I drop her off at daycare. We are now in December. This I believe has now caused her twin brother to cry as well when I drop them off at daycare. I don’t know why she cries. This is a priv...	She is probably reacting to the imminent separation from you, rather than worrying about the babysitter being mean. The fact that she's cheerful at pickup time is a good sign. This is EXTREMELY normal, unfortunately. Don't ever prolong it or feel sorry for them. If YOU don't treat it like a big deal, your daughter soon...
My children like to fall asleep to music, what product will turn itself off after an hour? My children like to fall asleep to music, have you used a helpful product that will timeout after, say 1 hour? Otherwise, the music plays all night. I'm not sure if that is bad. <Q> Some noise all night is often a good thing. ...	If you have an old iPhone or iPod you can play any playlist and set a timer Also, some sleep aids (like the fluffy turtles and sheep you can commonly find at Walmart type stores, which display some lights on the ceiling and play some music) often are specifically set up to play for a short amount of time; we also have ...
7 year old demands to go to sleep at 5:00 pm My 7 year old son (and his brother, 5 sometimes) in winter generally demands to go to bed as soon as the sun goes down. We really wish he would stay up to 6:30-7:00 or so because when he goes to bed at 5:00pm he generally gets up at 4:00 am or the like (and gets us up). If...	Make sure he still gets a full day's worth of natural light to intensify the sleep drive and reinforce the new circadian rhythm. Go outside on an excursion with the child where there is no convenient place to lie down until shortly before the designated bedtime.
My 9 month old's sleep schedule gets mixed up I'm a working mom and my son gets watched by dad and grandparents when I'm at work and our nighttime routines are all different now. My son never goes to bed at the same time any more and it is always a struggle. It started a few weeks ago when me and my husbands work sch...	Once he knows that the routine starts like this, and will go on this long, and have these separate parts to it, he'll also know that "okay, after lights out, I go to sleep. Try using a white noise machine
Toddler does not like to drink milk My daughter was big on drinking milk, but now she only drinks juice and water. Is this normal? She eats cheese and plenty of veggies and she is only one year old. I don't have any problems with her drinking water either like most kids so I'm happy about that, just worried about the m...	Hard, aged cheeses (such as cheddar) are lower in lactose, and yogurts that contain active cultures are easier to digest and much less likely to cause lactose problems. Odds are she eats enough to keep herself growing and active (most kids do, even if it seems they're not); as long as you keep a good selection of nutri...
What to do about 1 year old boy who keeps pulling hard at his penis and scrotum? This has been going on a little while and the health visitor says its normal but we are a bit concerned about the force our child is using when he pulls at his penis: He really yanks it and it looks like it could do some damage... Particu...	Boundaries are the first step to helping him out of the habit of it because like many things including energetic games, shouting, dancing, reading, running, throwing etc there are very natural boundaries around where you can and can't do them.
How hard do I burp my baby? The "howtos" out there don't really show you how hard to pat the baby when burping it. They seem to focus on positions and such, but they stop short of actually doing it. I want to know that I'm patting/rubbing him hard enough to be useful, and not so hard that I would make him uncomfort...	It is extremely unlikely that you will somehow hurt your infant just from the motion of burping. It's just a matter of time and gentle agitation; not much is needed.
My 12-month-old baby wakes up at 5 a.m. every morning. What should I do? My 12-month-old baby wakes up at 5 a.m. every morning. I tried to feed him a bit more before bedtime and get him to sleep later, but it doesn't work.. What should I do? <Q> Go to bed earlier, get up at 5am and be glad it's not 2 am. <S> Your bab...	As contradictory as it sounds, try putting the baby to bed earlier. sure nap times and bedtimes are as consistent as possible. We have a "7am is morning" rule, so breakfast is about 7:30am but in the past when we've let breakfast slip earlier, whichever one is a baby at that point wakes up even earlier (and then you en...
Working mother but unemployed father I can't stop thinking about this. I hope someone can help me. Just as the title says, my mother is the one who struggles to make money while my father just "eats, sleeps, repeats". He worked across the nation when he was young and earned quite a lot, so his thinking is, My saving...	What's happening in your family is mostly about the imbalance in the relationship between your parents, so ultimately it is they who will need to sort it out. Tell your dad how you feel and be respectful about it. I don't really see any problem other than your parents are not conforming to traditional gender roles Work...
1 year old baby won't eat in day, drinks milk all night My baby boy is almost a year old and most of the time doesn't want to eat his food. He occasionally has a good meal but most of the time just messes around, throwing food on the floor, spitting out food after hardly even taking a bite. I have read several of the...	It will be easi er once you make your sleep and sanity a priority as deserving (and maybe more so out of necessity) as the benefits to your little one of feeding on demand. Feeding babies more during the day will not stop them waking at night, finds Welsh university research I would just offer bits of what you guys are...
16 month old, former good sleeper, now screams entire nap We've got a 16 month old girl who has been on a fairly regular sleep schedule for a long time now. Recently, in the matter of about a week, she refuses to nap anymore though. We do our normal nap wind down, and when we get to her crib she whimpers and when put...	Of course, you should watch out for signs of her being tired (children being fretful in particular is usually a sign that they are overdue for sleep).
Best jigsaw puzzle's size for 5+ year old girl My five and a half year old daughter was very found of playing with jigsaw puzzle when she was three. Then she dropped that idea completely. So I don't have any "growing" references, for best sizes for her actual age. She has just got (as Christmas gift) a 50-pieces jigsa...	However, 200 piece puzzles often jump to the range of 7+ or 8+, so that might be too big of a jump for her.
Consequences of smoking marijuana during pregnancy (especially first weeks)? I just found out yesterday I am 4 weeks pregnant, I am a regular weed smoker I usually smoke once a day at night right before bed just a couple hits out of my pipe so I basically smoked every night for the first 4 weeks of my pregnancy because...	Children whose mothers use marijuana during pregnancy have a higher risk of stunted growth and of developing ADHD, anxiety, and depression later in life. So, make a good decision, and a good candidate for a good decision, is to visit your doctor, speak to your close family, or friends. The THC-exposed fetuses had lower...
Do I force my son to speak to his semi-absent parent? My son's father and I were together until my son was 6.5. We broke up because I found out he had been abusing heroin and stealing thousands of dollars in cash and items from my mother, his friends, myself, and my son. He continued taking advantage of my niceness a...	You would do your son a great disservice by not respecting his feelings and forcing him to talk to his father.
What level/type of exercise is safe during pregnancy? Reading Can Pregnancy Weight Loss Be Good? , I stumble across "We know that exercise in pregnancy is safe for everybody," Artal says. "When we talk exercise, we talk about just walking -- a safe form of exercise. The quote above states that walking is safe, whi...	During Pregnancy: Most exercises are considered safe during pregnancy, as long as you do not over do it. Jogging and running can be done in moderation.
At what age is it best to teach a child mathematics? At what pace? At what age should mathematical / logical concepts be introduced to a child? I feel that parents should be held more responsible even than schools in the educational process. <Q> The best age is "when you need them". <S> But let me elaborate: <S> M...	Children learn best at their own individual pace, and they give off plenty of clues as to what that pace is.
My 14 year old daughter is overly resistant when I advise something When I'm trying to explain something to my 14 year old daughter, she becomes very resistant to what I say or advise. I do understand that she has a hard time due to her age, both physically and psychologically. In addition to this, she does not see her...	It's entirely normal for teenagers to become disinterested in what their parents have to say and to strike out on their own path. You can find out what she is interested in and work with her on that. Offer help rather than enforcing study, if your daughter really isn't into it she'll actually be learning to hate it.
Minimum age required for jacuzzi bath I went with my nearly six years old daughter to the public pool & SPA and to my surprise, I found a label saying, that children under age of 7 should avoid the jacuzzi bath. Is that true, and why is the minimum age set so high? My wife suggests, that this is because the jacuzzi ba...	A Jacuzzi or other jet-based bath that is not heated (ie, is a normal warm bath but does not go over body temperature and is allowed to cool over time) is as safe as any other bath; the jets and bubbles do not add any particular element of danger.
Should I invite non-parent friends to a 1-year old birthday party? I know the first birthday is something special for a child, but is not something that a kid will remember, so it's more of a party of the adults in his/her life to celebrate that they made it through the first year. Several of my friends have not had ba...	However, you probably should tend towards inviting people who have shown an interest in your daughter. We've always opened ours up.
Suitable music festival where children can be taken (Big Chill replacement!) I went to the Big Chill festival upto 2007 (a UK music festival in the Cotswolds) and have recently become a dad. The Big Chill was very child friendly and I would have loved to have taken my boy, but unfortunately that festival stopped in 201...	Camp Bestival - July-August - Lulworth Castle, Dorset.
What to do about my 20-month-old daughter not sleeping through the night? My daughter is 1 year and 8 months old. She will not sleep through the night. She goes down to sleep most nights but now can climb out of the crib and open doors. She won't go down at night and I do a steady routine before bed. If I hold the doo...	If she's fighting to go to bed every time, try pushing her bedtime back by 45 minutes. As much as I feel like there needs to be consistency in routines, when disruption has become consistent, it's time to change the routine. Once my kids could climb out of their cots I took them out of cots as I felt that was dangerous...

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