Development Archives - Page 17 of 23

Summer Sand Play

Tania K. Cowling,

Sand play tickles the senses and also promotes physical development. Sand is a material that allows children to explore their creativity and imaginations.

Having the Sex Talk With Your Teen Daughter

Mary Jo Rapini,

You taught your daughter to ride a bike, tie her shoes and wrap a present. Now it’s time to step up to the plate and teach her about sex.

Fine Motor Skills Play

Michele Huggins,

From picking up a Cheerio on a highchair tray to using a spoon, fine-motor skill exploration is underway.

Raising Positive Kids

Jon Gordon,

In the great debate of nature vs. nurture, here’s one question to ponder: Are your actions encouraging your child to grow into a positive person?

Let’s face it … teens are egocentric. It’s all about them, their friends and their weekend plans. Getting teens to think beyond their own immediate needs can be more difficult than cracking a nut with a plastic fork.

When Time Out Doesn't Work

Dr. Denise Hanson,

When little Cooper chucks a truck across the room, Lucy smacks her sibling, or Taylor bites, their parents may routinely make the classic call, "Time out!"

Teacher Talk: Speech Delays and Homework Distractions

Peggy Gisler, Marge Eberts,

Between 2 and 3, most children will acquire a vocabulary of about 450 words.

Dirty Little Secret

Julia Mercabi,

I am a bad mother. I taught my 2-year-old daughter to swear.

Pick Up Tricks

Jessica Fisher,

Imagine toy soldiers marching themselves into the toy box. Or how about clothes that fold themselves at the snap of your fingers?

Setting Curfews

Melinda Harper, Ph.D.,

Spring break and prom season are right around the corner, so it’s a good time to talk about setting limits with teenagers.

Six Tips for Parenting a Disorganized Child

Joyce Cooper, Khan Dietzel, Laurie Dietzel,

Kids with weaknesses in planning and organization have trouble independently imposing structure and order to tasks and ideas.

When Size Matters

Tia Konzer,

My brother stands tall at 6 feet 6 inches, while my sister still fits into clothes from the Juniors department — she’s 5 feet 4 inches. Me? I’m 5 feet 11 inches.

No More Cooties! When Your Teen is Attracted to the Opposite Sex

Myrna Beth Haskell,

The school cafeteria often serves as a snapshot of the state of relations between the students from Mars and the students from Venus. In the primary grades, boys and girls likely sit together, sharing Sun Chips and poking at each other playfully. However, by the fourth grade, things are drastically different. For the most part, the cafeteria becomes segregated with "boy" and "girl" tables.

Coping With Bedwetting

Elizabeth Super, MD, Diana Combs, MD, Daniel R. Neuspiel, M.D., M.P.H.,

Wetting the bed while spending the night at a friend’s house can be embarrassing. Waking up nightly to change the sheets can be frustrating.

How Much Homework Help is Too Much?

Peggy Gisler, Marge Eberts,

My fifth-grader has never found school to be easy. In the past, he has kept his head above water because I have worked with him a lot. This year, my son’s teacher doesn’t want parents to help with homework. He can’t always handle it on his own, so I’ve had to explain some of the work to him.

Playing the Referee

Martha Wegner,

My friend Annie tells me that when her kids get home from school each day she dons her striped referee jersey and gets out the whistle. Let the arguments begin! I know just what she means. And you know what the experts tell us?

Money Management for College

Melinda Harper, Ph.D.,

It’s hard to imagine there being an upside to the recession, but it does present a great opportunity for parents to teach children about the importance of healthy money management skills. Even kids in elementary school can benefit from an allowance system that includes keeping track of spending and planning for future purchases.