Toddler Behavior and Discipline
Tame your toddler's tantrums and find discipline techniques that really work.
17-Month-Old Butts His Head
This behavior is probably normal. Seventeen months is that difficult age when toddlers are learning to control themselves and the world around them. read more
6 Steps to Cure a Whiny Child
"But Mo-omm!" Sound familiar? Children whine at all ages, whether you have a toddler who wants a new toy or a teen who wants to stay out an hour past curfew. Having a whiny child on your hands is sure to fray your nerves, so nip this bad habit in the bud with these tips and strategies. read more
Airing Your Dirty Laundry: Handling Public Tantrums
Airing Your Dirty Laundry: Handling Public Tantrums Parents of two- and three-year-olds find themselves most uncomfortable and embarrassed when their children have tantrums in public: in the grocery store, in the park, or—and this is the worst—in the (until then) silent sanctuary of the public library. Yet there's really no reason why it should be so embarrassing that your toddler is behaving like a two-year-old. Virtually every toddler has tantrums. read more
Almost Seven and Still Sucks Her Finger
The best solution to this problem is a pediatric dentist/orthodontist. read more
Bathroom Talk
An increased interest in bathroom behavior and talk is normal for children at certain stages of development, but don't let it get out of hand. read more
Biting Other Children
Toddlers and preschoolers bite for any number of reasons, including getting attention, being overexcited, and showing signs of affection. read more
Bowel Control Problems in Six-Year-Old
Learn the best way to handle bowel control problems in school-age children. read more
Breaking the Pacifier Habit
Breaking the Pacifier Habit Most pacifiers are now designed with orthodontia in mind. They will not do any damage to the alignment of your child's teeth. So why make a point of asking your preschooler to stop using a pacifier? In time, your child will probably give it up on her own to avoid being labeled a "baby" by other children or by insensitive adults. However, if you can't wait to wean your preschooler from her beloved pacifier: read more
Breaking the Thumb Sucking Habit
Breaking the Thumb Sucking Habit Childproofing Bad-tasting solutions that you can apply to your preschooler's thumb have a serious drawback. If your child rubs his eyes, the solution may sting or irritate them. read more
Child Throws Tantrums When Disciplined
Disciplining a child while he is throwing a tantrum and/or hitting and screaming is impossible. read more
Disciplining a Two-Year-Old
Is tantrum-like behavior in a toddler normal, or is it a sign of trouble? read more
Disciplining Toddlers
You can expect a normal toddler to increasingly test her autonomy and independence. read more
Disciplining Your Toddler
Disciplining Your Toddler Good disciplinary techniques are constructive. The best thing to do when your child decides to become temporarily psychotic (that is, when she pitches a tantrum) is to do nothing. read more
Does a Two-Year-Old Understand Being Sorry?
Two-year-olds do not yet have a hard-wired, internalized conscience. read more
Don't Overuse the Word "No"
Don't Overuse the Word "No" Q-tip Be positive. Parents often forget that a toddler's social behavior is motivated not only by a desire to avoid displeasing others (especially parents), but also by a genuine desire to please. All too often, parents offer behavioral guidelines only in negative terms. read more
Eight-Year-Old Sucks Thumb
Some thumb sucking is common with a third or more of preschool children, and an even smaller percentage of early elementary-aged children. read more
Favorite Words of a Four-Year-Old
Favorite Words of a Four-Year-Old Your four-year-old actually needs to talk a lot. Though she's become much more fluent in her use of language, your preschooler is still practicing with different sounds and words. During this year, she'll probably love words that exaggerate: enormous, tremendous, and emergency, for example. read more
Five-Year-Old Still Sucking Thumb
Find out whether thumb sucking is harmful to a child's teeth. read more
Five-Year-Old Throwing Tantrums
An expert evaluates the possible reasons for a five-year-old's temper tantrums in public places. read more
Have a Positive Influence on Your Toddler's Behavior
Have a Positive Influence on Your Toddler's Behavior Bribes and rewards, punishments and threats don't work at this age. So if you want your toddler to behave in a certain way, you'll have to resort to trickery (though some might call it "guidance"). Remember, your willful one-year-old will "be good" only if he wants to do what you want to do. So all you have to do is figure out a trick that will make good behavior something your toddler wants to do. read more
Helping Your Child Express Anger Appropriately
Helping Your Child Express Anger Appropriately Part of the reason two-year-olds have tantrums is because they don't have the words or other tools they need to express their anger or frustration fully or appropriately. For this, your toddler needs your help. Thus the most important rule in handling tantrums is this: Ignore the behavior, but don't ignore your child. read more
Identifying Bad Habits in Preschoolers
Identifying Bad Habits in Preschoolers This article focuses on bad habits rather than bad behavior, because behavior that troubles you becomes a problem only when it becomes habitual. All preschoolers behave in ways that parents wish they wouldn't, at least on occasion. Your child will be no different. But no matter how strongly you disapprove of certain aspects of your child's behavior, it should be cause for real concern only if it becomes persistent. read more
Interrupt Rule
Interrupt RuleDirections I wish I had come across this idea when my children were younger. Although they've always been polite interrupters, even "Excuse me, Mommy" repeated twenty times can be annoying. Worse still is the adult who breaks off midsentence to turn full attention to the interrupting child. read more
Manners and Mealtime Just Don't Mix
Manners and Mealtime Just Don't Mix Q-tip Most toddlers (and preschoolers) do not have very exotic tastes. So if you and your partner prefer foods that your child doesn't like, try to make something simpler for him. read more
My Toddler Hits Me
Read about several approaches you can take to help your child learn to control his frustrations and anger and develop self-control. read more
My Toddler Is Biting
Biting is a normal behavior in toddlers, and there's little need for serious intervention. read more
Pacifiers and Thumb-Sucking
Pacifiers and Thumb-Sucking Dads often think that a baby doesn't need a pacifier, but using a pacifier or sucking on her thumb or fingers isn't necessarily a bad habit for a baby. Many younger infants actually enjoy the security they get from this type of non-nutritive sucking, and it can be something that is healthy and normal and encouraged. It also can provide a calming or soothing effect for many infants. read more
Potty Mouth
Age four is a bit early to be introduced to this degree of bathroom humor and body curiosity, but it's not of serious concern in and of itself. read more
Punishment and Toddlers: What Doesn't Work
Punishment and Toddlers: What Doesn't Work What punishments are appropriate for a one-year-old? Let's take a look at two strategies that don't work very well with young toddlers: read more
