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1 year old stays up late at night My parents have raised some concerns about our 1 yo child going to sleep late in the evening (typically 10:30 pm, sometimes later if she struggles going to sleep). A typical day : she doesn't go to day care, she stays at home with my wife.She gets up at about 9 am, and has 4 meals dur...	You may want to get your daughter into a sleep pattern that's more amenable to that schedule earlier rather than later, and that will make it easier for her.
Do a parent's big expectations become a burden on the child? Recently, Haruki Murakami started an advice column on his personal website. One of the questions was about motivating kids. Here is what Murakami replied: When a parent's expectations for children are large, it becomes a burden for children. -- link for t...	This depends on the child, of course, as some are more interested in pleasing the parent than others; but it is not uncommon for a child to feel the weight of expectations.
Constipation problem in two months pregnancy i am two months pregnant. Feeling constipation every two days. What should i take to get relieved of this problem? Pls somebody advice. <Q> Eating more fibers and fluids is usually the answer though depending on the person you need more soluble or insoluble fibers. <S> My ...	Drink warm lemon water everyday in the morning, it can help boost your bowel movements. Most people need more soluble fibers (whole cereals, vegetable skins and fruits) for some though insoluble fibers will help, in this case Beans/lentils/split peas are completely outstanding in terms of fiber content. As you want som...
How to protect babies from mosquito bites? How do you protect kids, particularly newborns and toddlers, from mosquito bites when they are playing outside? Especially when camping, at a park, etc. Can someone give me some practical advice on how to protect babies from mosquito bites? <Q> For sleep times you can use a ...	For mobile children, some sort of mosquito repellent on their body is a better choice.
What can cause colic on dairy formula and not on breastmilk? My 9 day old daughter is experiencing severe colic. The crying and leg stretching usually starts 20 minutes after the bottle with diary formula is finished. It takes around 2 hours after symptoms decrease and she falls asleep. Beside dairy we also feed her ...	You could also work on the breastmilk supply end to make the formula sensitivity hopefully moot in the near future. There's something called Infacol(I think) that you can add a drop of to formula milk to help with colic You could certainly try switching the formula to a different type (eg: soy based instead of milk bas...
Can Prozac stunt a teenager's growth? I have a close friend whose son turned 14 last October. He started on 10mg of Prozac in September 2013, gradually increased to 60mg in July 2014, where he has remained. My friend keeps regular records of her son's height, and he has not grown a single centimeter in the past eight ...	Prozac does stunt growth, we did the research years back (found the mouse study), after our son's growth was stunted between 12 and 15 (on Prozac).
How to wean our almost 3-year-old off his teething ring? My son is turning 3 this June. I am really frustrated the past few weeks about my son's cheek biting habit. He started daycare last July and changed to another daycare in September last year. He had been jealous about his baby brother, who was born in May last ye...	However, with the stressors he has had and will likely still have in the next few months, he needs a way to self-soothe, and a teething ring (or other) is a lot better than even minor self-injury. With cheek biting, I have found it helpful to make sure my child is getting lots of vitamin C (both food and supplement). Y...
Our babygirl doesn't say mommy I am from Turkey and in Turkish the word for father is baba and dede for grandpa . Our 17 month old baby girl follows me all day with repeated baba but rarely says anne for mommy . As much as this flatters me, I feel my wife might be a bit down. Should I be concerned? <Q> Usua...	Play some basic babytalk games with your child, to ensure they acquire decent phonetic vocabulary. Seriously, it could simply be that Mum gives her more immediate attention than you do So while there may be many reasons for her to choose saying "baba" and "dede" more frequently than "anne" one possibility is that you a...
Should a 4 year old be made to quit crying every time she cries? My granddaughter is forced to stop crying any time she cries by her step dad. Is that healthy? She just turned 4. <Q> It's impossible to answer because there are two sides to the question. <S> From the child's side...with preschoolers there are so m...	Crying is a perfectly natural reaction, telling her that ALL crying is bad sounds dangerous to me.
Coaxing a child to perform her best My five year-old daughter likes to keep her abilities to herself. She pretty much taught herself to read about a year ago, but didn't let us know. If you asked her what something said, she would shrug, but if you gave her instructions that required reading silently, like "Click on ...	Another reason why she isn't confident might be that she is afraid of being incorrect. Don't move onto harder words until you are 100% sure that she will be confident spelling them. Perhaps it would be helpful for you if, in your own internal thinking about your daughter's reading, you concentrated on feeling joyful fo...
How can I better recognize the point where I've talked too much when disciplining and it's becoming counterproductive? I come from a long line of lecture-happy parents. This used to drive me nuts when I was a kid. I would get into trouble and then get an earful. My eyes would glaze over and I would basically just menta...	When children are older, there may be times when it is appropriate to really explain the reasons behind something. You make your point, and you stop.
Is there an effective method for cleaning butts? When bathing a child (particularly a baby under or around 1 year old, who can not stand on their own yet) is there an effective way to clean all of their body parts that are usually submerged under water? What I mean by this, is that regardless of the type of bathtub you...	For an infant, I don't recommend submerged bathing: I like the kind where you have a foam "bathtub" insert either in the sink or in the bathtub, and you just use soapy water to clean them. This can be hard to do on your own though.
Suggestions for a father daughter activity that explains me omitting my son I have a set of twins.. A boy and girl who are 5 years old. I love them both equally and want to have some one one time with each of them.. My son and I go for a haircut every month (or so), and we then do a little bit of shopping. It is a ...	If your son enjoys his special Daddy outing, your daughter will doubtless enjoy it just as much. Pick something that you are good at and take her with you. Once you've established the routine, hopefully you'll get less questions and push-back. So, next time you're sitting on a bench at a playground chatting with other ...
My 14 month old granddaughter doesn't talk, and she doesn't seem to understand. But she babbles a lot. She only seems interested in actions. She can wave bye-bye, but does not understand what it means. If you say "yay!" she will clap her hands and say "yay". So far, she does not recognize words as labels. Not even ...	So, again, I would discuss your concerns with the child's pediatrician and / or consult with a Speech Language Pathologist. If the assessment does determine a significant delay then she may qualify for Speech Therapy covered by insurance. In terms of development of communication (which includes pointing to things she w...
How to help my 1st grade daughter with her reading comprehension? My daughter is in her 1st grade and she is quite good at reading. By that I mean she can pronounce difficult words, read books with the correct pause and expressions. She can even read fast. But what she lacks is the ability to comprehend what she is rea...	I also sometimes let her read the book and ask her to say the story in her own words. You can build up her 'context' bank by reading and then re-reading stories of a specific genre to her. Kids don't really hit the developmental milestones for fluent reading until around age 7 or 8. Watch a video about underwater life,...
Not so sleeping beauty at 4 years old My 4 year old daughter is not going to bed at a decent time. We have a routine in place: dinner at 6, story time at 7, bath time at 7:30. 8 is quiet down time and 8:30 is bedtime. The problem: she won't go to sleep until 2 in the morning. She goes to school during the week and get...	I had terrible insomnia throughout childhood and learned as I got older that I require a high level of exercise throughout the week in order to sleep at nights.
My son cries for 30-45 minutes when told "No" My son can cry all day when told no. It's very tiring and I don't know what more to do. Its an everyday thing with him. I try putting him in time out which is his bed and it gets worse . He throws tantrums where he throws his blankets and screams. <Q> I have 2 girls an...	Other times a child may cry for a wanton desire. Change the environment so you don't need to say "No" so much. Another method I used was to turn their "want" into a goal. I then weaned him into time outs by himself by sitting on a chair in the living room nearby while he sat on the stairs, eventually I would do dishes ...
How to help a child overcome their fear of mascots? My son loves Sesame Street characters, and "costume" characters... When they're on TV. However, he's very afraid of them in person. He gets clingy, must be picked up, and holds us in a Death grip. We've so far just tried introducing him to the characters, usually ...	The less you force the issue, the quicker the child will get over it.
16yo works TOO MUCH? We have a lovely child who is very motivated in their schoolwork. They are getting straight A's, and are loved by all their teachers. They are autistic, and it seems that schoolwork is their new 'special interest'. It doesn't seem like a problem, until you look at the child themselves. We often hav...	The therapist should be working on coping skills especially as it relates to transition times from preferred activity. Then give them structure by together forming reachable and plot-able goals, for both short term and long term. Goals without consequences, no matter how trivial are fairly useless when someone needs th...
At what age we should tell our toddler to not kiss everyone who asks her to? Our 18 month old kisses us when we ask her to. My question is, at what age we should tell her not to kiss everyone who asks her to? <Q> Contrary to @Alexander, I would not stop completely to ask for kisses, as my wife and me often do with our ...	The thing you can do is teach her that when she is asked for kisses, she does not have to kiss. I would say that it is not needed to wait.
When should I teach my toddler the ABCs? My child (3 yr old) will soon begin his reading journey, and I'm wondering if now (or at least within a few months) is a good time to get him to start learning the ABCs? I recently found a programmer-themed ABC book on Kickstarter (so if it actually manages to get funded, it w...	If there's a book he'll pay attention to, super, but I'd be just as inclined to write letters on things or get various foam letter blocks. One easy thing you can do to just teach the ABC's is to sing one of the many ABC songs to them. When we're looking at things he's already interested in - colorful signs, a fire truc...
What's an easy way to do macaroni art with a toddler? So, I joked to my wife the other day that she was getting macaroni art for mother's day. But, now I think it's serious, and it's what she's going to get. I want to do some macaroni art with my son (26-months-old), and I'd like some ideas on how to make the process....	I have no experience with macaroni-art specifically, but when I let my toddler do painting, I bought a huge (3x3m or so) sheet of plastic, put it in the middle of the room, stripped her down naked and then placed her in the middle of the plastic with a few brushes, open containers of paint and some canvases. If you ass...
My one year old daughter keeps waking up same time every night screaming and crying I am very confused and concerned - My 13-monthld daughter wakes up between 1:30 am and 3:40 am screaming and crying in her crib. I have tried giving her a bottle of milk, cup of water, cuddling her, rocking her, covering her, and singin...	Different sources give different descriptions of how long after bedtime the night terror occurs. You may want to take your child to the bathroom to see if she will urinate. It dawned on me - he's probably hungry even though he has 3 meals a day plus snacks. He's doing a lot of growing right now, and might even be havin...
Are there any studies about effects of microwave ovens on human breast milk? With all due respect to passionate parents who type in caps "NEVER HEAT MILK IN MICROWAVE" is there any verifiable scientific study on how bad it is to heat refrigerated milk for 15-20 seconds? Or is it just an expression of fear against un...	Well, NHS Choices says: Don't use a microwave to heat up or defrost breast milk as it can cause hot spots, which can burn your baby's mouth.
What are the pros and cons of having an advanced student skip a mid-elementary grade? At the end of third grade, our daughter's teacher approached us (and our school's principal) and suggested that with her test scores (high-school level) and level academic mastery, we should put her in a private school with a gifted a...	I had one parent who ended up moving her child to another school and making him repeat a grade (despite his good grades), because he just didn't fit in as well as he should.
How can I help three year old understand I can't actively play with him for a few days? Earlier today, I pulled a muscle in my back badly enough that I need to lie down to let it relax, and also don't plan on picking up heavy objects (like a small child) for a few days. His other parent understands and is able and will...	Just be frank with your son, using language that's at his level. Or one of your older children can be induced to help out. You need to explain what hurts and what you need to do or can't do. Even with a bad back, you might be able to read to him (he can fetch the book, turn the pages and put the book back). Other times...
How to let children believe without imposing my religion? I think that is right to let the children to believe in what they want, for example, when I was young my fathers never make me go to the church (Except for special cases). At this point of my life, I would have liked to show me something more, and I ask myself ...	Probably the best way to let them pick without imposing, is by telling them "lots of people believe lots of different things" and then helping them find information on the various religions and philosophies. Tell them to be sincere in their search as well as through.
How to get an infant to burp? How does one get a 5 weeks (and older) breast fed baby to burp ?At the moment the baby just burps randomly. Holding the baby so the chin is on my shoulder while I rub the baby's back gives randomly very good results but not all the time. What are the ways I could get the baby to burp ? <Q>...	Lean over to the baby and place your shoulder at the very bottom of your baby's chin
Is a (classic) GameBoy appropriate for my 1 year old son? My son is very excited in using technical devices like our printer, our tablet or our wireless phone. I'm thinking of buying him a classic, black an white GameBoy (the grey one with big nobs), so that he can play with his own device and cannot acidentially make ...	A Gameboy is not only generally considered as unsafe for a 1-year old, but also your kid will get tired of it quickly like any other toy. Buy them a fake phone or computer and that will keep them busy for a while.
Should I force the toddler to speak the words and sentences which she is finding difficult to speak? Hindi is the native language and English is a foreign language where I live. The toddler (2 years old) gets sent to the daycare. They speak Hindi there. I speak English at home with the child and the other person too. ...	She doesn't have to use those words consistently -- but this will help you learn her vocabulary, or repertoire of active words in English. The most important thing is that your child is learning the words. Make plenty of conversation that includes these words, to give her lots of opportunity to use the ones If she does...
Can I use canola oil to treat cradle cap? For an 8-month old baby is it safe to use canola oil to treat cradle cap? <Q> Yes, you can use baby oil or natural oils (almond or olive or canola oil. <S> But avoid groundnut or peanut oil in children under 5.) <S> to loosen thick crusts. <S> It's probably a good idea to do ...	Sure, canola oil is fine to use on the baby's scalp.
How do I handle an absentee parent wanting to build a relationship later in life? One of my parents (parent 'B') was consistently unreliable in terms of emotional support and educational development when I was growing up; they never wanted to spend time with me and I often felt like I was a burden to them rather than a...	Or you can just ignore the contact attempts : block the email addresses (or have them dumped directly into a junk mail folder that you then empty without reading), block the number the call is coming from or use something like Google Voice to catch and redirect it without you even having to know it's come in, things li...
My 4-year-old refers to himself as me Literally. Sometimes he will ascribe himself properties I have, and make me the child--he'll say "I'm a grown-up", "You can't sit in the front seat [in our car], it's not safe, I have to sit in the front seat, you have to sit in the back seat." "This is my office. Sorry you can...	2) Describing himself in the third person, from the POV of you or someone else, can sometimes be a mechanism to put distance between himself and things Kids that age learn a lot by imaginative play. Imagining yourself in someone else's position is the very basis of empathy and all that is worthwhile in humanity :-) AFA...
How important is "at night time" as part of a newborn's feeding schedule? Now that we have conquered jaundice, our doctor has shifted our breast-fed two-week-old daughter's feeding schedule from "every two hours; wake her; no exceptions" to "every two hours; wake her; you can go up to four hours at night time." I am n...	Don't wake your child to feed them!
Hungry Child? How do I tell? I just became a parent recently, so pardon me if I my question seems surprisingto some of you, but how do I exactly know if my child is hungry, he is only 6 months? <Q> Sign language for babies is easy to learn because it involves logical motions and simple ones. <S> Asking for food is movi...	You'll know if he was hungry if you try serving him some food Children at six months can be taught sign language, and asking for food and drink is usually the easiest thing to teach them. Sometimes he is real fussy and doesn't want a bottle or sleep.
Is it unusual to have protective feelings over one's child? I'm the mother of a 9-month-old. I feel too protective of my baby. I mean I can't leave him for a minute on its own, I feel that I have to constantly watch over my precious child. Is it normal for a mother to feel this way? <Q> This is the most beautiful fee...	All good and normal parents do feel protective.
What approaches can I use with an 9-year-old who bed-wets and is a heavy sleeper? Our 9-year-old son still bed-wets. The problem is that he is an extremely heavy sleeper; when he needs to pee, he does not wake up - even manually trying to wake him up (either to try and pee preventively in the middle of the night,...	The Bed-wetting "Alarms" or "Pads" work in a similar way: When a child needs to "go" and wets the bed, it wakes the child with a loud! My parents tried most of the tactics you've tried and from personal experience it does nothing but make your child feel uncomfortable or bad about something they have no control over an...
How to toughen my too sensitive 7-year-old boy a bit? I have a 7-year-old boy. I don't know if of any relevance, but he has mild dyspraxia. He seems to cry at the least little things, e.g. His younger sister teasing. Slightest little scratch when playing Dies in a computer game. Bedtime How can I toughen him a ...	I don't think anything can be done to suppress the initial inclination to cry, but he can control it somewhat based on social expectations. make him feel that you are on his side by saying something like: "I wish you didn't get hurt"; "I wish that you won that game"; "I wish it wasn't bedtime" state Kindness is the mos...
Absent Father vs. Father with alcohol addiction I was raised with a father who was dependent on alcohol and who was very abusive emotionally but sometimes physically towards my mother. At that time I wished I wouldn't have a father at all. But I know he was there to support us financially and sometimes it wasn't that b...	Alcoholics and drug users should not be positioned as authority figures and/or role models in his/her life, this parent is not a sound individual and this situation can prove very dangerous for the child.
Infant sunscreen recommendations for child with sensitive skin Our daughter has pretty sensitive skin and has broken out with eczema once. We've tried Banana Boat and Blue Lizard and she's broken out from both. What are sunscreen ingredients to avoid (or to look for) to find a sunscreen that works well with sensitive ...	The main consideration with infant sunscreens are they should be Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide based only; not only will these be much less irritating 1 , but they are considered safer.
1-month baby crying when on floor I am a first time father with 1-month old DS. My wife has been exclusively breastfeeding, 20 mins on each breast every two hours. Currently both my wife and the baby are on a medication because they have thrush. I have some issue with how my baby is doing in relation to the situation ...	The swaddling might help, and having a routine will DEFINITELY help (turn on the white noise, rock and feed, place him on his back and gently rub his chest for a few minutes, things like that; do these things every single time you put him down, so that he knows what to expect and will be less anxious trying to anticipa...
How to make my 16-year-old sister stop biting me, when my parents won't get involved? I'm 19 and have a 16-year-old sister. When I was laying on my bed minding my own business, my sister, who was still angry over something, came over and bit my hand. Like really bit my hand, which left teeth marks. I am at my wits' e...	If she is only violent towards you then I suggest talking to your parents again about how you will not tolerate it, and if they won't do anything about it next time then you will move out, call the police (biting is assault, no two ways about it), install a lock on your door and take your meals away from the family, or...
What is the most appropriate way to address contrarianism in a 4-year-old? My 4-year-old son tends to default to saying no changes in activity (even if he is clearly no longer interested in the current activity). Overall he is helpful, considerate, and will do things we ask around the house but he will just generally ...	If a negative answer is not acceptable, then don't ask a question! Even better is if you can involve him in the planning. Another very effective and more natural consequence is simply to miss out on the new activity: Try to give them plenty of warning, and help provide a sense of finality about the current activity: Af...
Tools to log and analyse a toddlers diet I am looking for a tool I can use to work out what is causing my son to vomit. It's happening during or after eating so I assume a connection to what was eaten. I need to: Quickly log what was in each meal (Meat, soya, vegetables, additives, spices etc) at either a high level...	You can record stuff about the meal such as date, individual ingredients, beverages, amount eaten, etc. If you use a notebook, you can write exactly what you want. Using a spreadsheet also gives you more control over the structure of what you record, and stores your data in a format that makes it easier for you to anal...
What is the reasoning behind encouraging your child not to be a 'tattle-tale'? I heard a friend say: I encourage my child not to be a tattle tale - but encourage them to work the situation out for themselves Several other parents in the context nodded agreement. I had never heard this before. I was trying to thin...	The child sees only the infraction, and doesn't understand the mitigating circumstances, and these are some of the instances where "tattletale" behaviour is particularly trying on the parents. I'd want to get them to start exercising their own judgment about the seriousness of issues as soon as possible.
How do I help my son cope with having a new baby sister? How do I help my 3.5-year-old son to learn that even though he is now not the only child in the family, he is still important? <Q> A difficult task at hand to say the least. <S> I recall a Caillou episode where he was angry because his little sister was getting m...	This might sound odd, but get your son a doll (girl preferably - to mirror the baby sister), and encourage him to take care of it. I find that boys want to be protective. Have the child build a pillow moat around the new born. If she cries let him calm her down.
What is the best way to teach my son bilingual speaking? My wife speaks russian and I speak german. How do I teach my son the two languages? For now my wife speaks to him in russian and I speak in german. <Q> TL;DR <S> You should put the child in an immersion environment to ensure that he builds his language skills...	Also if you can all but help it try to always face the child head on so they can see your face when you talk.
How to make my 3-year-old stop skipping one of the numbers when counting? My 3-year-old daughter can count well (I guess that is relative, but anyway). She understands the idea that numbers represent quantities. If I ask her how many pebbles she has or how many steps there are, etc., she will count out loud and give th...	Something we also did was to look for opportunities to count up to that 'missing' number. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Here's something I've tried: Play a game where the tickle monster will be hiding/waiting until it hears a number.
how to deal with noise from neighbor construction for infant I live in a high rise apartment, there are construction for renovation above and below me that I can do nothing about. My wife is 8 months pregnant we are about to have a baby. I'm afraid of all of this construction noise will disturb the child's sleep. The c...	A lot of people use some kind of white noise device to help their babies sleep anyway even without excessive background noise. Worse comes to worse, you can stick the baby in a pram and take him for a walk at sleep time.
When do babies start understanding a kiss? Sometimes my two weeks old daughter starts crying and crying. Apart from checking her basic needs (food, poo, pee...), I sometimes hold her and kiss on the cheek together with a soft hug. However, I have the feeling that such action does not have any effect on her (I even imag...	Kissing your baby is an expression of love and affection. Each and every babies are unique and no static formula can be applied on them such as "at this month he/she will do this and this".
A three week old baby refuses to sleep in his crib We have a 3 week old sweet baby boy. We got used that for the first few months there is very little order in his feeding/sleep time, but during night time, he wakes up to eat (my wife's breastfeeding him), after food time he sleeps very well if he is on a nice and com...	At 3 months, I think a bassinet might be easier for you to deal with since there's less awkwardness when bending over to get or place your baby in the sleeping area. Some ideas you could consider (these are all based on personal experience): prewarm the crib with a warm hot water bottle
My newborn hates everyday bath time My Japanese wife was told to bath my 1 week old son every day due to the hot humid summer in Japan even though we run air conditioning most of the time. But he cries right through bath time with warm water. What can we do to make it better? <Q> Timing. <S> A hungry, cranky or tired ...	Some parents even bathe with their babies because they feel safer in their arms or on their tummy.
One parent and two children at bedtime Our personal situation is two boys, ages four and a half and two and a half, although I imagine answers to this question could be generalized. Bedtime in our home is usually between 6:30 - 8:00, and often takes that entire time period. When we are going according to schedule, be...	It might be worth moving bedtime back a little to make it easier, if that turns out to be the case for your children. Your kids are young and when mine were that age more than once we went through a phase of them crying and getting out of bed and me carrying them back to bed while they screamed. Each child is unique bu...
At what age should a child be able to count to 10? My daughter currently can. She is 21 months old. What is a typical age for this milestone? <Q> There are different ideas of "counting" Memorizing 10 words in a row. <S> If they started to speak early and practice a lot, they can manage it when they are about two ye...	There can't be such thing as a "typical age" for this milestone (I mean, more precise than "about 2 years old"). As a rough guess, most children should be able to speak 100 words somewhen between 20 months and 26 months.
How can I help my 9 year old son fall asleep and stop stuttering? My 9 year old son has always had a bedtime routine and has never had a problem falling asleep. However, during 3rd grade he began stuttering routinely and also began having problems falling asleep. We did find out that he was being bullied by another b...	Regarding the cause for his stuttering and sleep patterns, you should consult with your child's pediatrician. Eventually he will be sufficiently tired to fall asleep at a more normal time. It may not be comfortable, but my experience is that (based on vacation jetlags of many adults and some children) the process will ...
Safe ways to support slumping 14-month-old in bike trailer? I have a small-for-his-age 14-month-old who loves the bike trailer and sleeps blissfully in it, or just watches the scenery. So long as I'm pushing it like a pram, and he has no helmet on. When the helmet goes on he tugs and twists it until it's over his face...	I would suggest if at all possible re-cycling the soft trailer for something more fitting, or for a full on child seat. Between the carseat and the trailer frame I was comfortable with his level of safety even without a helmet Where there is a full seat that is designed to go into the trailer.
How can I "train" my 9-month-old to drink from a feeding bottle? I have a 9-month-old child. I breastfed him from the very first moment, since we have a 24 weeks maternity leave in my country. The thing is he hates the feeding bottles. I can't leave him with anybody for longer than a couple of hours. He eats a little ...	We are also finding that there is a very fine line between the positions in which she will take the bottle and where she'll just get angry. If you are using formula during the bottle feeding, then try switching out the formula.
Recommended quantity / frequency of meat for 7 year old My daughter is 7 years old and we often feed her meat about 15-17 meals per week (out of 21). However, I am concerned that we are giving her meat too often. I realize that there maybe guidelines for both quantity and frequency (e.g., do not give the entire weekly...	Meat, in and of itself, isn't something that you must eat any particular amount of. For a girl at seven, she should be eating 1200-1800 calories, with 3-5 ounces (85-140g) protein-containing foods per day.
Is it bad practice for a parent to tell their children when they have a right/reason to cry? I witnessed parents telling their kids that, if they didn't get hurt or physically harmed in any way, they have no right or reason to cry. I kind of disagree because one doesn't cry just because of physical pain, and it's kind ...	On the one hand, if a small child is crying because of some legitimate emotional upset, I'd certainly say that the parents are wrong to tell him he shouldn't.
First pet (fish) just died. Is there a teachable moment? My 4 year old wanted a dog. I told him that I need to see him take responsibility first for a small pet before getting him a dog - Plus, my yard is not exactly animal friendly right now. We got him a small beta fish, the tank, the food, and all the cool stuff. I...	The teachable moment here would be either: If the fish had some disease from the pet store, confirmation that it wasn't his fault, and an opportunity to try again, if that's something he wants to do.
I have just watched my 22 month old dive head first over the gate on her bedroom 5 times after putting her to back to bed 50-60 times I'm not concerned about the fact she physically hurts herself by jumping the gate, she is as tough as they come. She screams so loud every time I walk down the stairs and is up the gate ...	Some kids are not ready for that kind of separation. There may be several alternatives to just locking her into her room, that may lead to your final goal of getting her to sleep alone. Co-sleeping works wonders - probably a sleeping pad or some such on the floor at the foot of the bed. First: all people are different ...
How to end 9-year-old's video game time with less stress? My 9-year-old has been off of all technology for many months, and finally earned it back. He gets to play a 1/2 hour a day on my old iPod Touch. Ending this time has always been stressful, and generally ends with me grabbing it long after he's supposed to give ...	When time was up and he threw a strop I removed the device from him (no discussion just turned it off), left him tantruming then it was a 2 day ban. In Guided Access, which can have a different passcode lock than the main passcode lock, you go to the Time Limits section and enable that. I would offer your son the optio...
Should I be worried my daughter is in a bilingual kindergarten class? Today was "Meet the Teacher" and my 5 year old daughter has been placed in a bilingual kindergarten class. My husband speaks Spanish and I speak English. I was happy, but then I started asking questions and found out all the work and tests are done i...	Of course when learning writing/reading, there will always be one of the languages that will come first, but she can catch on the other later on. Do not expect the school to be doing the leg work for you.
What are possible risks to a child's health from having an indoor cat? My children are aged 14 months and 3 years. What are possible risks to their health from having an indoor cat? I had many cats when I was a child but they lived in the garden - they came inside from time to time to play but that's all. I live in th...	There are a few diseases that can be passed from a cat to a child, but for a cat who is healthy, vaccinated, and kept indoors, the risk of contracting one of these is very low. If you suspect your child might have an allergy, you should take the child to a doctor first to confirm the diagnosis.
My grandson only likes girl toys My 4 year old grandson will only play with girl toys. My daughter and husband criticize me for allowing it. His birthday was last week and my sisters and I took him to the toy store to let him pick out his toy, and naturally he picked out princess toys and Monster High dolls. My daughte...	I see nothing wrong in giving him the toys he likes and encouraging him to explore more. Encourage him to explore his own interests, support him no matter what, and try to show his father and your other grandchild that a boy playing with dolls isn't something that should be shamed.
Can I still nurse? I am a first time mom and my baby is three and a half weeks early. I am currently pumping, but am trying to nurse. Unfortunately, she won't even latch for more than 20 seconds and I'd say about 95% of the milk she gets is from a bottle. She is 2 weeks and 2 days old. My goal is to be exclusively brea...	A lactation consultant or even your regular pediatrician or nurses at your hospital might be more understanding of the special needs of a premie. Nothing is too late, and bottles do NOT ruin the latch.
When is it normal for a child to start walking? My child is twelve months going on thirteen, but cannot walk. However, he started mimicking sounds as early as 8 months and can now speak fairly understandable words. Could there be problems with his ability to walk? <Q> From what I've read and from personal experience, I...	My son started taking a few steps in his 13th month but wasn't walking confidently, particularly outside, until 14 to 15 months
Why does my 10-year-old still urinate in bed? My 10-year-old pees in the bed every now and then. Is this just a "I'm too lazy to get up and use the bathroom" issue or is this caused by stress? <Q> I think some kids just have more difficulty. <S> I have three brothers and one of them wasn't completely accident-free un...	Older children can sometimes bedwet through trauma that's happened to them, for which they will require some therapy to get over.
What to do about my toddler who suddenly started screaming when I mention bathing or give her a bath? I have an 18-month-old daughter. She loved having a bath from birth, and now all of a sudden she screams her head off when I mention bath or give her a bath. It's really stressing me out. I don't know what to do. <Q> W...	Another thing which helped but may seem odd was taking him swimming. Take a shower with her.
My ten month old boy wakes up three times a night for milk - How can I night wean my baby without a struggle? I am weaning my 10 month old boy. We seem to do well during the daytime. But during the night-time he cries a lot until I breastfeed him. How can I night wean my baby without a struggle? I have introduced sol...	Ensure your little one is full, their nighttime routine is consistent and helps to settle them down, and finally that their bedding area is free from things to wake them up, and if they are spitting up at night or having bowel movements at night, then yes their stomach is going to be empty and it may take awhile to get...
Bananas. How many is too many for a toddler? My 22 month old baby is a the stage where she is becoming a picky eater. One thing she currently has no resistance to, however, is bananas . She'll eat a whole banana, ask for another, power through a second banana if I give in, then ask for another , at which point I usu...	The main concern I can think of would be that she's filling up on bananas, and neglecting to eat other things that have necessary nutrients. I try to remember the division of responsibility and trust that my daughter, on the whole, will eat what she needs to eat when offered a variety of food choices at set meal times....
possible disadvantages of being very silent when baby sleeps Is there a disadvantage if the parents try to be very very silent when the baby is sleeping? For example making sure that TV and mobiles are muted, no dish or clothes washing is taking place and all conversations are being very silent even if they take place ...	And learning to sleep in total silence can actually cause the child to wake easier at normal household noises such as the dishwasher or laughter. Most articles mention that The womb is actually very noisy, in fact its louder than being in a room with a vacuum cleaner.
One of two children invited to a mutual friends birthday party Our family has just combined and moved to a new town a month ago. We have three children, a 13 year old boy and 10 and 9 year old girls. The 9 year old is my daughter and the 13 and 10 year olds are my girlfriend's. The kids have been pretty quick to make f...	If this is a common friend, inviting only the younger sibling naturally creates difficult emotions for the older one. I would not consider trying to talk to the other parents to get the older child invited as well. The best approach is to discuss it with the other parent(s) beforehand.
How to care for my 3.5-year-old's decaying teeth? Since more than a year, one tooth of my 3.5-year-old daughter has started to deteriorate. Recently, two more teeth are getting affected. This is due to not getting her teeth brushed up properly and regularly. Now what measures should be taken to care for it and to rec...	Step 1: See a dentist, have cavities treated asap. Let your child watch you brushing your own teeth. Replace sugary drinks with sugar-free alternatives, or better still, milk or water. Above all else, the easiest way to make a child embrace a skill they need to have is to make it into a sort of game, combined with posi...
When pumping breast milk, can I reuse the bottle after feeding without sterilizing? I've read different things online about this. I pump breastmilk to feed to my little one. I'm currently boiling the pump bottle and the feeding bottle everyday at the start of the day, but if I use the same bottle through the day for b...	However, there is a risk of buildup of harmful germs if the bottles are left to stand for too long with (rests of) milk inside. So as a general answer, there is no need to sterilize In fact, if you sterilize everything around your baby all the time, many believe it could increase likelihood of becoming allergic .
How can I encourage my son (age 8) to stop sucking his thumb? My son is 8 years old and still sucks his thumb. We have been trying to encourage him to stop for years (talking with him about it, telling him to get his thumb out of his mouth when we catch him, etc.). None of what we have tried has worked. Also, it is cau...	The child might be under pressure or otherwise not thriving in some everyday context.
Is it okay for a baby's head to be vertical in a baby carrier? We are thinking about getting a baby carrier. Our child is one month old. All of the carriers require his neck to be vertical, though the head is protected from moving side to side. The grandparents are saying that the baby's neck can't be vertical for a wh...	For very small and fragile babies, some carriers are "too large" to support them properly.
Expat child refuses to learn local language We are a Spanish family who has recently relocated to England with our children. Our 6 year old boy can't speak nor understand English; he knows some words, basic phrases and a few numbers, but that is all. He keeps saying that he wants to go "back home" and that he doesn't ...	Gradually introduce incentives focusing on his favorite things as rewards. As his confidence increases you can gradually extract yourself and introduce a dictionary.
What is best for my child - a narcissist father or no father? I grew up with my parents divorced. I was 3 when my Dad moved out, and 6 when the divorce was final. This was during the 70's, so my Mom got full custody and we saw Dad for dinner once a week. He was not involved, never came to our sports games, practices, c...	Maybe it's better for her to know what her father really is like and what she can and cannot expect from him.
How to help my 10-year-old daughter who is upset because her dad is not in her life? The last time my 10-year-old daughter saw her dad she was 6. He would come and see her whenever he had time or when he wanted to show off to his friends that he is a dad. When I got married, he started tripping, because my husband ...	Your daughter has a problem, which she feels only a "real" dad would solve. Spend some time alone with your daughter, helping her out with homework, or doing the shopping and ask her what's bothering her. I would start by making certain that she knows Perhaps she feels she cannot confide in you, so the crying is a mani...
giving birth at home-- how to deal with an older child? we're expecting our second child and -- as with number one -- we're planning on staying at home for child labour and birth. I have a good midwife and there's no medical reason to go to a hospital. There's another issue though that we need to tackle: Our first ch...	Friends and family are obvious choices but we lived far away from family at the time.
How to deal with my 5-year-old son who has ADD/ADHD and constantly misbehaves? We live in Texas. My child is 5 years old and an only child. I was a single mom up until 10 months ago. From the age of 9 months until 3 months ago I was the only one caring for and raising my child. We recently moved back to the city wher...	Your son's school might be able to arrange for a psychological assessment. If the diagnosis was made by a a professional whose specialty is ADHD, it is likely correct, but if it was your family doctor or someone with minimal knowledge and exposure to it, it could be wrong.
How should I tell my 8-year old not to put the shop-vac hose in their mouth? What should I tell my 8-year old who thinks that it is amusing to stick the shop-vac hose in their mouth? For the record, I took it away and said if they did that again, they don't get to help with vacuuming. (We were doing pretty good as a t...	If your child had been putting a sharp knife or a blowtorch or something obviously dangerous in their mouth, I'm sure your discussion with him/her would have been more emphatic and clear...and the kid would have stopped. If the vacuum were to be turned on while the hose were in his mouth, he could very possibly suffoca...
If a pregnant woman's tummy is pressed hard, can the baby in her womb get hurt? I am 22 weeks in my pregnancy and my baby does kick and stretch at times. Yesterday he poke a limb/head/butt out on my tummy which I could see a firm lump. I showed my friend, and she pressed on the lump quite hard , causing the lump slowly...	A baby in the womb is quite well-protected, it takes a hard fall - the kind which injures mum - to injure the baby: There is no need to worry unduly about minor falls.
How to encourage a 2 year old toddler to complete colouring a sketch? The baby is 2 years 3 months old. She is utterly interested in drawing. She has now been put in a playschool where I was told that she will be given homework regarding colouring pictures. I have noticed that the colouring books meant for small child...	So to answer your question, the best way to encourage them to complete a colouring sketch: don't, let them find their own encouragement. Protect her from outside demands from foolish preschool teachers. Giving torso'ed character t-shirts and other clothing items is a good way to do this.
How/Should I deal with the playschool teacher who makes the toddler colour by holding her hand? Why should I be hell bent on educating my toddler when she's going to learn the stuff anyways when she grows up? 4 year old refuses to color Considering that the answers linked above say that we should not force the c...	And, apparently, you have little power over the teacher, so it seems likely that you won't achieve your goal and will anger the teacher. I would not intervene further for now, and await how the situation develops .
Preparing toddlers to sleep in a hotel room My two toddlers love to play together. At bedtime, when we have them together for the quiet part of bedtime (pajamas, story, lullabies), they wind up bouncing off the walls. And the bed, each other, us, etc. This is okay at home, as they have separate bedrooms. We're plan...	It's not the worst thing if they get a little scared at night and decide to snuggle together. Have children sleep with heads on opposite ends of the bed. Relax a little on the rules.
Is thumbsucking bad for a toddler? My 3.5 year old has the habit of thumb sucking since he was an infant. Is it OK if he keeps the habit or is it bad for him in any way? <Q> Hmm. <S> My son asked me the same thing this week. <S> I wrote him this. <S> "Most children should grow out of thumb sucking and pacifier use ...	I would suggest they go to the dentist to determine if harm is being done, otherwise, don't worry about it. As long as the habit is discontinued well before their permanent teeth come in, your child should be fine.
Moving to US with a 5 year old child We are considering moving to US with our only 5 years old daughter. We are likely to get a L-kind of visa to secure our stay for 1-2 years. None of us is a native English speaker. Parents do speak English, the child does only know a few English words though, as she has been taught ...	As for preparing, instead of videos in English, I would recommend you read 1 English kids/baby book for her a couple of times a week, and helped her translate. Check out the schools and their attitude. it might be beneficial to look at private schools, and I would personally recommend a good Montessori school.
What should I get (if anything) for friend's daughter's 1st Birthday party? First of all, I'm not a parent myself, so I hope I'm not running afoul of any rules or anything. Hopefully I can tap into some of the experience here of those who are. I've not been to any kid birthday parties since I've been one, lol. But my ...	You can explain that you have never been to a first birthday and you are unsure whether gifts are "done" at such an occasion, or can just ask what gift you should bring. We asked them not to bring gifts as our son already got plenty of things from us, our family and close friends. For a one year old I think rattlers wi...
My 5-year-old son freaks over shower time! My 5-year-old son freaks out about washing of any kind. He doesn't seem to be worried about going in the pool or bath, but just mention that it's shower/bath time he goes totally ballistic - the temper comes screaming and kicking. He really hates it when the water touches ...	This can be addressed by either using swimmer's gear to plug the ears while showering; or leaning/teaching to carefully hold the water under shower stream in a way that water doesn't enter the ear. Change the jet settings on the shower head.
What is a good system of organizing toys? I would like to decrease the toy chaos and make it simpler to involve my 20 month old daughter in picking up her toys, without creating a system that is too complicated. We currently have 6 small bins/boxes in our living room for toys and books. Each night I end up throwing ...	Mostly, sort toys (outside Lego and soft and books) by size. Make putting away fun by singing a song or offering a reward for when you are finished ("Quickly, if we pick the blocks up now we can read a story!")
When should I start using my frozen stash of breastmilk? I am not sure when I should start using my freezer stash... I am an over producer and am pumping more milk than my baby is consuming, so while I am at work I leave bottles of fresh milk for him and freeze the rest. My freezer stash is getting out of control and I...	You should also verify from time to time that frozen milk is still acceptable to your child.
From what age should I require the child to speak the foreign language which I want her to learn? Considering: Should I make my child respond to me in my language? and Enforcing minority languages at home The child is currently 2 years 4 months old. I speak to her in foreign language X. Other people speak to her in n...	Speaking to your child (even if they respond in a different language) helps them think in a second language. In my usual Zen approach, I think that trying to force the issue is unlikely to work, as it will just create antagonism.
My 6 year old son does not listen when I tell him to stop something immediately. Should I beat him? At times when I ask my son to stop doing something immediately he does not stop. Should I beat him in that case? I know the answer might be no but I need an alternative in which he listens and stops doing when I tell him...	: Tell him that if he doesn't stop immediately then you will take some action. Keep telling him to look at you until he does so. : Tell him that what he is doing is wrong/dangerous/unacceptable/rude.
Calculating gestational age of a baby Does "gestational age" of an unborn child count from the first day of the last menstrual period of the mother? <Q> In the absence of reasons to use another date, yes, the first day of the last menstrual period is used. <S> There are cases where this is inaccurate, for example wom...	Gestational age, or the age of the baby, is calculated from the first day of the mother’s last menstrual period.
Split-religion parents, should we baptize our children Christianity, aside from it's appearance in bad light the past couple of years, has a lot of meaningful values. It teaches children to control their emotions through telling stories. The knowledge of the story of Jesus will support the history courses they'll be ta...	If you must force your child to believe through any means, then your child is not yet a believer.
Why is the 'floor is lava' game so ubiquitious? It seems that the 'floor is lava' game (game is to not touch the floor, the children must get around by climbing on furniture instead) is developed by most children. My question is how it is so many children know this exact same game. One argument would be that it is ...	Naturally, unsafe floor is far better imagined than real, although kids are known for accidents while deliberately balancing or climbing over uneven terrain. In the same way that the cracks in the pavement harbour bears and water might be crocodile infested despite neither being native to our country there appears to b...
Mom too worried with germs and disease I've a six month old baby. He's very healthy. My girlfriend (his mom)is literally terrified by the "dirt, germs, bacteria, and viruses" and anyillness they could cause. So..just to name a few, she wash child hands constantly when other adults touch them. She wash floors and baby ...	Babies/children build up their immune systems by being exposed to germs and dirt.
Which language should we speak to our child if we have different mother languages? Me and my husband have different mother languages. We are having a baby. Which language should we speak to baby, mine or my husband? We are living in my husband country not my country. <Q> It's a great opportunity to teach your child bot...	Especially since you are living in your husband's country, this is a great opportunity to teach your child your language, so that they will be able to communicate with your parents and learn more of your culture. The simplest answer is whatever works for you!

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