“It’s Mine!” All About Sharing
When children want something, their feelings are often passionate. They can be gripped by a desire so strong that no other option will do. Every cell in their bodies is organized to communicate that having
No More Thumb! No More Pacifier!
We adults have lots of ways to distract ourselves from feeling a little off base. We jiggle our feet, chew on a pencil, snack and snack again, read the paper, or sneak in a bit
Embracing Transitions: How Connection Helps
Q: I feel badly about this, but sometimes I hesitate to really get down and play with my daughter, because when I have to stop playing and tend to the baby, she gets so upset.
Nightmares and Night Terrors
All of us experienced nightmares at some point in our childhood. Usually, nightmares are an occasional thing. And they need a parent to be close to them, to hold them, and to keep them safe
Moving Your Child To Their Own Bed to Sleep
Many of us sleep with our infants and children. We sleep with them because they love being close to us, and we (at least sometimes) also enjoy this closeness. Some of us sleep with our
Helping Young Children Sleep
Healthy families in many cultures allow children to sleep with parents, and if that works for your family, great. But, if your sleep schedule doesn’t line up well with your child’s, or if the good
Helping My Teenage Son Work Through Stifled Feelings
My 13-year-old son was off track in a way that doesn’t happen often. I asked him to turn off the TV in order to shift to bedtime mode at 9pm on a Sunday, and he
A Shark Attack on my Child’s Feelings
I took my boys, 6 and 7, to the Museum of Natural History to see a 3D movies about marine dinosaurs. The youngest is especially sensitive to traumatic events in movies and games, so I
Saying Good-Bye to Our Old House
It was mid-October and we had been in the new house a month or two. My daughter LOVED the new house. She had her own room with a bunk bed, a tree house, a hot
How I Got My Baby to Give Up the Pacifier and Sleep Better
By the time she was three months old, my entire life was focused on helping my baby daughter get some good sleep. I hired two sleep consultants, read every book on sleep available, but found
Listening Helps Calm My Grandson’s Fears
When our grandson was one, and just walking, we convinced his parents to let us babysit so they could have a night out. Â They were quite nervous because they did not like to hear their
Listening Helps When Taking Kids Grocery Shopping
Everything went well until we got to the checkout line and he asked for gum. I said no and he began to have a full blown tantrum, I was completely overwhelmed with the baby, the
Helping My Daughter Sleep in Her Own Bed
When my daughter was around two, I was ready for her to move to her own bed. I knew helping children sleep in their own beds could be challenging, and I wanted the transition to
Setting Limits Around Sleep Struggles
The night before last, my three-year-old, awoke at 4:30 am crying and very scared. He kept asking, “Is someone gonna come?” He had watched Kung Fu Panda with us earlier that day, a movie that
Staylistening with a Six-Month-Old Twin
I have a friend who has twin girls. Ever since they were born one of the twins (the second to be born) was labeled the more difficult one. She cried more than her twin sister, she
How Raspberries Cured After-School Stress
After school, my son was clearly off track and needing to offload some feelings. He had been at his little brother since he got in the car, and then on the way home, he started calling
Special Time – Add a Daily Spark to your Romantic Life
My thoughts were consumed with how to be a good mum. I loved this important work, but I also missed my husband who sometimes seemed like a distant figure in my life.
Overcoming Stage Fright with Stay Listening
The evening before my 7-year-old daughter had her audition for a community theater production, she asked me, “Why do I have to go to the audition?” I reminded her that she had enjoyed her theater