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What are some of the risks to a child of a divorce going to trial? Mediation is faster and less expensive but not possible in cases when one or both of the parents are being unreasonable. What are some of the common and less common risks to a child of 6 years of a case going to court, other than the money paid to lawye...	Since the child doesn't know whether the divorce is settled through mediation or trial, that by itself doesn't seem likely to affect the child, though if mediation indicates that the parents have a better relationship, that might marginally benefit the child. Usually a trial is expensive enough that you can give a lot ...
My mum is very intrusive I have a relatively problematic situation with my mum that I can't really talk about to somebody. As long as I remember my mum and me had (at least most of the time) a good relation to each other. I'm 21 years old now, after I finished school two years ago, I moved to a larger city (about 150k...	You don't need to tell her; just stop answering except at those times.
How to deal with a 20-month-old demanding to be picked up all the time? Our 20-month-old constantly demands that we pick him up, usually only when we are at home. Once picked up he will normally direct us into the kitchen where he will point at foods etc. that he wants to touch/taste/smell or other interesting objects....	You could instead of carrying him everywhere help him "walking" there, so that he can explore a bit himself. At that age kids still need heavy supervision, but you could sit down with him and show him toys, touch them, smell them. Pick him up when it's not inconvenient - he's almost certainly learning useful informatio...
How to teach a 4 year old about religion in a non-religious household Both my wife and I are non-religious and identify as non-believers. Our son goes to a church of england school, and today, has been sent home with a bible and has been told he is to read a passage, and then draw a picture of what he thinks about whil...	If you want to teach him to respect the right of all people to hold beliefs that differ from yours, speak to and about his teachers with respect and kindness.
How to make my 18-year-old son get a job while in college? My 18-year-old son has just entered college as a freshman. He has a workstudy as part of his scholarship and he has been hesitant following up on job leads. Beyond baby sitting a few kids in our neighborhood, he hasn't really worked most of his life. He show...	If you able to convince him with real life example it will be excellent. It's possible he just doesn't see higher academics as vital to the process of pursuing what he really wants to do in life, and all the pressure to be what others expect is working inversely toward his goals. Give him time to cope up or adjust or d...
The human moments - the bigger picture Not a specific situation, but how do you help your child with the moments in which either 1. You've made a mistake, or 2. Someone else in their life has, that affects them.Again, not about the specifics, but as a few examples of those moments -when you've lost your temper an...	I would say that the appropriate course would be to point out what was exactly wrong in your behaviour and why (depending on the age, you can try to elicit the answer from the child first) and to apologise accordingly.
5 year-old is feeling charitable, but how do I help with direction? Background My 5 year-old god-son recently revealed to me that he likes to help others, and in particular, when I gave him some money to buy himself a treat, he wanted to give the leftover money to the store to be nice and help out. Naturally, I want ...	Every Christmas since my oldest grandson was born we always go thru his toys and he has to decide what he wants to give to a boy that is less fortunate than us.
3 year old not even close to being potty trained My son will be 3 in a few weeks and I am concerned about his total lack of interest in potty training. He refuses to sit on the potty (the big one and little one). How will he possibly train if he won't even sit down on the pot? Do I have reason for concern? Will he just...	Some children are faster and some are slower; I wouldn't worry about the timing. Normally, they will do it when they are ready. What we did, because we are a technology family, was when they were potty trained, they got go out with their mom and dad - alone - no other kids - have a nice dinner and then pick out a new c...
How do I punish my 4-year-old for biting at school? My 4-year-old daughter got in trouble for biting today at school. She's been struggling behaviorally in school for a while now. I'm not sure if it's appropriate to take toys and TV from her and if so how long? I'm just sort of at my wits' end in general and I'm worrie...	Give her the tools to handle frustration now, and she'll be a much better person for it - and hopefully lessen, or stop, the biting incidents. Then you need to work with your daughter to react in an appropriate way. At four, there's not a lot of point in "later" punishments. You need as much information as you can get ...
Can having a computer game temporarily go blank when kids are too loud have adverse emotional effects? There is a very popular question where a father says: My kids (4 and 5) yell a lot when playing games on the computer. I found an effective cure for this. When I hear loud noises, I [remotely] turn off the screen...	If that is not possible (because such mechanism is almost impossible to implement on flash games), make the computer display a flashing warning and a beep sound that tells the child to be quiet, but make sure this does not interfere or inhibit gameplay. Additionally, the child could be smart and realise from other chil...
What methods can be used to improve handwriting? My son is 5yo and has recently started kindergarten. I would like to help him practice his handwriting but find he gets rather bored just copying letters I write for him. He does a little better when he tells me a phrase, I write it, and he copies it, but I'd like to fin...	By writing, I will assume you mean printing, but if you do mean cursive writing, then tracing loops and swirls and circles and lines also help. Listen to music, make the experience fun.
My 3-year-old screams and smashes his forehead on the floor when he doesn't get what he wants. How can I stop this? Every few days, my little guy won't get his way on something trivial and decides to throw a fit. He lets out a piercing scream, drops flat, then deliberately smashes his forehead on the floor as hard as h...	If your son does this repeatedly and on purpose, as you write, I believe he needs professional help. Of course, may be there is no such problem, and your son is just a bit more temperamental than usual. Please consider taking him to some kind of counseling, psychologist, or similar to discuss these problems. There may ...
How should staff deal with loud children in oral surgeon office lobby? I am the office manager at an oral surgeon's office and the staff is telling me that there is a problem with the patients being annoyed by loud children in the lobby. This is when the patient is in the lobby and in the room with the doctor. What s...	If the office expects a lot of children, some inexpensive things to keep children busy can be very helpful.
How to encourage 2 year old to co-operate How do you persuade a 2yo to co-operate more? Specifically I'd like my daughter to get dressed calmly into her pyjamas with my help. Currently our bedtime routine involves: Read story while drinking milk (she does this calmly) Brush teeth (most of the time she allows us to ...	Once you establish something she is willing to put effort into receiving, you make it clear that the treat comes only if there is enough time before scheduled bedtime.
My 12 month old won't sleep at night My son is 12 months old & cries in his sleep every night, he doesn't fully wake up, just cries, it happens maybe every hour some times maybe even half an hour and he basically does bed aerobics...he has slept during the day before for a solid 3-4 however hours without any crying it'...	She had night terrors and we found that very low soothing sounds worked for her. I offered water during the night when she woke up.
What risks are there to a baby finding and eating marbles? Sometimes my son leaves marbles around and my baby eats them. We already found 3 in her poo. Is this poison or is this ok? <Q> Glass marbles are not poisonous, but: They are often painted, and the paints can have unwanted chemicals (such as lead). <S> They ...	Marbles are not poisonous (anything that's made for kids to play with is generally required to be made of safe material) but marbles are a choking hazard, so I would strongly suggest you make sure your baby doesn't swallow any more. Also, as mentioned, can be choking hazard. Monitor her for breathing difficulties, inab...
Assessing behavioural difficulties in toddler How would a behavioral specialist assess behavioural traits for a stubborn 18 month old toddler who cannot speak yet ? Will the exercise even get to the root of the problem or even achieve desired results ? <Q> Research has found that ASD can sometimes be detected at 18 mo...	The specialist would develop a Behavior Intervention Plan that describes in detail the behavior change that is desired and how to achieve that change. Highly trained behavioral specialists do assess children as young as 18 months, e.g. that's a recommended first age to screen for autism. It will look at what happens be...
How to encourage a six-year-old to habitually drink more fluids? My six-year-old has never had much interest in drinking fluids, and has recently had problems with passing faeces (i.e. constipation), which will not have been helped by this inattention to drinking. We provide water with every meal (as a family we gener...	Offer high-water content fruits as snacks (watermelon, citrus). For example, some parents contribute a box of water bottles to the class, so that each child has a reusable water bottle, labeled with the child's name, to use when there's a snack or water break. What helped for her was gamifying her water intake. Let her...
Couple separated 18 months ago (irremediably), sharing custody of two children. Good or bad idea to share weekend experience together with the kids? My brother and his ex-wife separated a year and a half ago. They are both over it and would never get back together. They have a 12-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy who...	This will also help the children in later life as it will help them see that sometimes, you can be friends with someone you used to be more with, something very few people seem to get in my experience. Obviously there are some decisions that a child can't be involved in -- such as whether to separate, whether to live t...
My 11 year-old daughter wants to create a Facebook account My daughter wants me to create a Facebook account for her; I told her no. But I didn't really think about what she wanted me to do for her. I have Facebook and she sees me on it all the time, so she wants an account. I dont know if its ok for n 11 year-old to h...	Tell her, how important it is to be trustworthy - follow the rules of Facebook, and follow the rules in general. If it is against the rules on Facebook and your child is asking you as a parent to lie or cheat for her, the answer has to be no. When my daughter asked for a Facebook account, I said yes, and sat with her a...
How do I explain to my five year old daughter that I am seeing someone? My daughters father and I broke up 2 years ago. I am now dating a wonderful man who I am very happy with, but I am not sure how to explain this to my five year old daughter. She is very good friends with his daughter and has met him before when the...	However, I believe that if you're truly happy and it's a great fit for you, him and all the kids, I honestly don't think that there would need to be a 'sit down' session to make an announcement that you're dating - it would just be implied by the way you all smile at one another, sincerely enjoy each others company, et...
What can I do to help my kid attain a high Intelligence? My daughter is 3 months old and has started responding to my and my partner's voices. We talk to her in different languages, play soft classical music, show her how to use her hand, and do all other stuff that keep her interested. While not substantiated, we beli...	Show your child that you read and question news and information. Presumably, provide a stable, loving environment and don't leave your baby crying alone in a room all night. Providing a loving and supportive environment will provide the platform for her to become her best. Children that are play musical instruments suc...
How do I train a toddler to bite and chew food? My child is 2 years 8 months and he doesn't chew and bite food. He eats porridge and drinks milk. The solid food he will accept is a cheese tart, but he doesn't bite it, just swallows it. He also only likes the inner cheese and eats it off of a spoon. How do I train hi...	Do it with food that he likes if it is mashed so that taste is not the problem.
Do you give gifts to your child's teachers and caregivers? My 16 year old wants to give her teachers Christmas gifts. She is in 10th grade, so there are quite a number of teachers. As a retired teacher, I do not think teachers need gifts. I would have loved a card or note with a comment or appreciative remarks. I taug...	A teacher accepting gifts from students may raise suspicions that the students are buying favors, such as good grades or just some leniency.
How can I motivate a 13-year-old girl to take better care of her appearance? Unlike most of the teenagers, my 13-year-old niece doesn't care about her appearance at all. She does what is necessary hygiene - shover, teeth brushing - but not a bit more. She wears sweatpants and/or different really bright colors together...	If you want her to focus more on her appearance, you're asking her to come to your level of reasoning. Taking her to a spa will backfire: she will interpret that as you don't love her for who she is. It sounds like not only she doesn't have anyone to teach her about looks, is sound like she may be handling her schoolwo...
My two-year-old wets through his diaper at night, what to do? My two-year-old son has lately been urinating a lot in his diaper at night, to the point that it is completely full in the morning and if we don't change it right as he gets up the urine he's been holding in because the diaper is full will soon come out and ...	You also night want to try diaper pads.
How much crying/tantrum is normal for a 2-year-old starting daycare? My child had a rough start to daycare a couple of months ago, where he vomited for the first few days and seemed like he would never settle. He eventually started staying for half a day, though he rarely ate or slept there. But through all this he was...	Please don't punish him(for few days,till he settles down at day care) for acting out. Give him as much snuggles and love as you can, so that he knows that he is loved and not being deserted. Whenever you drop him off, SMILE and say bye.
Should I financially assist my child in paying for college? In Short I’m wondering if there is any research to support the idea that paying for a child to attend college leads to a more desirable outcome than allowing them to pay their own way (either via working, via scholarships, or via student loans). This could b...	I am all for helping your children with this if you have the resources, but only if they are committed to their education too. If you can afford it, you might put enough away to take some of the burden off of them, while still depending on them to do some work to avoid debt.
Can I put my infant to sleep downstairs and then move him in the crib? When bedtime is getting near, at about 7pm, for our 6 week old baby, can we keep him downstairs with us (with conversation and regular lighting), swaddled and rocking until he goes into a deep sleep, and then put him in bed? Or do we need to take...	Any way you can get an infant to sleep on time is a good way. If you are comfortable and confident, flexible and attuned to your child's needs, that's a great start.
5 year old defers going to the toilet until it is almost late My 5 year old son does not want to go to the toilet even if he has bowel movements and later he has to hurry. Occasionally he even poops to his pants (recently it happened to him in the kindergarden).You can easily recognize that he has bowel movements becau...	When you see him squimmin and squirmin then make him go to the potty, dont ask.
Should I let my adult daughter know that I am her biological father? My daughter is 33 years old. She has grown up in a normal loving family and knows me as both a family friend and godparent. Her parents had fertility issues so I helped them have a child. All parents know. I believe she has a right to know the truth...	I agree that your daughter has a right to know and that it would help alleviate some of he worries, but telling her without at least one parent's firm approval is not going to be good for the family dynamic you want to build.
How can I explain the concept of strike (labor strike) to a 6 years old? My daughter is 6 years old, and going to primary school. Sometimes there is a strike, meaning no school. (sometimes the teachers are going on a strike, sometimes the municipality itself, doesn't really matter.) Naturally, she is asking why there ...	Explain it simply and let her ask questions where she wants to know more.
How can I forget children toys riffs? Our 7 month old daughter is starting to play with toys that play music. Some of them play pieces of songs, often sung with children's voices. They are cool, but after a while the repeating riffs get stuck in our minds. My wife and I found each other singing those songs while doing ...	To encourage a love of music, play actual songs with more complex and longer structure, which will be less annoying. Chewing gum could turn off annoying ‘earworms' Without any scientific evidence to back this up, I'd say children are better off sometimes when you remove the batteries. If it persists beyond the time whe...
How can I make my baby try and talk Is there a way which will encourage babies to try and talk words? I have tried talking to my baby girl a lot of times, but that doesn't seem to help She is 1 year old I just want to check if I can get some tips <Q> I would say that there are a few things you can do that might hel...	In my experience, repeating what the baby is babbling helps them to know communication. Music is also a fabulous way to have fun during a language lesson.
How can I teach a child fire is dangerous? It's my son's birthday and we decided to light some candles, but they can't stand still without him trying to take them and we don't know what he wants to do. Basically we don't ever light any fires, and so he knows nothing about fire. He does fathom other stuff when you tel...	Also, only let him near it under supervision ( Read: don't burn the house down ), and make sure he won't get hurt too badly from it. Sometimes children see something they want, and saying no to them just will make them want it even more. There are lots of hot things besides fire: coffee, frying pans, stove tops, boilin...
What's the best way to deal with a toddler who cries/paddies when she doesn't get her own way? I have non-identical twin girls, 22 months old. One of them will cry when she doesn't get her own way and she'll do it fairly quickly even if she is in a good mood. For example, if she wants a particular toy that her siste...	Try distracting, try hugging, try teaching her to verbalize (it's early yet, but an emotional vocabulary will prevent a world of problems later), try - after everything else- letting her cry it out and getting it out of her system, then resume as if nothing happened. I recommend you make a book or poster with different...
21mo escaping crib and sleep regression So my little dude has been having a bit of trouble going to bed for about a week. Instead of just plopping down and nodding off when we place him in the crib, he would whimper and whinny for a few minutes before simmering down. Then lo and behold, we hear a ton of crying through ...	Every couple of months, you can make another attempt to put him back in his own bedroom.
How to encourage 9 year old to stop whining and independently practice their math? I live with my 9 year old cousin who dislikes and has been doing poorly in math. (New Canadian education system likes to have "no homework" because apparently this will be good and reduce stress in kids, but math like other skills requir...	There are many games that encourage maths and sciences. Try to show him the fun parts of being a "scientist" and try to give him something to learn in his spare time about his future dream job. Please don't force him to study more than neccessary, a lot of children stop having fun in school altogether because they are ...
What age should you start enforcing board game rules? I have a few younger nephews that enjoy playing board games. Some obey the rules and actually want to play the real game but some younger ones just want to play "their own game". I know that teaching a kid too young simply won't work but what age is the norm for co...	It is important that children learn early, that they have to cope with other people and that includes rules and agreements, and there is no age limit of this, even if the younger ones won't get it from the beginning, they will learn how this works relatively soon.
Should a parent stop "destructive play"? When playing with some younger nephews they like to destroy things that people have made such as a tower of blocks, drawings someone made, etc. They do so because they find it funny and probably like to see us all laugh. Again they are young, around 3 yrs old, so is there a ce...	Destructive play is fine as long as it's ok to destroy the object in question. As kids get older and start to understand taking turns, respecting boundaries and other people's feelings, explanation can take over as the primary method of preventing unwanted destruction.
At what age should parent of opposite sex stop taking their children to changing room? Say it's a public changing room of a swimming pool. From what age should a father stop bringing his daughter into males room with him? (Is it different for mother-son?) I know it's probably very culturally dependent, so please say w...	I don't know if there are really laws for that, but there are laws for harassment, that give an upper limit to taking your kids into a changing room.
My friend's kids are a bad influence on my children My husband and I have a couple friend who has two children ages 5 (boy) and 2.5 (girl). We have a 3.5-year-old son and a 20-month-old girl. The two families get together quite often. The parents have similar interests etc. The mom is literally one of my best frien...	Well, besides enforcing your rules in your home, which is already said here, you should definitely talk to your friend and say them openly, that their kids are about to turn into assholes and your friend needs to stop that, if she cares the slightest about their children. You are a parent and as much as you love your f...
How to have quality time with my god daughter without her father getting jealous? I Have an adorable 15 month old god daughter my friend conceived via donor sperm. I was supportive of her mother's pregnancy and was named god father before she was born. I love all kids, and particularly find my god daughter to be adora...	You might talk to your friend first to see how she feels about you talking to her husband.
17 Year Old Moving Out or Staying Home? I'm 17 years old, progressing through High School and a local ATC. I have had some typical "Grr teenager" problems in the past that I really think I've moved past. I don't get into big fights with my parents, although I do have heated conversations with them from time to time. ...	You have to be mature enough to decide if you are truly willing to give up parental support and understand that if you leave, they do not have to pick up the pieces if you fail. You could try a middle ground, at least until you're 18 --
How do I deal with the father of my child hating my parents? Some backstory The father of my child - I'll call him Bob - and I met when I was a freshman in college. We dated for 4 years and in that time he never got along with my parents. They were either "demeaning" or "disrespectful" and I had quite a few fights wit...	If Bob cannot keep his personal beef with your parents separate from his parenting, and remain civil (we're really talking the most basic of the basics here) in his co-parenting with you, I strongly doubt he has much motivation to be the loving father you'd like for your daughter.
How to deal with kids that bully my kids? It was made known to me that my daughter's classmate is being racist and is bullying her at school. I've asked the principal to meet with the parent. We've met but the parent is also racist. The principal think it's still harmless because the said bully haven't hurt my kid phys...	Ask the school to share bullying information. Remind your child that if she sees someone being bullied, the fastest 'cure' to to stand beside them.
Children and Cell phones How young is too young to have a cell phone? My 11 year old spends weekends away from mom and I need to keep in touch. <Q> If you can make sure that your child has no unsupervised internet access, and can only call and receive calls from people approved by you, and not use it unless you need th...	I think 11 is fine for a cell phone. Our kids got phones when they started middle school (11 years old), since that's when they were frequently taking buses, staying after school for activities, visiting friends, etc.
Do I have to worry about my 2-year-old son's social skill? it might be nothing but since I am observant I came to notice a few things: my son goes to daycare 5 days a week, and it's been for more than one year, still he feels uneasy on Monday and cried a while before calming down. He is a little shy and reluctant to ...	To understand your feelings and feelings of others you need to name your feelings in front of the child. Boys usually mature more slowly than girls, both with verbal and social skills. No you don't have to worry, the things you describe are normal for up to 4 or 5 year olds. The only way to really solve this one is to ...
Visiting my mother causes problems for me. How can I handle her behavior and attitude better? My mom has a puppy dog, who is a lot of fun and I enjoy taking on walks. However, he’s not very well trained and tends to chew things up. On a number of occasions he has taken my shoes and hid them or chewed on them. My mom to...	So a quick solution would be: Buy super cheap shoes you don't care about. Instead, focus on your own life as an independent adult, limit your time at your parents' home, and don't view this as a failing on either your or your parents' part. Carry an extra bag for your shoes that can also hang. When I was in my twenties...
How to persuade toddler to wear pullup nappies? Our 2.5yo is currently going through potty training. She wears normal nappies and this is a little problematic as the velcro strips don't last long when they are repeatedly taken on and off again. Plus putting them back on in public loos without a changing table is awkwa...	This will depend on your child, and the exact reasons for not wanting pullup nappies. Instead, have her hang out with some older kids who've already progressed past it. Of course, if you cannot persuade her, you may need to put your foot down, and introduce some consequences. Your child will learn and if you make it po...
Soft drinks, at which age I should let child to drink My 4 years old daughter like to drink Coca-Cola and when her grandpa was around she was permitted to drink 100-200ml of carbonated drinks. Should I forbid her drinking soft drinks? What could be appropriate age to consume carbonated or soft drinks? What should be pe...	So I'd not forbid them, but I wouldn't routinely stock the house with such items. It would be best to think of sugary drinks like candy - a treat to be enjoyed once in a while.
At which age do I let my daughters wear makeup? My toddlers (daughters) like to wear nail polish and lipstick. It is because I wore them in front of my daughters. Normally I like to do my manicure and pedicure out-of sight of children which currently is not possible. If wearing lipstick and nail polish are not appropri...	That being said: I would never tell my child to not wear make up as soon as she is old enough to buy it herself and if she doesn't overuse it. I'd be concerned with them chewing off the polish, but as many adults do it, I bet it isn't that big of a health risk. My mum wore makeup and the only time I did was on Hallowe'...
How do I tell my nine year old that his dad isn't his dad and that his biological father died before he was born? My son's biological father passed away when I was three months pregnant. My now husband stepped into the picture when my son was eight months old. My son has always known my husband as his dad but I feel be...	The best thing would be if your husband would tell him with you. From your son's point of view, his dad is his dad. You answer any and all questions honestly, even the hard ones.
How to help my 5th grader learn math with me? My daughter is in 5th Grade and makes silly mistakes while adding, subtracting, etc. I also found she doesn't take any interest in math and doesn't apply any logic when solving problems. She is not vocal about what she doesn't understand and that makes me angry while teachi...	Tell her, she does not have to be perfect or fast but it is a life skill to do some maths. Never tell her, her mistakes are silly. End every lesson on a positive note. And when the teaching relationship between parent and child has broken down for whatever reason, it can help to hit the reset button by bringing in outs...
How will parents fighting affect kids? This is about a 2-year-old child. His parents scream and shout at each other frequently - like thrice a week. How will this affect the toddler? <Q> I'm going to assume that these aren't domestic abuse but loud disagreements of a more or less civil nature. <S> Witnessing domestic a...	If their people shout at each other it should be expected that the kid will try it too, and since that is generally not tolerated in kids they may get frustrated.
Is it a bad idea to have a kid sleep in his/her own room since birth? In some cultures, it seems a child should have his/her own room since birth, as long as it's economically feasible. In others, this seems to be universally criticized by parents and educators alike and deemed psychological abuse of the child. Educat...	It is recommended that infants sleep in the parents’ room, close to the parents’ bed, but on a separate surface designed for infants, ideally for the first year of life, but at least for the first 6 months. Children are loved and cared for and we all want what is best for them. No, there's nothing particularly good or ...
At what age can you detect hearing problems in infants My baby girl is 4 weeks old. The midwife that delivered her told us that it is very difficult to test the baby's hearing while they are too young. Out of curiosity, I have attempted some tests on my own by making sounds on either side of the infant's head to try an...	There is a common screening test that they do with the infant within a few days of birth that can test their hearing without needing observable feedback from the infant (i.e. the startle test or similar); in fact, there are two, the Otoacoustic Emission test ( OAE ) and the Auditory Brainstem Response test ( ABR ).
How to tackle sugar addiction My toddlers like to have ice-cream, candy, sweet, and high sugar cookies. I just worried it could lead to sugar addiction. What are persuasive techniques to reduce sugar intake? <Q> There is an old Indian story: <S> A lady and her son went to a monk asking about her son's sugar problem....	Avoid always buying a chocolate bar after going swimming. If you want to eat something sweet, buy it, eat it, and be done with it. No joke - don't underestimate how easy it is to say "There are no more cookies" instead of saying "No, you already had 3 cookies, you can't have any more". Avoid having food with you when g...
Is it ok if a newborn sleeps on his side? Everyone says that newborns should sleep on their backs, but when I swaddle my newborn and lay him down in the bassinet, he immediately rolls to one side or the other. Is that ok (I guess from a SIDS risk perspective) or is it just as bad as letting a newborn sleep on his stoma...	So if your baby is starting to roll over on to her tummy while she sleeps, that is a strong sign that it’s time to stop swaddling your baby.
Why aren't pacifiers used to stop infants from crying in airplanes? WebMD says that Parents have relied on pacifiers for ages to calm crying infants. However, pretty much every time I fly in an airplane, there is one child screaming (and screaming) a few seats away. I've never heard children starting to scream an...	Using the pacifier too many times when the baby clearly doesn't want it and you will actually increase the crying. No, pacifiers don't always work. Additionally, some parents avoid them for their own reasons.
How to help my 4-year-old son who has a stuffy nose but doesn't understand yet how to blow his nose? My 4-year-old son just started to get sick and he has lot of snot in his nose. He doesn't quite understand how to blow his nose yet, but when he tries he gags. Is there anything that I can do for him without having to g...	In addition, boiling water/showering and breathing in the steam is helpful, but I would not recommend it for just 4 years old, as it may be a safety hazard. You can also protest the nostrils by applying a bit of vaseline or bacitracin to the outside and underside of the nose.
Why does my daughter spin around for fun? My 20 months old daughter is in very good shape and is growing very well. She has discovered how to play the music sound system and we are listening to the same record over and over again. In the course of these moments, sometimes she starts enjoying it very much to the point ...	Spinning actually produces a state of ecstasy. Kids are not inhibited by social norms that might make them feel they look silly, so they have no restraints to prevent them from enjoying this form of mood-elevation. She just discovers that mysterious phenomena happen not only in external world, but also in her own body,...
6yo son doesn't want to return to mother after scheduled contact Me and my wife have separated and are going through a divorce, we have two boys, 6 and 2, currently I only get to see the eldest. He stays with me from Friday evening until Sunday evening. I usually pick him up at 18:00, I live about 90 mins to 2 hours aw...	It feels "normal" to me that a 6yo prefers to stay at his Dad's place during a weekend than his Mom's place during weekdays, and this may have nothing to do with Mom and Dad. If at all amicable with his mom, perhaps you can alter the time a little bit for his drop off. Giving him some choice and power in a situation th...
Strong-willed, 14 year old. Caught with e-cigarette paraphernalia and a condom My 14yr old son, youngest of 4 (other 3 are triplets), has always been a very strong-willed kid. Over the years we have been able to channel that will thru his love of soccer. He plays a very competitive level. About 6 months ago, his D...	There are set consequences for breaking the rules. You can explain that parenting is a huge responsibility and that even when you try your best, you make mistakes. If you don't approve of sex at this age, make sure he knows that. For the e-cigarette, most of the time anger, fear and punishment are not viable solutions ...
What are age appropriate projects for 5-year-old interested in electronics? I have a 5-year-old boy who's very into electronics and Ghostbusters in particular. So far, I've had pretty good luck with snap circuits. We started to build a homemade Ghostbuster Proton Pack but it only sounds exciting to him in theory, he'd...	Keep his interest up with simple, quick projects, where he can see results quickly. I highly recommend LINK - Meccano , though I imagine a trip to your local toy store will offer you many options. You can also build electronics on fabric with products like adafruit: https://www.adafruit.com/circuitplayground Not only i...
Both parents are exhausted from 6.5 month old child waking up every hour at night Our 6.5 month old used to sleep well; put up/put down. She'd fall asleep on her own at around 8pm only to wake up once for feeding. She would then wake up around 5:30am to then be held to sleep till 7:00am (the last part I don't know why)...	There needs to be a space for each partner to get uninterrupted sleep for a few hours at a time. If this is new behavior, your child may be experiencing a sleep regression. This is not a long-term fix, but if you can break the pattern, that can be the difference maker. She may be hungry and need something more substant...
How to make my 8-year-old son repay for a broken item? My eight-year-old son mistreated an iPad and broke a screen protector. It was an accident but very easily preventable. Had the impact been much worse, it would have been ruined. The way I was raised - and still much believe - is that the relatively small cash valu...	Allow him to decide what amount to give you until it's paid. Or, he pays for total replacement and loses the device for theshortest amount of time. He's old enough to understand he won't be using the item again until it's properly protected. If you are feeling like charging him isn't the way to go, you might give him a...
Is it necessary to cut a baby's hair? I don't have a child but I've always told myself that I won't cut my baby's hair when I do have one. My family and everyone else keep telling me all these stories about how the baby will get sick or have a big head or whatever. Personally, I think it's made up but I just need some ...	There's no reason to cut your child's hair - particularly not for reasons of them having a "big head". On this topic, you definitely don't need to.
How do I explain to my 3-year-old the difference between biological dad and step-dad? My son is 3 1/2 years old. I have been separated from his biological father since he was 6 months old and when my son was 1 1/2 years old, I met my new partner. We are now engaged and have been living together for over a year as a f...	You could tell him there is a difference between the Daddy
What are the non stimulating games that can be played before bedtime to keep the kid engaged? Kid is 4 year old. I want her to feel sleepy before bedtime so that it becomes easy for us to put her to bed. Problem is if I do not engage her in some non-stimulating activity, she keeps on jumping and running around. Yes, I...	Whisper/quiet voice time. Also, I like to lower the lights of the house to indicate it's more quiet time. Even very young children can learn to meditate. Games that demands thinking like puzzles.
Is it okay for a child to focus on one toy type? My 4 (almost 5) year old daughter is currently on a kick with baby dolls. It's all she wants to play with at the moment. She wants to take her dolls to the park, for example, and play with them rather than engage with other kids that might be there. My wife thinks it's a...	Like @Willow says, get her interested in building things for her dolls. If you don't make a big deal out of it, you may find she moves on to something else, all on her own. Children go through phases like this all the time, where they get obsessed with one thing.
Helping teenage son to get over his crush Our teenage son (17) likes this girl, but he allegedly doesn't have chances with her (*). While we do think that this is something he has to deal with himself, it did affect his mood visibly over the past few days. He's less happy and optimistic than he normally is, and it's ra...	He just needs someone to talk to and be supportive. Get him out there into the world, have him find something to get excited about.
2 year old won't let us clip toenails Our daughter is 22 months old. She absolutely HATES getting her toenails clipped. If we ask, she immediately says no. If we try, she yanks her feet away and cries. We usually have to hold her down and just do it. Distractions don't really help either, she'll be totally distracted t...	If her toenails are REALLY long they may also be digging into the neighboring toes and hurting her that way. Again, introduce it slowly and let her play with it if she wants to. I've seen kids even this age at nail salons getting "mani/pedis" with their moms - she might allow someone else to do it if she sees other peo...
Five year old wets through night pullup My son is almost five. We limit the amount of fluid he drinks several hours prior to bed. He always goes potty as part of his night time routine. He wears night time pullups during the night. As of late, he is about 50/50 whether he pees enough to soak through the pullup. Any n...	If you choose to stay with pull-ups, you might consider a diaper change at some point during his sleep cycle. We've been using Sposie, but there are multiple brands.
My husband is likely the father of a child, but the child doesn't know. Is it too late with the child being 12 years old? This happened before my husband and I were together! My husband was told 11 years ago that he fathered a little boy. The mother told him it was his then the very next day she told him she was just l...	He could tell her that he is open to meeting the boy if she agrees that he's the father. There are so many variables that this may be impossible to answer.
How do I tell my best friend that he is mentally abusing his small child I have a friend who is a wonderful father.He has 2 small children; a boy (4) and a girl (16 months). He tries really hard with his children and is the primary caregiver for his children. He also works outside the home. I know he is exhausted, ...	The only thing I can suggest is to offer some childcare to give this "wonderful father" a break. When you witness some (in your opinion) over-the-top discipline or anger, or you see a situation beginning to build, that's the time to quietly say something like, "I can see you have a lot on your plate.
My 8 year old daughter tries to "guess" the words while she tries to read. Any tip to address this? My 8 year old daughter tries to "guess" the words while she tries to read. Any tip? Sounds like she is anxious to read fast. I would like to help to help her pointing where it is wrong, but i feel it is a tiring proce...	As you go along, you will become better at knowing when she wants to work out a word on her own, but my experience has been that if they know it well, the reading will flow.
Is a four hour long drive too much for a 9.5 month old? Am thinking of driving her, with my wife in the backseat next to her car seat, to my in laws, who lives 4 hours away by car for July 4th weekend. Obviously we'll be bringing all the essentials: diapers, bottled milk, toys, etc to make her ride as comfortable as po...	This is not a trip you can power through (you may get lucky with a good long sleep for four hours, but you need to not count on that). Some kids will sleep through pretty much the whole thing, if you time it right. If you can have a parent ride with them, that works a bit better: the first time we did a long trip, we d...
How to handle value mis-alignment between parents and kids? I'm (kinda) asking this question for my parents and family. My parents and I share very different values. For example, I think we should replace our old washing machine with a new, energy-efficient one, but my parents think the extra energy consumed by the ol...	So once you notice you're launching into an argument why they should do what you think is right, just stop.
My children's Mother's new boyfriend is potentially abusing my child I have two sons, the eldest is 6 as this question is about him. I am separated from his mother, she has a new boyfriend and is pregnant. My son lives with her during the week and I get him 3/4 weekends. He gets very upset when I have to return him a...	You should talk to the ex and see if you can get her to see that his behaviour isn't OK. What you describe sounds more like aggression and abuse than constructive discipline. Your state probably has a child abuse hotline that you can call. Its your ex's responsibility, not her new BFs, to discipline the child.
How to sleep train an 8-week-old who sleeps through the day and is active at night? We have an 8-week-old daughter. Our baby goes full eyes open at 10:30-11 PM and needs be walked around to calm down. She gets restless and cries the moment she is on the co-sleeper. Holding and walking her is the only way to calm her ...	The other thing that is always useful to me that whole first year, any time I feel like the sleeping seems unpredictable, is to start writing it all down. We started giving her a light massage and bath in the evening hours and then we'll keep the lights switched on or try to play with her at night.
What is the method to change a diaper without any tables or chairs? I'm usually outside most of the time and I was wondering what is the best method of changing a diaper of a toddler while preventing them from constantly moving around to make a mess if they pooped. Many times I don't have access to a table or chair esp...	Sit down on the ground with your legs in front of you, which gives the maximum space for baby to lie down, or if you are in a public restroom, sit on the closed toilet. A good way to keep them from moving around is keep their attention on your face, distracted from everything else... sing to them playfully, create a li...
My 3-year-old daughter, who lives with my ex-wife, put me in time out in a dark room. Shall I be worried that she imitated what's being done to her? Long story short married for 3 years, daughter is currently 3, divorced for 1 year. This year, for Father's day, my ex-wife let me spend the whole day with my daughter, w...	Your ex might be able to shed some light as to whether she has seen this behavior herself, whether she uses this as a form of punishment (which would be its own separate issue), or perhaps whether she knows where your daughter found this behavior (tv, etc.). I also wouldn't rule out that there is something to be invest...
My sister is talking to a guy way older than she is - should I let her? I am 28 years old and my sister is 20 years old. She is talking to a guywho is 31 years old. Should I let her date the guy or should I stop her? From talking to him when she told me about him I got angry cause Icouldn't understand why she was tal...	No, you can't "let" an adult relative date someone else. Older men also often have a richness to their lives that many women would find appealing, they have a confidence that many men only develop when they settle into there thirties.
My 2-year-old son can't speak beyond 2 words yet? My son will turn 2 on the 5th of August this year. He hasn't picked up any words beyond mama and papa. Firstly is it okay that he hasn't yet spoken beyond these 2 words? There are a few things which are making me confused. When we call him, he doesn't respond most of t...	Your child is within normal limits for verbal comprehension in boys.
How to help my 6-year-old son, who is being bullied by my roomate's 20-year-old son? I have 6-year-old twins, a boy and a girl. My son is being tormented by my roomate's 20-year-old son, with very vulgar name calling. This 20-year-old is over 300 lbs and acts out as a very intimidating person. At first, after we had ...	Empathizing with him might get you somewhere. You wont always be able to protect your kids the way you can now, but you can teach them how to protect themselves. You were pretty vague with the details, but it sounds like what he is doing is illegal harassment and/or abuse. But, for credibility's sake, get your son out ...
Should I reach out to my 5-year-old's absent father? My 5-year-old son is starting to ask questions and comment on the fact that he "doesn't have a dad". His biological father and I have not spoken in years, he last saw my son when he was 6/7 months old and has not made any attempt to reach out to me since. I have all...	If he was a real nice guy and you suspect there might be something else why he does not want to keep contact, but he would be great for your son to be around, you could contact him for some chit chat see what he says, but do not mention that you are calling to setup a meeting or anything like that.
Forcing my sister/child to do any activities outside from school. How to approach a child differently in order to get their interest? My mom and I are having a lot of struggle with my little sister. She is 12 years old and all of her life we have had a lot of trouble to try and get her into any activity at all. Current...	If you can get her to open up about why she doesn't want to try new things it would help you figure out how to work with her instead of against her. There must be something she wants badly enough to take up an extracurricular activity for. The first step in developing a passion is exposure.
Can I safely give my two year old a book he vomited on? I just bought a new book with paper pages. On the drive home, my two year old threw up his supper into the book. I did my best to clean it, but it's paper, not board, so it absorbed some of the liquid. My mother in law said he had a fever earlier in the day, but ...	If he is recovered from a fever earlier in the day, and the fever is related to his vomiting, he will have developed immunity to whatever pathogens might be there. If the book is paper I am not sure it will be worth saving, depending on the severity of the wetness. What you might try is to put the book in the oven and ...
Music that helps a baby to sleep I am wondering if it is practical to play music that helps a baby to sleep. If it is, which is your favourite? <Q> If it is a small baby, generally the singing of the parents is better than any other music as the baby knows this sounds well. <S> When mine are small, if I play anythin...	Our family discovered that playing some calming music or sounds of nature has really soothing effect on the child (honestly, adults also started to sleep better with addition of quiet and calming motives).
My 7 year old will not sleep I have an 7 year old will be 8 soon and she will not go to sleep. I put her to bed and she says she is not tired and is constantly getting up and will lay awake for hours. When she finally does sleep its only for a few hours. This has been going on for the past 2 weeks. <Q> There could be ...	The important bit is not how many hours she sleeps, but rather that you are sure she isn't distraught about something and that she isn't sleep deprived. Please note that bed time would change a bit as a child grows older. Some of the main issues to look for include: does she use a TV/computer/cellphone/tablet prior to ...
How to teach a 3 year old to use an appropriate amount of toilet paper? We're potty-training our 3-year old, and we'd like for him to be learning how to wipe himself after he goes. However, if he is unsupervised he frequently uses an excessive amount of toilet paper. On a handful of occasions, it has been enough to clo...	Show your kid where to look for the tear lines and tell them to only use n sheets at a time.
When is it harmless to start taking a child to the cinemas? This question asks "What age can you expect a child to happily sit through a movie at the theatre"? The answers may not necessarily indicate at what age all the overwhelming sound and light stop being harmful for the kids. AAP recommends For children ages ...	As long as the screen time does not displace those other activities, your kids will be fine. Each child is different and understanding your child and their needs is going to be your best guide.
Strategies for 2-year-olds who play in bed instead of relaxing For most of his life our toddler had no issue settling down to sleep on his own (in fact leaving him alone in a crib was the only way, as an infant, we could get him to sleep, and it worked reliably; he slept through the night at 3 months and always napped ...	A good early bed schedule with a long nap is great for infants but little man is growing up and just like he is physically changing, his sleep needs are also changing. Toddlers do not, unfortunately, come with a Sleep button like our most popular computer operating systems so if a toddler doesn't want to sleep, they ju...
how do i discipline a stubborn and angry 13 year old daughter How do I discipline a 13 year old daughter who is very stubborn and won't listen to her parents and keeps doing everything that we don't want her to do e.g smoking, sneeking out of the house when everyones asleep. Please help! <Q> Stubborn is really just ano...	But if you are looking for some kind of punishment/incentive then you can try and control the home Wifi by changing the password daily (be sure to change the admin password too, kids know about this) and block data on her phone. You will be able to influence some of her behavior but not all. Incentive/reward programs t...
Should you play games with a toddler that they're very good at and always win? I have been reading the Should you let a toddler win question and it appears to be a bad thing to let a child always win. I have been playing the memory cards game (where you have to find two identical cards from a board of unknown ones...	Teaching kids that they're not supposed to win at things, or play things they are good at, is just as bad as teaching them they can win anything they try.
How to cut the nails on my toddler? Every week it is like torture for all three of us. My 15 months old son screams and thrashes around, somehow he hates it. We try to distract him, with head massage or some far relative cutting it, but every trick works once or twice, and the problem starts again. I know the usual me...	Also, a clipper flattens the nail somewhat if you cut the entire thing in one go, which can be scary and potentially painful, so try clipping in more steps instead. When nail cutting is needed, I allow her to watch the animation of the first song (which is the time we need for cutting), while holding her in my lap faci...
Do girls and boys need different toys? Do girls and boys really need different toys especially when they are very young? I am speculating part of reason why girls tend to play with Barbie dolls and boys tend to play with transformers is: Parents make decisions for them. Would girls play with Lego at all? <Q> Let th...	I think if you have several kids of differing genders and sexes you will see that overall, no they don't need different toys & your sons can play with barbies just fine.
Is a swim spa safe for a 5-year-old? My 5-year-old daughter loves to swim. She’s like a fish and always gets in the water whenever we give her the opportunity. We want to nurture her love of swimming wherever possible as it’s a great way to exercise. This is where the problems start. We live very far away from the nea...	Any kind of swimming pool or swim spa in your backyard are very dangerous if it's filled with water and left unattended.
How and when to tell my 5-year-old son that his "daddy" is gone? I am a single mom again (as of a week ago) of a 5- (almost 6-) year-old, who is in kindergarten. My son's biological dad and I were together 5 years but we lived apart by the time I got pregnant. He pushed us out of his life pretty much as I got pregnan...	Make sure he knows that he was loved In my experience it's the parent, not the child who is struggling with the breakup and that can have more of an impact on the kids than that person leaving their life.

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