Nearly every kid party we’ve been invited to has had a ton of people and has been at a birthday party place like a gym or a place with a bunch of bouncy houses. Is this the new normal? [read more and answer]
Monthly Archives: May 2010
Daily Q: Best double stroller
We’re expecting our second child, and so, we’re in the market for a double stroller. Any ideas as to what a good one would be? (read more & answer!)
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Growing Child: The Power of a Word
If someone told you that you could shape your young child’s orientation towards becoming a successful adult by doing one thing during his or her early years, my guess is that you would do it. Who doesn’t want their children to become successful, well-rounded adults? Well, here is that one thing: Respond firmly when necessary with the word, “No.” Even more specifically, be clear about the “no” when your youngster is having a temper tantrum….
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Daily Q: Childhood fixations – good or bad?
Our son, who’s nearly 3 years old, gets really fixated on stuff some times. For example, when we first greet him in the morning, he usually says “Can I watch big outside piston trains?” which is his way of asking to watch train videos on YouTube. Or, when we walk outside, he usually says “Can [...]
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Daily Q: What age to start preschool? Why?
We were vaguely thinking age 2 was a good age to start something like daycare/preschool because kids are just beginning to play with each other and so it seemed like it might be good to get our kid’s “feet wet” “on the ground floor” – to mix my metaphors. So, with mixed emotions, we enrolled [...]
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Classical not your (kid’s) thing?
A couple of weeks ago we offered some tips for when and how to start music lessons. Today, Harmonious.ly – a wonderful site started by some former coworkers at the same time we started Parents Guild – offers a workaround for, say, a child (or parent) who ain’t so much into classical music. Try rock [...]
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Do the physical surroundings in our schools matter?
“Do you think if Californians saw what was normal in Michigan, in Connecticut, they’d revolt?” “They’d move.” That’s a snippet from The Merrow Report “First to Worst: California Education Funding” (see below). The video includes shot after shot of dilapidated school buildings in Santa Monica, a wealthy community in Southern California. It uses the footage [...]
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Daily Q: Pillows – why?
This feels like a silly question but I’ve been wondering so here goes… The APA recommends keeping pillows (and everything else) out of cribs because of SIDS. So we kept pillows out of the crib. Now our son is almost 3, has a toddler bed and stuffed animals but still no pillow. So, my question [...]
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Daily Q: Sport for a kid who doesn’t like sports?
My almost 6-year old says he doesn’t like sports… I’d like him to be involved in one or more sports — for his health, to learn how to play on a team, so he has some knowledge of various games when at birthday parties and whatnot… What sports have you signed up (or done with) [...]
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Story Corps: 12yrold interviews mom
This is hovering near the top of Reddit’s Parenting page today. Deservedly so. It’s a 4-minute animated video of a interview Joshua Littman, a 12-year-old with Asperger’s, conducts with his mom Sarah. The honesty on both sides, and the wisdom and kindness in Sarah’s answers, are breathtaking. Q&A from StoryCorps on Vimeo. How would you [...]
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