As a parent, there are many valuable lessons we must impart to our children. One important lesson is teaching the value of money and in fact how to handle money. Thanks to those magical plastic cards, many of today’s children have never seen real money and in today’s financial environment, it is more important than ever that we teach our children how to handle money so that we can help stop bad habits in the future. READ MORE »
In the past decade, we’ve seen a relatively dramatic increase in the case of The Spoiled Child. From shows like “My Sweet 16” that profile the elaborately luxurious birthday parties parents throw for their children to expensive gadgets like the iPad making your child’s Christmas Wish List, it’s clear that the downtrodden economy hasn’t had a major impact on our children’s expectations. READ MORE »
You know the saying – “Being a parent is the most difficult job in the world.” Despite any expectations you may have had prior to having your first child, most parents are surprised to (quickly) learn that it’s much harder than they ever imagined. Luckily, being a parent is also one of the most rewarding “jobs” one will ever have. Not everyone shares this opinion, and it is often those who are unfamiliar with the less obvious challenges a parent might face in an effort to raise a happy, confident, well-adjusted child. READ MORE »
We all know that learning a language is easiest when we’re young, as the language pathways for speech development grow most rapidly in the first few years of life. If you are bilingual, it’s only natural to want your child to also speak your native language. Exposing your child from birth is the ideal way to teach your child a language, as the brain is like a giant filing cabinet during this sensitive period. Below you will find some helpful tips on how to permanently imprint the sounds he hears onto his brain. READ MORE »
From crawling to walking and bottles to baby food, you’ve watched your little one reach some of life’s most memorable milestones. As your child grows a little older, however, it can be difficult to decide what new activities and responsibilities are appropriate. When it comes to introducing your child to chores, you may be surprised to learn that there are plenty of helpful things your toddler can do to begin learning about responsibility early on. READ MORE »
It can be difficult not to give into a crying child, especially if you’re a first-time parent. Children cry for a variety of reasons, including fear, anxiety, frustration, attention, hunger, minor bumps and knocks and much more. If your child whines and cries a lot, focus on giving her ample positive attention to non-whiny behavior, and practice calm refusals until she matches your tone. It can be very tempting to give in to a crying child for a moment’s peace, but this will inevitably backfire and make his behavior worse over time. Here are some great ways to cope with a fussy child: READ MORE »
If you are disciplining your child for bad behavior, it can be challenging to keep control of the situation without losing control of your emotions. Much of the time, parents discipline when they are angry. When children do things that anger us, we want to relieve our hurt by hurting them, a reaction that will not help teach them self-control or how to resolve the issue. It can leave us with feelings of guilt as well. Much of this anger is the result of too much stress, and there are plenty of ways to cope with the demands of everyday life in order to more effectively discipline your children. READ MORE »
A good sense of self-confidence serves as your child’s armor against the challenges of the world. Children with self-esteem tend to handle conflicts with greater ease, and are better equipped to resist negative pressures. A child who feels good about himself is typically more realistic and optimistic. READ MORE »
Parents should strive to maintain a united front, particularly when it comes to discipline, and especially when their child is very young. Children six years of age and younger can become easily confused when one parent upholds different rules than the other. Since children at this age tend to view the world in absolute terms, it can be hard for them to resolve discrepancies between the opposing views of their mother and father. There is only room for one way of doing things in their mind. If you and your spouse don’t present a united front, your child will see one parent as right and the other as wrong. Over time, this will likely undermine your child’s respect for the parent who is more often on the “wrong” side of things. READ MORE »
Trying to explain to your child the importance of a good night’s sleep (and just how much they’ll miss these on a regular basis when they’re adults) is an exercise in futility. Although a healthy amount of energy in a child is always a good sign of overall well being, the boundless variety that makes most of them fear bedtime more than a teeth cleaning can make every evening far more stressful than it needs to be. READ MORE »
About Dr. Vicki: Dr. Vicki Folds, Ed.D. is vice president of education & professional development for Children of America in Delray Beach, FL. She is one of the nation's leading child development experts with 35 years of hands-on and research and experience and several published childcare books including "Tray Tasking" and "Three Step Tray Tasking." Dr. Folds is currently on the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) Consulting Editors Panel and reviews articles for its Young Children Journal as well as future books for publication.