Talk to me please!

I ask my 5-year-old son how was school today? Do I get a long answer about his latest science investigation? How about a detailed account of the playground drama for the day? Nope. Apparently, getting your child to talk with you entails refining our communication approach.

Dr. Atilla Ceranoglu is a child psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School and an expert in parent-child communication. She emphasizes how important it is to have satisfying conversations with your child — as soon as your child learns to speak. “Talking to children from early on keeps both child and parent attuned to one another. It is solid preparation for the more stormy, tumultuous days of adolescence,” explains Dr. Ceranoglu.

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Babies need time and from Daddy too.

Babies are typically extra close to mommy. My husband was the first to notice that our days-old newborn would respond to my voice more than anyones else’s. It’s the sound she’d hear most often inside my uterus! Then there’s the breast feeding which truly does seal an almost mystical bond between mother and child.

But what about Daddy? Dads, don’t be afraid. Tiny as she is… she won’t break. So take every chance you can get hold her, take care of some baby duties… and just enjoy that bundle of joy. Mommies already have natural advantages to earn baby’s affections. But dads can step up their baby-game too. We’ll tell you how.

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Creative ways to show them how to play give and take.

That’s mine! Give it to me! No, not for her! If you have a toddler you’ve probably heard those lines often enough. Toddlers are notoriously self-centered. Sharing is something they still need to learn. Developmental experts say, the concept of giving really becomes clear at around age 5. But there are some ways to show younger kids basic rules for give and take, paving the way for a good sharing attitude in the future.

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They’re not my kids, should I tell them how to behave?

Disciplining another person’s child is treading on shaky ground. We don’t want to offend a child’s parents, but there are times when we need to step in. Dr. Michelle Borba, author of the book No More Misbehavin’: 38 Difficult Behaviors and How to Stop Them assures us, “it’s not intruding on another parent’s turf when you’re protecting your own child.” However, let’s lay some guidelines for responding to another parent’s misbehaving tyke.

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Say hello — and welcome — to that imaginary friend.

My friend Irene has an invisible younger daughter named Turtle. Before you think my friend is crazy, consider the back story. She’s given birth only once — to a very imaginative 3-year-old real-life daughter named Emma. In Emma’s mind she has a younger sister she named Turtle. Turtle goes with them everywhere and she also likes cornflakes and bananas just like her older sister Emma.

Once upon a time, imaginary friends were considered a cause for concern. These days, research tells us quite the opposite. Children with pretend-friends and who can conjure elaborate make believe worlds have a promising future of learning and social development.

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Little hands like to get busy, let them!

Notice how your toddler loves to follow what you do? It’s like they don’t want to be left out of cleaning up the house, putting on your make-up or grooming the family dog. Take advantage.

It’s the perfect time to give them some manageable chores. This will help them gain some sense of responsibility and learn good habits. Along the way, you’ll be polishing some thinking and motor skills too. Try out our suggestions for some simple toddler-to-do’s. Be inspired to think of some of your own!

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Mom can make or break Mr. Future Executive.

If you want your child to have self-control and develop good thinking and decision making skills, pay attention to how you interact with him as a baby. Canadian and U.S. researchers say, mom plays a key role in how her child develops executive functioning.
Researchers at the University of Montreal and University of Minnesota found the way a mother interacts with her child affects how the child develops this set of advanced cognitive functions — including mental flexibility and the abilities to remember things and control impulses — integral to the ability to make goals and reach them.

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Keep the kids inside, but keep them in shape.

Staying active keeps the immune system in shape too. Just because it’s cold outside, doesn’t mean our kids’ can’t get a good daily workout. There’s a lot of indoor fun to be had that should get their hearts pumping. In our house, a little music can keep the little ones occupied — and active.

It’s more challenging to keep children active indoors, but with some planning and creativity it is possible. We’ve got some suggestions you could try at home.

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Help! She’s ruining our house!

Before having kids, my home used to be immaculate. But then they came, and I had to shed some of my obsessive compulsive tendencies. It may seem impossible to keep your house clean with toddlers around.The minute you put away a toy or mop up a spill, another appears. The messiness can get so bad, you might think she’s purposely trying to drive you crazy. But 1-year-olds are simply discovering the world the only way they know how: by getting into everything and producing a lot of clean up work for mom and dad.

Curiosity, the drive to become more independent and the lack of manual skills drives your one-year-old to mishaps. It is precisely because they need to learn these skills that they get into trouble. Messy play may benefit them, but they don’t have to ruin your home and all your possessions. We’ll show you a few tips to tame typical toddler messes.

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Teach your preschooler what she can do in case she gets lost.

Records show that a child goes missing every 40 seconds. That’s a scary thought, but the U.S Office of Juvenile Justice reports that on average, only 115 children are kidnapped by strangers every year. Regardless of statistics, losing your child is probably any parent’s worst nightmare.

Getting lost in the mall, the supermarket or giant amusement park are typical scary incidents — both for the young child and the parent. A little “disaster preparedness” can go a long way in preventing the incident from turning scarier than it ought to be. All you have to do is give your child an In Case You Get Lost Plan.

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