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Teaching Toddlers Empathy

One important skill that we as parents can help our children to learn is empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and experience the feelings of others, and to respond in helpful ways. No child is too young to begin learning about empathy. In fact, you have probably been modeling empathy for your child since the moment that she was born by being sensitive to her feelings and responding to her needs. As your toddler grows, she can begin to build on the empathy that you have shown her by reaching out to others in a caring way. Of course, … Continue reading →

Synchronous Movement Helps With Bonding

Want to build a stronger bond with your toddler? One way to do that is to incorporate synchronous movement into your lives. Researchers have found that there is something about moving together, the same way, at the same time, that causes the bond between people to strengthen. It is time to play some music and dance with your toddler! Researchers at the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior at McMaster University did a study that involved 68 babies. Their study revealed that synchronous movement caused the babies to form social bonds with the person whom they shared the synchronous movement … Continue reading →

Tips for Becoming a More Empathetic Parent

No one every said that being a parent would always be easy. There will be times when your child’s behavior frustrates you (or makes you angry). Many people “lose their cool” when they feel stressed and overwhelmed. Children need parents who are empathetic to their needs. Here are some tips to help you become a more empathetic parent. There is an article in the Huffington Post titled “How to Be an Empathetic Parent, Even When It Feels Hard”. It was written by Andrea Nair. She is a psychotherapist and parenting educator who teaches people how to be empathetic. In her … Continue reading →

The Word “Maybe” Drives Me Crazy

For some reason lately, Dylan has become enamored with the word “maybe”. If he asks me for something and I say “no”, he pleads with me and asks me to say “maybe” instead. I’m not sure where he got that idea from, as I have been very careful not to use “maybe” with him. At the very least, I have been careful not to use it incorrectly. Of course, many of you might wonder what the big deal is. What’s wrong with “maybe”? I think that I summed up my feelings on “maybe” the other day, albeit during not one … Continue reading →

Sticky Situation – Siblings and Sharing

If you have a toddler and a baby, chances are that one thing you will experience is your toddler snatching toys out of the baby’s hands. Sometimes the baby will protest loudly, other times the baby might look surprised but remain quiet, and still other times the baby may appear to have no reaction to the supposed injustice that just occurred. Believe it or not, this can actually be a tricky situation to navigate and the most beneficial thing to do might not be what you would think. When you see a toddler taking a toy from a baby, your … Continue reading →

Just Released: Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids by Dr. Laura Markham

      November 28, 2012 was a great day for parents of toddlers. In fact, it was a great day for parents of all children. On November 28, 2012, Dr. Laura Markham’s first book, “Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids : How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting” was released. If you are already familiar with Dr. Laura Markham through her web site, Aha Parenting, then you know just how wonderful this news is. I can not remember how I first came across the Aha Parenting web site, but I can say that I visit it regularly, especially when I am … Continue reading →

Toddler Toy Storage – I Am Doing it Wrong

Last night, a sort of light bulb went on in my head. I have been doing a lot of reading and research lately about home based preschool for Dylan, and for the past couple of days I have been looking at a lot of information about the Montessori method of schooling. In fact, I am beginning to get a very strong feeling that I am going to go that route with Dylan’s home based preschool experience. The light bulb went on when I realized that the environment in which Montessori education, whether at a school or in a home, takes … Continue reading →

Mom! It’s Snowing!

It’s that time of year again. If you live somewhere where it gets cold enough to snow, chances are that the flurries may have already started flying. There is something magical about snow, at least from a toddler’s point of view. Have you ever noticed that sometimes when there is no snow you can try and try to get your toddler out the door for a little outside play time, only to have him say it is too cold to go out. Curiously enough, an hour later when it is still just as cold outside, it starts snowing and your … Continue reading →

To Santa or Not to Santa?

The Thanksgiving turkey has been enjoyed and we are now digging into the leftovers. Christmas trees are for sale at roadside farm stands. Town centers have put up lights and wreaths. It is the Christmas season, and for parents of small children, one common question is whether or not to take their children to the mall (or elsewhere) for the ubiquitous photo with Santa Claus. When I was a child, my sister and I went to see Santa at the mall almost every year. I am not sure how young we were the first time, and I am not sure … Continue reading →