“Quit Being So Mad!”
My 10 yr old son and I can both be hot tempered, and I am a single parent. There is not another adult around to help me re-group, but there is always a listening partner,
Setting Limits Uncovers School-Time Hurt
My five-year-old daughter and I had had a really fun evening together: a mommy-and-daughter dinner date at our favorite burger place, followed by frozen yogurt nearby. We talked a lot and were playful with one another throughout,
Madeleine Winter
Madeleine says, “the best thing I ever did was become a parent. I don’t want any parent to feel bad about themselves as a parent. No matter what the struggle, we parents are the bravest,
Being a Supportive Grandparent
Grandparents are Important! Grandparents are very important to families. Our value to our children and grandchildren is enormous. Your grandchildren love to spend time with you and your children are often grateful for the added
Setting Limits and Creating Connection Around Nap Time
I invited my kids to my room for a nap after lunch. I told them I would get their mattresses and place them by the side of our bed and we all would rest together.
Listening to Teens Can Get Messy
Ever wonder what you can do with those foam peanuts that are used as packaging material for fragile items? Well, my teen daughter and I found out how we could use them… It was just
A Journey into a Tantrum (and how to let them offload)
When a child is crying we need to show that we are in this together with her and that she will cross over through pain, sadness, and anger and will arrive on the other side
Keeping Control—The Possible and Impossible in Parenting
Parents are expected to stay “in control” of their lives, their children, and themselves. Some major parts of this expectation are impossible to fulfill! But because there is no way to learn parenting skills and
Healing Without Medicine
At the park one Sunday a little boy lifted my daughter, who is 3-1/2, in a tree and she fell. I heard her cry and ran to her. Her hand was dangling at a 90-degree
New Parent Podcasts
Parents love their children. Parents try hard. They do their best every single day. Hand in Hand provides support and helpful information for new parents on everything from Responding Well to Crying to Helping Baby
Planes, Trains, and Small Children
Q. I’m wondering if you have some sage advice about dealing with our rambunctious 2 year-old on a transatlantic flight in a week. My son is very physical and very loud in his crying, and
Parenting Amid Threats of War
(written in February 2002) We are in the midst of a challenging time, with the possibility of a new war looming. It’s a time to be listening and learning. This article will focus on the
Preparing Your Child for Surgery
Q. “It looks like my 21-month-old son would benefit from a surgical procedure. It would involve ½ hour of intravenous anesthesia, and would also involve him not being able to nurse the morning of the
How to Be Sick and a Mom
My daughter hates it when I’m sick. I try to maintain her routine as much as possible when I have a cold or a mild bug but this flu season really knocked me over. When
Help for Picky Eaters
When you have a picky eater, the problem isn’t so much with food, it’s with your child’s feelings about food. This is news to many parents. It is not commonly mentioned in mainstream parenting advice.
A Step-by-Step Guide: Parenting Through Repeat Annoying Behavior
It’s trying when your child has upsets again and again over the same darned issue. Perhaps it’s being afraid to go into an upstairs room alone, perhaps it’s refusing to share during play dates. It could
NAEYC Presentation “Helping Families with Stress”
I recently gave a presentation at the Annual Conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children with Shelley Macy, Hand in Hand Certified Instructor and Coordinator for Early Childhood Education at Northwest
Can Play Help With Bedwetting?
Q. “My five-year-old can’t seem to stay dry at night. We’ve tried and tried, and nothing I do seems to work. They feel bad when they wet the bed, I try not to bother them