Playdates give kids an opportunity to build individual friendships and practice related social skills. Playdates can be brief – An hour is plenty for young children or children who don’t know each other well. Older children that get along well can often handle longer stretches. Balance unstructured and structured time – Unstructured is open play … Continue reading All About Playdates
I gave a lunch hour parenting workshop on Overindulgence at the OPM today. This included a discussion about having too many toys and the benefits of rotating them. Growing up (a child of the 70s) I had a book shelf, a table for coloring, a dollhouse, a bed and a dresser in my room. Admittedly, the … Continue reading Too Many Toys?
It can be difficult when your child seems to need a playmate all day. If you aren’t playing with them, they complain they are bored or just wander and whine. It is a good skill in life to be able to occupy your own time. Here are several ways to encourage independent play: First, pinpoint any particular needy … Continue reading Ways to Encourage Independent Play
Developed by Dr. Stanley Greenspan, founder of DIR/Floortime and author of many respected parenting books, Floortime offers parents a system of play to encourage language development, social skills, emotion regulation and leadership abilities. Seen as beneficial to all children, this approach to play is often incorporated into therapies for children with speech and language delays, and … Continue reading Floortime Tips
Dear Dr. Rene, My two-year-old daughter is happy, friendly and affectionate around adults, but, aside from a couple of her friends who recently moved away, she just does not seem to like other children at the moment! When I tell her that we are going somewhere to see her friend(s), she tells me that she … Continue reading Two-Year-Old Doesn’t Like to Play with Others
Parenting by Dr. Rene 