June 23rd, 2011 by admin
Children and Mistakesby Alina Tugend,
Author of Better By Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong
It’s crucial that we, as parents, allow our children to make mistakes and fail and figure out how to recover from them. We can’t rush in and fix every problem, whether it be forgotten homework, an awkward social encounter or not getting a part in the school play.
We know from research that building children’s self-esteem and self-worth is much less about praise and gold stars and trophies for everyone and much more about creating resilience. Children who know how to screw up and fail and try again.
“While we do not want our children to face ongoing failure, to attempt to overprotect them and rush in whenever we fear they might fail at a task robs them of an important lesson, namely that mistakes are experiences from which to learn,” writes Robert Brooks and Sam Goldstein in their book Nurturing Resilience in Our Children. “It also communicates another subtle or perhaps not-so-subtle message to a child: We don’t think you are strong enough to deal with obstacles and mistakes.” Read the rest of this entry »
June 3rd, 2011 by admin
By Dr. John Duffy,
Author of The Available Parent: Radical Optimism for Raising Teens and Tweens
We are on vacation in Florida with another family. Three young teenagers are on board, my 13-year-old included. A number of times over the past week, I have peered over to see each of their beautiful faces lost in a 3 ½ inch screen: a Nintendo DS, iPhone, iPod Touch, or any other thing!
One might be texting friends back home, another might be selecting a new song, while yet another is playing the latest downloaded game. There they were in the car last night, screens lighting their faces. There they were on the couch, in front of the giant TV screen! Even in bed, all faces illuminated, eyes entranced.
So how is a parent to counteract the draw of the tiny, sophisticated, intoxicating hand-held plaything? Read the rest of this entry »
January 25th, 2010 by admin
by Annye Rothenberg, Ph.D., Child/Parent Psychologist
As parents, we want our children to be accustomed to healthy eating from the earliest possible age so good nutrition will be a lifelong habit.
Young children are ready to begin to learn about nutrition (“healthy food” vs. “treat food”) and about food plans (why meals need to include each food group). These nutrition lessons will need to be repeated many times, in more detail, as your children get older and want to understand more about why. Read the rest of this entry »
January 8th, 2010 by admin
By Wednesday Martin, Ph.D.,
Author of Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do
The media is in love with the term “blended family.” From USA Today to Star magazine to the New York Times, from 20/20 to Oprah, there’s no escaping the articles about repartnering with children that don’t just label such families “blended,” but further suggest that “blending = success.” That is, not blended = failed stepfamily. Read the rest of this entry »
January 5th, 2010 by admin
Whose Bed Is It Anyway? Tips on Cosleeping (Bedsharing) and Room Sharing
By Kim West, LCSW-C,
Author of The Sleep Lady®’s Good Night, Sleep Tight: Gentle Proven Solutions to Help Your Child Sleep Well and Wake Up Happy
Here are some things to think about as you figure out the right and comfortable sleep-enhancing arrangement for both you and your child. Read the rest of this entry »
