Many studies site that children have an average of a two month academic loss over the summer months. With a little effort, you save their hard gained knowledge and may even help them make gains! Here are some ideas to support them while still having fun: Practice school skills in real life – If your second grader … Continue reading Ways to Avoid Summer Academic Loss
I have always loved eating out with the kids. Yes, there have been stressful times as Alicen threw up a LOT when she was two and three years old. And yes, occasionally we’ve had to cut things short over behavior or exhaustion. That said, eating out can be a very pleasant experience with children at … Continue reading Tips to Enjoy Eating Out with Children
There is a golden rule in discipline when you are parenting as a couple. It is simple, whoever starts it gets to finish. This means if the first parent is into a discipline exchange, as long as it’s not abusive, the second parent avoids intervening, correcting the first, rescuing the child, taking over or undermining in any way. … Continue reading In Discipline: Whoever Starts It Gets to Finish
Dear Dr. Rene My child is almost two years old, and she doesn’t always greet people she knows when she sees them. Sometimes she looks the other way as if they are not there, or she shows that she doesnt want to greet them. I dont want to stress on that, but I would like to … Continue reading Teaching a Child to Greet Others
Dear Dr. Rene, My almost two-and-a-half-year-old decided she wanted underwear 11 days ago. So, we are 11 days into potty training. She goes to daycare, and is now fully potty trained at daycare (at least barring any regression that could happen.) At home, I still have to take her to the potty every hour, or she’ll … Continue reading Ownership in Potty Training
Thanksgiving day without children can be hectic between travel time, visiting family, cooking and cleaning. Add a seven, four and two-year-old to the mix, and it can feel overwhelming. Here are a few ideas to help with the day: Do what you can ahead – This may be baking desserts, making and freezing side dishes … Continue reading Thanksgiving Day Parenting Tips
Dear Dr. Rene, My son, who is almost three and is quite verbal, just told us that his daycare provider hit him. It sounds as though she hit him during nap time when he was “moving around too much.” He said it hurt him, and he didn’t like her. The comment was unprovoked, and came … Continue reading Child Says Caregiver Hit Him
Dear Dr. Rene, We are going to the beach this Friday with two other families. 11 kids, ranging in age from 14 to two-and-a-half. Megan, my youngest is two-and-a-half years old. The next youngest is six, and all of the older kids can already swim well. The house has a pool, and I’m scared to death about … Continue reading Vacation Pool Safety
It costs children nothing to whine all afternoon. If you try to ignore it, they will outlast you. They will outlast you because whining requires so little effort on their part. You will break before they will stop whining and when you break, however you do it, you are likely reinforcing their whining. First, fix … Continue reading Stop the Whining!
Staying calm when your child is misbehaving can be a difficult thing to do. I think part of the answer lies in where you place your focus. Often parents feel responsible for their child’s behavior. The misbehavior feels like a direct reflection on you. If you think other’s are judging your parenting based on the child’s … Continue reading Calm Parenting – Shift Your Responsibility
Parenting by Dr. Rene 