Avoiding Sibling Rivalry Some sibling strife is inevitable, though the degree depends on the ages of the two children, whether or not their personalities are compatible, and the level of sibling conflict you tolerate. An attachment-parented child will have a much easier time adjusting since she got what she needed when she needed it. She […]
How to Stop Sibling Rivalry and Promote Sibling Harmony As parents – and referees – of eight children, we have survived personality clashes, ability battles, attention tactics, and multiple mini-battles, only to conclude that sibling rivalry, like nightwaking, is one of the inevitable annoyances of having children. We also learned that the degree of sibling […]
Model Babywearing for Kids When we adults wear babies, we model for our other children that big people carry little people. Children and grandchildren are more likely to adopt the style of parenting that they received or witnessed when young. For example, our own children have sometimes “worn” their dolls in homemade baby slings because […]
Help to Get Your Toddler and Baby to Have Matching Sibling Naps I have a toddler and a newborn. How can I get them on the same sleep schedule? This is a challenging situation, since toddlers and newborns have different sleep patterns and needs, and mothers of both a toddler and a newborn have reasons to […]
How Your Older Child May Feel about their New Baby Sibling Three-year-old Molly’s life was perfect. She was the center of attention in the perfect love triangle: mommy, daddy and child. She had her parents’ complete attention her whole life long and she knew exactly what to expect. She never had to share her parents […]
Ways to Get the Whole Family to Enjoy Healthy Smoothies I really want to get my family into drinking a daily smoothie. My kids are two, five, and ten. Do you have any tips to make this fun and sustainable so that they enjoy smoothies? Making a daily smoothie has been a Sears’ family nutritional […]
Do’s and Don’ts for Cosleeping Safely No matter where you have your baby sleep, be sure you provide a safe sleeping environment. If you decide to share sleep with your baby, and this arrangement is working for your family, observe these precautions for cosleeping safely. Do’s of Cosleeping: Guardrails Take precautions to prevent baby from […]
How to Address Stealing Little fingers tend to be sticky, allowing foreign objects to mysteriously find their way into little pockets. Before lamenting that you are harboring a little thief in your house, take a moment to understand why stealing is a common issue and how to handle this problem. 1. Understand Why Kids Steal […]
Seven Potty Training Tips There are toddlers who refuse to announce their productions, hold onto what they have, and resist any attempt to potty train them. If you are frustrated because you are still buying diapers and the potty-chair remains unused, read on for potty training tips. Later toilet-training, like late walking, may be your […]
Tips for Breastfeeding Twins It’s important to realize that your breastfeeding twins may have different and distinct feeding personalities. One is probably bigger than the other, and one may want to nurse more often than the other. As the babies become more adept at latching on it will be easier to nurse them at the […]
Our Down Syndrome Story As Martha gave her final push and I eased the precious head out of the birth canal, out popped a pudgy little hand with a curved little finger. In a flash, I realized that we were parents of a baby with Down syndrome. The baby we expected was not the baby […]
Tips on Parenting a Baby with Special Needs Weighing how your baby looks and acts in relation to other babies will tear you apart. As I was coming to terms with parenting a special-needs baby, every time I examined a baby in my office I would think, “Our baby doesn’t look or feel like that.” […]
