Tips for Creating Space in a Family “I feel like I am disciplining my children way more often than my mother had to discipline me.” I hear this often. It may be that we, as families, are just together too much. Or, at least together way more than we were with our families growing up. … Continue reading Are we together too much?
My girls were 7 and 10 years old when I decided to leave them home alone for the first time. They were excited and slightly concerned, so we spent about 40 minutes talking through the details about where I’d be, how long I’d be gone, what they could and couldn’t do, how to contact me … Continue reading Leaving Children Home Alone
At least every other month a parent says to me, “this might be odd, but my child is scared of going to another room in the house by himself.” This is not odd. Between four and eight or nine years old, this is completely common. My older daughter spent a few years negotiating with me … Continue reading What to Do When a Child is Scared of Going to Another Room in the House Alone
Responsibility is best taught in small doses across childhood. Think of gradually increasing expectations, ownership and chores overtime. Responsible for belongings – A way to build a sense of responsibility is to have them gradually be responsible for their belongings. This means teaching them to keep their toys clean and all the pieces together, keep … Continue reading Encouraging a Sense of Responsibility
Whether your four-year-old is working on a hard puzzle, or your fourth grader is struggling through math homework, when they ask for your help, start by asking them how they would like to be helped. If you swoop in and give them your brand of helping, you may be doing too much, which discourages independent … Continue reading Ask Them How They Want to Be Helped
Dear Dr. Rene, My, just turned three years old, son knows his alphabet, colors, shapes and dinosaurs. He is beginning to spell and can manage 48 piece puzzles by himself. He is very interested in learning and listens intently and soaks information up like a sponge when interested. My concerns are when he has to … Continue reading Nurturing Independence
We rented Super 8 today. Great movie, even the second time. My husband liked the action, my girls liked the humor and, I think, the excitement of seeing something rated PG-13. What I appreciated and paid more attention to this go around, was how it captured being a kid in the late 70s. Particularly the … Continue reading Giving Them Space: Being a Child of the 70s
>Tips for Encouraging Independent Play * First, pinpoint any particular needy times and plan accordingly. If your childis an early riser and always in need of company at that time or if they need to reconnect when parents first return home, don’t expect those to be times for independentplay. * Try starting activities together that … Continue reading >Independent Play
Parenting by Dr. Rene 