The most challenging aspect of using The Happiest Toddler on the Block might be the need to use just enough emotion and emphasis when stating their issues back to them (the Fast Food Rule), but then modeling a cool, calm and rational state in your reply when you are tired and frustrated by a…… Continue reading Taming Toddler Tantrums Using Sympathetic Reframing
Category: toddlers
Wean Pacifier Use by Teaching Toddlers How to Stay Cool and Collected
If I had a dollar for every toddler that greeted me at the door with a pacifier in his mouth……well, you know, I would be on an island in the sun today! Some parents want to know how to end paci use, as they dread the crying on the day that they send their child…… Continue reading Wean Pacifier Use by Teaching Toddlers How to Stay Cool and Collected
Start Teaching Pencil Grasp Early With Fingertip Feeding Games
Many preschoolers have difficulty holding a pencil. Some teachers and occupational therapists don’t even suggest pencil use until kindergarten. And the developmental progression is slowing down to reflect the limited amount of time children under 3 are getting to refine their pinch and manipulation skills that create the foundation of pencil grasp. Standardized testing may…… Continue reading Start Teaching Pencil Grasp Early With Fingertip Feeding Games
Discipline and Toddlers 2.0: Using Kind Ignoring with Defiance and Mild Aggression
I have had a lot of interest in my first blog post on “What to say if you don’t say “no?”. Parents have tried my suggestion, and sometimes their child responds by following the directions. And sometimes their child smiles and hits them. What do you do next? Most parents would try out my…… Continue reading Discipline and Toddlers 2.0: Using Kind Ignoring with Defiance and Mild Aggression
When Should Your Child Use a Stylus on an iPad?
Earlier I wrote a post on the App Crayon stylus to develop pencil grasp in preschoolers. But should all preschoolers and even toddlers use a stylus? The issue is more complicated than you might think. The App Crayon is still my favorite stylus for older toddlers. The triangular shape and the boldly colored, non-slip grasping…… Continue reading When Should Your Child Use a Stylus on an iPad?
Move Your Baby Into a Shared Bedroom Using The Happiest Baby on the Block
One question I usually hear when teaching The Happiest Baby on the Block (THB) classes is “Can this help me when I want to move her into her sister’s room?”. The answer is: absolutely! Strategies that keep your newborn calm and sleeping more deeply will smooth the transition to shared bedrooms later on. Most parents…… Continue reading Move Your Baby Into a Shared Bedroom Using The Happiest Baby on the Block
Teaching Handwriting to Toddlers Isn’t as Easy as Connecting the Dots
I recently saw a preschool homework sheet with dots forming the child’s first name. My initial thought was “Not again!”. And then I decided to be a bit more kind. Preschool teachers aren’t given any solid instruction in how to teach pre-writing. They are trying their best, and hoping that the workbooks they have in…… Continue reading Teaching Handwriting to Toddlers Isn’t as Easy as Connecting the Dots
Discipline and Toddlers: What Do You Say if You Don’t Want to Constantly Say “No”?
A mother recently asked me this question, and I had to come up with a quick and useful answer. Her daughter is a naturally curious little girl, and the mom wanted to ensure her child’s safety as she explores and experiments. She is aware that she can say “no” 10 times before lunch, and that…… Continue reading Discipline and Toddlers: What Do You Say if You Don’t Want to Constantly Say “No”?
Why is W-Sitting Such a Big Deal?
Does your child sit on the floor with their legs rotated out to the sides, feet pointing in front of them? Is this their preferred pattern of sitting on the floor? Is it, in fact, the only position your really ever see them use on the floor? Well then, you have yourself a W-sitter.…… Continue reading Why is W-Sitting Such a Big Deal?
Toddler “Jeopardy”: Why we Phrase Directions in the Form of Questions
“Would you please clean up this toy so we can get our next one?” When my toddler client shakes her head and smiles, I have to smile too. What was I thinking? I gave her a choice to clean up or not, and she chose, as they say in the Indiana Jones movies, wisely.…… Continue reading Toddler “Jeopardy”: Why we Phrase Directions in the Form of Questions
The Easy Way to Buy American-Made Products for Your Baby And Our Economy
I know that this is not the whole answer to raise all economic boats. But I also know you will be shopping anyway, so I thought it would be nice for you to know that some of your favorite manufacturers (and some smaller guys too) are creating American jobs and make great toys, clothing, and equipment…… Continue reading The Easy Way to Buy American-Made Products for Your Baby And Our Economy
Toilet Training Strategies for Children With Autism and Sensory Processing Issues
These strategies have worked for a wide range of children on the spectrum and/or those with sensory processing issues. Every child is different, but the following techniques are the best I know for most families: Time potty time about 20-30 minutes after meals and snacks. The act of digestion and drinking should stimulate urination and…… Continue reading Toilet Training Strategies for Children With Autism and Sensory Processing Issues
Sensory Processing Issues And Toilet Training Your Toddler: The Overview
Toilet training is never fun. At it’s best, a sweetly cooperative child quickly connects urges with actions, and parents deal with an occasional accident. In a few short weeks or months, you feel free to go anywhere without extra clothes, creme, wipes and diapers. Not when a child has difficulty processing sensory information. Sensory processing…… Continue reading Sensory Processing Issues And Toilet Training Your Toddler: The Overview
Healthychildren.org Has AAP Tips And An E-zine For Parents
There are so many sites out there, and busy parents aren’t sure what to look at first when researching health issues. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has a website with a newsletter and an e-zine that can be a place to start. They write a monthly newsletter on a wide range of subjects, and…… Continue reading Healthychildren.org Has AAP Tips And An E-zine For Parents
Peekaboo Apps: Fun Learning Choices for the Toddler Techies
One of the best app designers for very young children (for whom short periods of screen time with an interactive adult is always the way to go) are the folks who make the Peekaboo series. They have created a handful of apps (Peekaboo barn, vehicles, fridge, ocean) that use sharp but simple graphics, sound effects…… Continue reading Peekaboo Apps: Fun Learning Choices for the Toddler Techies
Autism and the Happiest Toddler Approach: Why Does It Work?
All children on the autism spectrum have two things in common: they have difficulty with communication and less social skills than would be expected for their age. Many, but not all, children with ASD struggle with sensory processing. The level of struggle is so unique that these kids look very different from one another most…… Continue reading Autism and the Happiest Toddler Approach: Why Does It Work?
Elf on the Shelf Controversy: Let’s Try Positive Gossiping to Santa
The recent discussion surrounding the popular toy “Elf on the Shelf” has been more heated than one might expect for a holiday tradition. For every family that finds him charming and motivating, there is another family that sees him as a creepy little elf, holding the threat of tattling to Santa over toddlers’ heads. I…… Continue reading Elf on the Shelf Controversy: Let’s Try Positive Gossiping to Santa
Sitting on Santa’s Lap? Make a Plan Before You Make a List
Tis’ the season. The wide-eyed wonder in a child’s face when they see holiday lights is a joy to behold. So then why are so many toddlers crying in the “Take a Photo with Santa” line at the mall? Blame the conflict between toddler reasoning and emotions. Toddlers are usually unable to connect the video…… Continue reading Sitting on Santa’s Lap? Make a Plan Before You Make a List
LEGO Apps That Your Child Really Wants to Play
Toddlers and preschoolers love tablets. Wouldn’t it be terrific if parents could download apps that actually developed skills instead of just kept children happy? The LEGO Duplo apps series for toddlers will enchant kids and their parents. Occupational therapists like them because they develop perceptual and ocular control skills, as well as muscle strengthening when…… Continue reading LEGO Apps That Your Child Really Wants to Play
Epigenetics and Infant Development
The Wall Street Journal ran a short piece last week on recent research into epigenetics and the effects of childhood poverty. Alison Gopnik was the author of “Poverty’s Vicious Cycle Can Affect Our Genes”. Some scientists believe that the chronic limited security and support many children experience in poverty changes their genetic makeup to bias…… Continue reading Epigenetics and Infant Development